Agora 15: International Law and Theology

This is not an agora on international law and religion, focusing on freedom of religion or other human rights aspects of religious beliefs and practices. Rather, this panel will focus on the similarities and differences concerning international law and the academic ‘discipline’ of religion, theology. Questions addressed could be: How are texts becoming part of the ‘canon’? Who decides on the teaching/preaching of the gospel? How is the ‘invisible clergy of international lawyers’ and the ‘visible college of priests’ formed? How do we deal with heretics and schisms? Did the fact that most founding fathers of international law from Vitoria to Grotius were theologians have an impact on the early formation of the ius gentium? Papers should also address the different or similar ways in which lawyers and theologians deal with custom or with the demands of conscience and morality in their normative orders.