Craig A. Stern (Regent; Google Scholar), Truth and Law: The Role and Mission of a Christian Law School in Africa: 

Integrating biblical truth into teaching the law equips students to practice law as a ministry. It also brings other considerable intellectual and professional benefits. Biblical integration should inform the role and mission of the Christian law school in Africa. …

To start with, a confession: The writer does not know much about Africa. Since 1988, however, he has been teaching at a Christian law school. Perhaps some of what he has come to understand about Christian legal education could prove helpful to those called to the ministry of Christian legal education in Africa. In hopes this may be the case, he offers the following.

What makes a legal education a Christian legal education? In part, that it is provided by Christians—Christian faculty and staff. Along with this element could come Christian fellowship and community—the intentional envelopment of the school and its students within the life of Christ as members of His body. Surely, in addition, cultivating high ethical standards befitting Christians in the legal profession would form a part of the training and discipline included within a Christian legal education. Each of these three elements helps constitute a Christian legal education.

But Christians could staff a law school without providing a Christian legal education. And Christian fellowship can exist—even thrive—at a law school without that school’s offering a Christian legal education. Likewise, a law school can embrace and cultivate ethical formation and high ethical standards without doing so as a component of a Christian legal education. While a legal education insisting upon the ethical behavior that should mark Christians, delivered in the context of a Christian community led by Christian faculty and staff, should mark all Christian legal education, these three elements do not render a legal education a Christian legal education.

Beyond these three very important elements lies the essential element of a Christian legal education—bringing the mind of Christ and His word to bear upon the law itself. This element, opening to students the truth of the law, makes for a distinctly Christian legal education, and so a legal education that is a rich gift from God and that brings Him glory.

Editor’s Note:  If you would like to receive a weekly email each Sunday with links to the faith posts on TaxProf Blog, email me here.