Pruis Rule of Law Lecture
The "rule of law" refers to the concept that no individual—ruler or private citizen—stands above the law. To safeguard that principle, modern democracies typically bind governmental authorities to written, publicly disclosed laws and procedures. The rule of law provides predictability: citizens can plan their lives because they have access to the rules of the game, and they know they can assert their rights under those rules if government acts arbitrarily. While those same laws and procedures can limit a citizen’s own freedom to some extent, the principle of rule of law suggests such limitations, if reasonable, are preferable to arbitrary government.
The Pruis Rule of Law Endowment was established at Calvin University in 2008 by Ed Zeilstra in honor of long-time Calvin Business professor Don Pruis to promote an appreciation for the rule of law—an essential cultural and legal arrangement of great interest to Pruis. The Henry Institute is working to generate activities that foster and promote a renewed appreciation among students, faculty, staff, and the broader West Michigan community for the concept.
The Pruis Rule of Law Lecture series has been sponsored by the Henry Institute at Calvin since 2010, and features speakers who are researching issues related to the rule of law or who have personally experienced issues surrounding the development of the rule of law in countries around the globe.
Senator Ed McBroom
Wednesday, October 19, 2022
The Henry Institute's Annual Pruis Rule of Law Lecture featured Michigan State Senator Ed McBroom, who has represented the 38th district of Michigan in the Upper Peninsula since 2019, after having first served 6 years in the Michigan House of Representative.
In the Senate, McBroom serves as the chair of the Senate Oversight Committee, a position he held during the November 2020 elections. When the allegations of voting irregularities arose after the election, McBroom and his Committee convened an investigation. After 8 months of interviewing witnesses, reviewing extensive documents, examining procedures throughout the election system and scrutinizing claims about corruption, the Committee concluded that the election results in Michigan were accurate and that claims of fraudulent activity were false.
Senator McBroom reflected on the importance of Christian principles and on upholding a strong and enforceable Rule of Law, along with his personal experience of its application to our election process, the 2020 election, and serving as an elected official.
Justin Giboney discussed what a faithful Christian witness should look like in the public square today. He challenged Christians on both sides of the aisle to place Christian principles over partisanship as he detailed a Gospel-centered framework for civic engagement. Giboney is an ordained minister, attorney and political strategist in Atlanta, GA. He is also the co-founder and president of the AND Campaign, a coalition of biblical Christians who are determined to address the sociopolitical arena with the compassion and conviction of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He served as the co-chair of Obama for America’s Gen44-Atlanta initiative, and in 2012 and 2016 Georgia’s 5th congressional district elected him as a delegate for the Democratic National Convention. Giboney also served on the Urban League of Greater Atlanta Board of Directors and has written op-eds for publications such as Christianity Today and The Hill.
https://youtu.be/3L_9wUCEvTc
Wednesday, September 29, 2021
Path to Justice: A Conversation on Criminal Justice Reform
https://youtu.be/3L_9wUCEvTc
For 2019/20, the Henry Institute partnered with several student organizations to present Path to Justice: A Conversation on Criminal Justice Reform as its annual Pruis Rule of Law program. The event addressed the brokenness of the current criminal justice system, and the hope presented by its reform, with discussions led by formerly incarcerated speakers, re-entry activists, and others engaged in the issue. Speakers included Aaron Kinzel, Michael Dutthler, Nick Nichols, Crissa Blakenburg, and Ben Rosa.
The program was sponsored by Forgive Everyone Co., Remedy Network, Calvin Student Senate, Calvin Republicans, Calvin Democrats, the Calvin Prison Initiative, and the Henry Institute.
[Watch the Event]
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
Liberalism is Not Free: The Myth of Religious Liberty
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlEghcyHAKU&feature=youtu.be
Patrick Deneen (professor of Political Science at Notre Dame, and author of Why Liberalism Failed) asserted that Christians today are apt to invoke "religious liberty" as a defense against an increasingly hostile secular state and academy. The appeal to these liberties asserts the centrality of religion as a founding right in the liberal order. Deneen believes this appeal is understandable in the current context, but may be ultimately misguided, since the liberal order arose not to protect such freedoms, but ultimately to control churches.
[See lecture]
December 6, 2018
Are International Institutions Dispensable?
https://youtu.be/qox8_0crA6I
Rod Ludema (professor of Economics at Georgetown University in School of Foreign Service and Department of Economics) considered how the economic dislocations of recent decades have given rise to political turmoil and a reassessment of international institutions, leading to questions about whether the U.S. should continue to honor our international commitments in the face of changing circumstances, the value of international commitments, and circumstances that might warrant deviation. He included thoughts about how Biblical principles of stewardship and justice give Christians a unique perspective and thus a needed voice in the debate.
November 2, 2017
See a discussion on international trade agreements and global economy, with Rod Ludema and Henry Institute Director Kevin den Dulk.
https://youtu.be/sGFYIGcm9mM
Christianity Among the Marginalized: Empowering Poor Women in India
Rebecca Samuel Shah's (research fellow with both the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, and with the Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor University) research and personal contacts have focused on female converts to Christianity in India who come from “untouchable” or "Dalit" backgrounds. Shah asserts that full religious freedom -- understood as full equality before the law and a full, realized equality of dignity and agency -- contribute to the day-to-day well-being and flourishing of poor Dalit women in India.
March 23, 2016
The Church's Witness and the Church's Freedom
https://vimeo.com/114717362
Dr. John Inazu, Associate Professor of Law and Political Science at Washington University in St. Louis and Visiting Faculty Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture at the University of Virginia (2014-15), focused on the strengths and vulnerabilities of the legal and constitutional arguments for preserving the freedom of the church to proclaim her message in an increasingly pluralistic and secularized society.
[See lecture]
November 13, 2014
Building the Rule of Law in New States: Kosovo and the Shadow of the European Union
http://vimeo.com/99260546
Dr. Sandra Joireman, Weinstein Chair of International Studies at the University of Richmond spoke about how institutional frameworks impact economic growth and political stability, including issues surrounding law and property rights. The lecture centered around the development of the rule of law in Kosovo.
November 4, 2013
Economic Growth, the Rule of Law, and the Image of God
http://vimeo.com/channels/henryinstitute/107283442
Dr. P.J. Hill, Senior Fellow, Property and Environment Research Center addressed the close connection between economic growth and the rule of law, asserting that successful application of the rule of law requires acknowledging equality among people – with the most powerful concept for such moral equality being that individuals are created in the image of God.
[See the lecture]
April 4, 2013
Fostering Religious Freedom in China: Are Property Rights the Key?
Dr. Kevin R. den Dulk, William Spoelhof Teacher-Scholar in Residence at Calvin College discussed the need for developing rule of law in China and exploring whether economic development, the extension of property rights, and the emergence of rights-based activism over the past several years will serve as a catalyst for progress toward a stronger culture of rule of law.
March 27, 2012
The Rule of Law in Russia: Problems and Perspectives
Andrey Shirin, Professor at John Leland Center for Theological Studies, discussed factors of particular importance to the development of democracy, civil society and the rule of law in Russia.
November 3, 2010