BECOME A wilberforce fellow

INNOVATIVE AND MULTI-DISCIPLINARY LAW AND RELIGION RESEARCH  

Notably, what the William Wilberforce Centre for Law and Religion Centre means by the words "Law and Religion" in its title is a tacit acknowledgment of the Judea-Christian foundations of Western law and jurisprudence.  

These Judea-Christian foundations inspired the life and work of William Wilberforce (1759 - 1833), as well as many advocates who sought to abolish African slavery and the transatlantic African slave trade.  Today, in the field of international human rights, such Judea-Christian foundations of the United Nations' Declaration of Human Rights (1948) this is also readily manifest and well acknowledged.  

Hence, the William Wilberforce Centre for Law and Religion promotes broad-based, multidisciplinary legal research that is both secular and religious.

The William Wilberforce Centre for Law and Religion seeks to work with all sorts of Seminaries, Colleges, Universities, Law Schools, and Professional Organizations in order to increase knowledge of the peoples of Africa and of African descent through research and development at a very high level.

In partnership with St. Clements University, the Centre operates on a “university without walls” principle, thus carrying on the tradition of great distance learning or correspondence institutions such as the University of London and the University of South Africa. 

The Wilberforce Centre for Law and Religion is designed to “fill the information gaps” about Africa and the peoples of African descent within the curriculum among law schools and post-graduate learning in the United States, Europe, and the West.

Our "D.Litt." degree is an "earned" research doctorate in the broad field of "law and religion"-- not an honorary award. Its principal purpose is directed at lawyers with secular JD or SJD or LL.M. degrees, who seek to concentrate advanced research on (a) Trans-African law and economic development.; (b) Hebrew-Jewish-Israeli studies; or (c) other areas of the law that affect church and state relations. 

Therefore, the Wilberforce Centre for Law and Religion is a POSTDOCTORAL curriculum and programme of study and research. 

To join our community of learners, an applicant must be admitted as a WILLIAM WILBERFORCE POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH FELLOW.

A statement of interest must sufficiently describe some research interest in a wide latitude of disciplinary subjects that impact the continent of Africa, the African diaspora, the peoples of African descent, and the economic, political, or social relations between Europeans, Asians, and Latin Americans with Africa. 

Traditional areas of focus include (1) neo-imperialism and post-colonial Africa and (2) Pan-Africanism; however, the purpose of this Centre is to go far beyond those subjects and to delve into areas such as Africa-China relations, medicine, environmental law, family and gender law, economics, church and religion, and health care. 

At this time, the Centre has coordinated for the publication of suitable post-doctoral papers, in book format, with a Table of Contents and Index, through:

Xlibris Publishers

1663 Liberty Drive 

Bloomington, Indiana 47403

https://www.xlibris.com/en/about

The Publication of the Research Paper/ Book shall qualify the Research Fellow to hold the post-doctoral qualification of:

DOCTOR OF LETTERS (D.LITT. OR LITT.D.)

IN HEBREW-JEWISH STUDIES; or in

TRANS-AFRICAN LAW & DEVELOPMENT STUDIES; or in 

CHURCH-STATE RELATIONS

According to the Wikipedia online encyclopedia, the “Doctor of Letters (D.Litt., Litt.D., Latin: Litterarum Doctor or Doctor Litterarum) also termed "Doctor of Literature" in some countries is a terminal degree in the arts, humanities and social sciences that, depending on the country, is a higher doctorate after the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree or equivalent.” 

In the United States, the Methodist-affiliated Drew University (Madison, New Jersey), is the only other university that grants the D.Litt. degree as a research degree-- the Wilberforce Law Centre's D.Litt. programme is similarly structured.

Applicant Qualifications:

Since the D.Litt. is a “higher doctorate,” all applicants to this program must already hold a doctorate-level degree, such as the Juris Doctor, the Doctor of Philosophy, the Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Ministry, etc. from an accredited seminary or university according to the standards of the country where they live.

However, for Ordained Ministers of Churches, Synagogues, Mosques, etc., all applicants must hold at least the master’s degree in their ministerial fields from an accredited seminary or university according to the standards of the country where they live. They may matriculate into the "Doctor of Letters- Church and State" programme.

Sponsoring Institutions:

This award presented jointly with several sponsoring institutions through the William Wilberforce Centre of Law and Religion. 

All D.Litt. post-doctoral papers may be listed, with the applicants’ approval, on the St. Clements University website.  

Total Tuition and Fees: $ 7,500.00 USA. 

Installment Payment Plans are available.

Post-doctoral Fellowships are available to Qualified Applicants from certain underdeveloped or developing African/ Asian nations. 

For more information: please send inquires to Rev. Dr. R. Andrew Lee Ford, Esq., J.D., Litt.D., LL.D., "Master of the Bench- St. Clements' Randall M. Robinson Inn of Court" at chancellor@stclements.edu