October 11, 2016
The Center for Law and Religion at St. John’s Law has received a major grant from the Achelis and Bodman Foundation for its ongoing Tradition Project, a new research initiative exploring the value of tradition for contemporary citizens and the relationship of tradition and change in today’s world.
Conceived and co-directed by Professors Marc O. DeGirolami and Mark L. Movsesian, the Tradition Project seeks to develop a broad and rich understanding of what tradition—the received wisdom of the past—might continue to offer in cultivating virtuous, responsible, self-governing citizens.
The first component of the Project, which gets underway in New York in October 2016 and is supported by a generous grant from The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, examines tradition in American law and politics.
The new grant from the Achelis and Bodman Foundation will help support the second component of the Project, which focuses on tradition and culture. Slated for 2017 in New York, this component will explore tradition’s role in sustaining a common culture, defined as a people’s habits, beliefs, attitudes, education, and everyday morality—its way of life.
The Tradition Project brings together leading public figures, scholars, judges, and journalists for lectures, workshops, and sponsored research. Work related to the project will include book manuscripts, journal articles, and curricular development.
The Achelis and Bodman Foundation was established in 2015 from the merger of the Achelis Foundation and the Bodman Foundation, each of which dates to the 1940s. The Foundation sponsors grants in six major areas, including education, arts and culture, and public policy. It focuses its giving mainly in New York City.
“We're extremely grateful for the support the Achelis and Bodman Foundation has given us,” said Center Director Mark Movsesian. “It will help us continue the good work of the Project and enrich the intellectual life of our great city.”
About the Center for Law and Religion
Established in 2010, the Center for Law and Religion provides a forum for the study of law and religion from domestic, international and comparative perspectives. In addition to hosting academic programs in New York and abroad, the Center coordinates the Law School’s law and religion curriculum and hosts the Law and Religion Forum, a frequently updated online resource on recent scholarship, cases and law and religion news from across the globe. For further information about the Center or the Tradition Project, please contact Professor Movsesian at [email protected].