The Mattone Center for Law and Religion Launches a YouTube Channel and Video Series

This month, the Law School’s Denise ‘90 and Michael ‘91 Mattone Center for Law and Religion launched its YouTube channel, featuring content that includes podcast episodes; a new video series called Landmark Cases in Religious Freedom; panel discussions; interviews with Center Director Mark Movsesian; and event highlights.

“This platform allows the Mattone Center for Law and Religion to reach a broader audience,” says Professor Movsesian. “YouTube is a primary source of news and information for millions of people around the world. We aim to offer that global viewership clear explanations of U.S. Supreme Court decisions as well as other content on the relationship between law and religion in a pluralistic society.” 

Landmark Cases in Religious Freedom anchors the Center’s newest social media channel with original video content. Each animated episode in the series examines a pivotal court decision on the conflict between law and religion. In addition to providing historical context, the videos explain key legal arguments and court decisions and analyze the broader societal impact of these major Supreme Court cases.

The first video in the series, “People v. Philips: An Early Case About Free Exercise,” looks at an early precedent from New York on the priest-penitent privilege. It’s resonated with viewers, earning over 30,000 views already in the short time since it posted. “The audience response to this first episode shows we’re addressing a real need,” Professor Movsesian says. “People want to understand how courts balance legal principles and religious faith. As an academic center, we’re uniquely positioned to provide that understanding. Scholars shouldn’t confine themselves to academic circles—we should engage with the wider world. That’s exactly what the Center’s YouTube channel allows us to do.”

As the Center expands its online presence, which also includes the Law and Religion Forum, a blog about recent law and religion scholarship and news, Legal Spirits, a podcast on law and religion issues in the courts, and a regularly updated LinkedIn page, it animates the Law School’s mission of fostering robust dialogue on timely legal issues. 

“Since its inception, the Mattone Center for Law and Religion has brought St. John’s Law students and alumni together with leading scholars and practitioners to explore important legal topics,” says Law School Dean Jelani Jefferson Exum. “St. John’s Law is embarking on its next century of excellence, prominence, and impact. With its new YouTube channel, the Center is harnessing the power of social media to inform and educate the general public. With each view, the Center heightens its reputation for excellence in the law and religion field, gains prominence as a trusted resource, and deepens the impact of its vital work.”

You can subscribe to the Center’s YouTube channel to engage in timely conversations about law, religion, and society.

About the Mattone Center for Law and Religion
Established in 2010, the Mattone Center for Law and Religion at St. John’s Law provides a forum for studying law and religion from domestic, international, and comparative perspectives with the aim of:

• Examining the role of law in the relationship between religion and the state
• Exploring the concept of law in different religious traditions
• Promoting St. John’s Vincentian mission by encouraging an open dialogue on law and religion in the local, national, and international communities

In addition to hosting academic programs locally and around the world, the Center coordinates the Law School’s law and religion curriculum. It also hosts the Law and Religion Forum blog, the Legal Spirits podcast, and the Landmark Cases in Religious Freedom animated video series.