'Bold text'John Witte Jr. is the Jonas Robitscher Professor of Law at Emory University School of Law in Atlanta, Georgia. He is one of the world's foremost experts on church and state relations.[1]
He is a founder and the current director of Emory's Center for the Study of Law and Religion. He is a specialist in legal history.[2] The Center recently passed the 25 year milestone and was celebrated by a successful conference focusing on When Law and Religion Meet.
Witte received a BA from Calvin College in 1982 and a J.D. from Harvard in 1985.[3] While at Harvard he studied under Harold J. Berman.
Witte publishes frequently and has authored over 180 articles, 11 journal symposia and 23 books.[4] These include The Reformation of Rights, From Sacrament to Contract, and Christianity and Law (co-authored with Frank Alexander). [5]
Witte’s writings have appeared in 10 languages, and he has lectured and convened conferences through North America, Western and Eastern Europe, Japan, Israel, and South Africa. With major funding from the Pew, Ford, Lilly, Luce, and McDonald foundations, he has directed 12 major international projects on democracy, human rights, and religious liberty, and on marriage, family, and children. These projects have collectively yielded more than 160 new volumes and 250 public forums around the world. He edits two major book series, “Studies in Law and Religion,” and “Religion, Marriage and Family.” He has been selected 10 times by the Emory law students as the Most Outstanding Professor and has won dozens of other awards and prizes for his teaching and research.
Witte is married to Eliza Ellison, a theologian and trained mediator. They have two daughters.
He opened Calvin College's celebration of John Calvin's 500th birthday, which can be watched online.[6] An interview by Miroslav Volf of Professor Witte can be seen through the links below.