About

The Center works to glorify God, serve our neighbor, and care for creation

The Center for Law and Culture achieves its mission to recover the traditional Judeo-Christian understanding that law is based on a moral order grounded in God’s authority as Creator through educational initiatives designed to inspire students and concerned citizens to serve God faithfully in the fields of law, government, and politics.

About the Center for Law and Culture

Motto

Restoring Truth in Law

By restoring a noble legal heritage premised upon “higher law” and enshrined in the Declaration of Independence.

Mission

Inspiring Virtuous Leadership in Public Life

By educating students and citizens about our noble legal heritage and its emphasis to glorify God, serve our neighbor, and care for creation in public life.

Method

Equipping Virtuous Public Leaders and Citizens

By collaborating with other like-minded institutions and by launching pioneering initiatives in the Judeo-Christian tradition that teach how to effectively engage in public life:

  • Strategic Collaborations, partnerships with 17 Christian colleges and universities, and with over 30 non-profit organizations, churches, foundations, and businesses.
  • 1215 Project, a legal studies curriculum at Olivet commemorating Magna Carta (1215), England’s greatest legal document, which features seven courses focusing on the Anglo-American “higher law” tradition and the principles enshrined in the Declaration of Independence.
  • Law, Justice and Culture Institute, a May-term civics course that attracts students from around the nation and world.
  • Law & Politics Society, a student club at Olivet that celebrates our constitutional heritage, prepares students for careers in public life, and facilitates the Mock Trial Team.
  • Internship Program, an initiative that places talented student interns at the Center, and in judicial and political settings.
  • Creation Care Program, a one-day practicum featuring the award-winning Center film, “When Heaven Meets Earth.”
  • Religious Liberty Initiative, a program providing instruction, resources, and advice on religious freedom issues.
  • Josiah Project, an undertaking that hosts civics seminars for public leaders representing a variety of fields.
  • Making Young Patriots, an initiative offering sessions for young people on the Declaration of Independence, and the U.S. Constitution.

Read the history of the Center for Law and Culture for more information.

The following scholars helped in formulating the initial vision of the Center for Law and Culture:

  • Law and Politics Professor Charles J. Emmerich
  • Theologians J.I. Packer and Harold O.J. Brown
  • Federal Appellate Judge Michael McConnell
  • Bio-ethicists Nigel Cameron and John Kilner
  • Political Theorist J. Budziszewski
  • Law Professor Phillip Johnson

The following law firms have contributed to the Center for Law and Culture:

  • Hoogendoorn and Talbot, LLP
  • Ruff, Weidenaar & Reidy, Ltd.
  • Davis & Kuelthau, S. C.

The following institutions have contributed to the Center for Law and Culture (partial list):

  • Andrew Allen Charitable Foundation
  • Bradshaw-Knight Foundation
  • The Emmerich Foundation
  • Goldsmith Weiss Foundation
  • Mark Chapin Johnson Foundation
  • Life Ministries
  • Louis Nayovitz Foundation
  • Sumner T. McKnight Foundation
  • Powerware, Inc.

The following churches have contributed to the Center:

  • Moraine Valley Community Church (Palos Heights, IL)
  • Palos Heights Christian Reformed Church (Palos Heights, IL)
  • Peoples Church (Bourbonnais, IL)
  • Springdale Church of the Nazarene (Cincinnati, OH)