The william Wilberforce Centre for Law and Religion

• The Puritan and Christian Evangelical foundations of the Wilberforce Law Centre acknowledge the Written Torah (i.e., the Five Books of Moses) as a major cornerstone of Western values, customs, culture, ethics, and law.

• To that end, scholarly legal or theological writing and legal or theological research from the perspective of Judea-Christian values are both highly-regarded and encouraged. 

• The intersection of law and religion (including all faith traditions, such as Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc.) as well as the intersection of law and other disciplinary subjects (e.g., economics) are also highly-regarded and encouraged. 

• Working with St. Clements University and its vast network of global scholars, the Wilberforce Law Centre seeks to promote peace in the Middle East, the brotherhood of all mankind, and antisemitism through the commendation of Jewish contributions to Western civilization.

• Master's and Doctor of Philosophy courses, and research projects, and journal publications shall be developed on an ad hoc basis in order to promote these objectives.  

* Inquiries should be made to: chancellor@stclements.edu

• The moral-theological significance of the mid-20th century Holocaust and its impact upon the Jewish people must be of great interest of present-day scholars, activists, clergymen, lawyers, judges, and other persons who are concerned about the human rights of everyone-- not just Jews. 

• Efforts to abate genocide, racism, and antisemitism must be a universal objective of all concerned citizens.

• To that end, the Wilberforce Law Centre is committed to the Jewish slogan "Never Again," on behalf both Jews and non-Jews worldwide.   

• Working with St. Clements University and its vast network of global scholars, various progammes, symposiums, and projects shall be developed to promote these objectives.

• Master's and Doctor of Philosophy courses, and research projects, and journal publications shall be developed on an ad hoc basis in order to promote these objectives.  

* Inquiries should be made to: chancellor@stclements.edu

• The Palestinian/ Israeli question is of major concern to the continent of Africa and the African Diaspora.

• The history of the relationship with Jews and the peoples of African descent is long and complex.  

•  "The Bible refers to Jews living in the region now known as Ethiopia. The prophet Isaiah, for example, spoke of the return of the Jews who had been exiled to a variety of lands, including Cush, which is now part of Ethiopia and the Sudan. Isaiah 18 is devoted to a description of Cush and the people living there. " - Jewish Virtual Library, "Who are the Ethiopian Jews"

• Indeed, many native Black Africans are Jewish, Muslim, or Christian. 

• For example, some Black Africans, notably the Bantu-Lemba peoples, are the lineal descendants of the Levitical tribe of ancient Israel.  

• There are approximately 168,000 Ethiopian Jews living in Israel (Beta Israel), and hundreds more still living in Ethiopia.  Unfortunately, Ethiopian Jews face discrimination and marginalization in Israel, including:

1. Lack of acceptance;
2. Lack of precise diagnosis for learning challenges;
3. Discrimination due to skin color; and,
4. Poverty levels that are higher than the general Jewish population 

• In the Western Hemisphere, during the early 1900s, persons of African descent facing similar discrimination coined the phrase Pan-Africanism as a replica of Jewish Zionism. 

• See, e.g., the life and works of one of the principal founders of Pan-Africanism, Henry Wilmot Blyden (1832 - 1912)(comparing and linking late 19th-century Pan-Africanism to late-19th century Zionism).

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•  In the United States, there is long history of Black-Jewish relations working together to promote civil and human rights.  

• Notably, in the field of church and religion, the life and legacy of African-American Baptist Minister William Saunders Crowdy (1847 - 1908), who founded the Church of God and Saints of Christ, and through Pastor Albert Christian reconnected with the Lemba Jews of Zimbabwe in southern Africa, are noteworthy.

• Notably, in the field of international relations, Dr. Ralph J. Bunche, a Black Harvard-trained political scientist, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1950 for mediating a peace deal between Palestinians and Israelis. 

• Recently, the nation-state of South Africa has condemned Israel for its inhumane treatment of the Palestinian civilians in Gaza, and the South Africans have compared that situation to the system of Apartheid once practiced in South Africa. 

• For these reasons and a variety of other examples, the Wilberforce Law Centre encourages scholarly research in the areas of Trans-African/ Jewish relations, as well as Palestinian/ Israeli relations. 

• To that end, the St. Clements' Randall M. Robinson International INN of COURT sponsors networking opportunities for Clergymen, Scholars, Lawyers, Judges, and Law Students in who are: 

1. interested in law, peace, justice, and economic development in Israel and Palestine; 
2. interested in rooting out antisemitism and anti-Arab sentiments in the United States and around the world; and
3. interested in improving relations between the Jewish/ Israeli nation-state and the African nation-states on the continent of Africa, as well as the African American communities in the United States.

* Inquiries should be made to: chancellor@stclements.edu