By Edward A. David McDonald Postdoctoral Fellow in Christian Ethics and Public Life, University of Oxford 24 February 2023. A short paper for the Centre for Theology, Law, and Culture at Pusey House, Oxford Churches can be forgiven for describing themselves, like any other civil society organization, as “voluntary.” This Lockean portrayal, after all, dominatesContinue reading “Church Autonomy and the Corpus Mysticum Tradition”
Category Archives: Law and Religion
Religious Liberty and Corporate Metaphysics
By Edward A. David McDonald Postdoctoral Fellow in Christian Ethics and Public Life, University of Oxford 23 February 2023, Recollection Lecture, Pusey House, Oxford Introduction Thank you to the Centre for Theology, Law, and Culture for the kind invitation to speak today, ahead of a symposium dedicated to the topic of corporate persons. The aimContinue reading “Religious Liberty and Corporate Metaphysics”
Church, State, and Virtue in Diocese of Brooklyn v. Cuomo (2020)
To curb the spread of COVID-19, houses of worship in the State of New York were legally required to limit attendance at religious ceremonies. Two religious communities—the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn and the Orthodox Jewish organization, Agudath Israel of America—asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene. This article provides a theological interpretation of theContinue reading “Church, State, and Virtue in Diocese of Brooklyn v. Cuomo (2020)”
New Year, New Projects
This year, 2023, marks a decade of living and learning in the United Kingdom — first as a postgraduate student, now as a postdoctoral research fellow. Here’s a preview of what’s ahead. Publications are on my mind as I enter the first full term in the McDonald post. My essay on the shrewd steward (LkContinue reading “New Year, New Projects”
Dissertation Prize 2022: Academy of Catholic Theology
During the 2022 annual conference of the Academy of Catholic Theology, my DPhil thesis on corporate religious liberty received an honourable mention for the Academy’s Dissertation Prize, awarded to early career academics. We are pleased to announce that Prof. Rachel Coleman won the ACT Dissertation Prize, and Fr. Joseph Van House, O.Cist., and Dr. EdwardContinue reading “Dissertation Prize 2022: Academy of Catholic Theology”
Live Radio: The Crucifixion with Voice of Islam UK
Last week, I joined the Voice of Islam UK once more as a guest on their live radio programme, The Breakfast Show. We discussed archaeological and historical evidence of Christ’s crucifixion as well as the role of Pontius Pilate in Christ’s passion. With me sharing a Christian’s perspective, we certainly had much to speak aboutContinue reading “Live Radio: The Crucifixion with Voice of Islam UK”
Updates from the Conference Circuit
It’s that time of year: summer conferences! Since May, I’ve presented at four conferences. The first two focused on law and religion, the second two on virtue in business and in general. I am now preparing for three more conferences, which will round out not just the summer but the 2021/22 academic year as well.Continue reading “Updates from the Conference Circuit”
More reviews of A Christian Approach to Corporate Religious Liberty
Reviews of my book can now be found in Studies in Christian Ethics and the Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work: Social Theory. My sincere thanks to Allen Calhoun and David Hodge for their generous words and insights. Their reviews can be found through the links above—though, journal subscriptions may be necessary. TheContinue reading “More reviews of A Christian Approach to Corporate Religious Liberty”
Article: Religious Deviance and Psychological Medicine in the Second Great Awakening
In our first co-authored publication, Mark W. Lee (Crandall University, Canada) and I examine asylum narratives to explore tensions between the religious self and society in nineteenth-century Massachusetts. “Religious Deviance and Psychological Medicine in the Second Great Awakening: the Asylum Narratives of Elizabeth T. Stone (b. 1811)” is an open access article in the JournalContinue reading “Article: Religious Deviance and Psychological Medicine in the Second Great Awakening”
Lectures: Character formation at Trinity Law School
Last week, I wrote and recorded two guest lectures for an elective course on ethics, law, and public policy at Trinity Law School, California. Using the parable of the shrewd manager (Luke 16: 1-8) as an illustration, the first lecture introduces students to the virtue of practical wisdom, showing how it (phronesis) directs the otherContinue reading “Lectures: Character formation at Trinity Law School”
Edward A. David 