Professor Helen Alvaré Delivers Compelling Lecture on Religious Liberty and Family Law

On Thursday 8 August, Campion College hosted an insightful public lecture by Professor Helen Alvaré at the Royal Automobile Club of Australia. Professor Alvaré, who holds the Robert A. Levy Endowed Chair in Law and Liberty at Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University, captivated the audience with her profound analysis of the intersection between religious liberty, family law, and contemporary cultural shifts.

In her lecture, Professor Alvaré addressed the evolving landscape of family law, critiquing the ways in which modern legal frameworks have increasingly prioritised adult interests over the well-being of children. "What happened was adults' interests became valorised over children. Adult's sexual interests, economic and lifestyle interests. Thus, governments began granting new sets of rights and interests to adults, and then secondarily trying to mop up what was happening to children at the back end," she explained.

Professor Alvaré also discussed the broader cultural and philosophical changes that have shaped contemporary views on sexuality and identity,  noting how the move then to see the human primarily as sexual and then to see the sexual as political has profoundly influenced both family law and societal norms.

A significant portion of the lecture was devoted to the challenges posed by what Professor Alvaré termed the "new sexual orthodoxy" and its clash with religious freedom. She argued that this modern cultural shift, which often frames sexual freedom as essential to human rights, has positioned religious institutions and individuals as adversaries. "Religious freedom is so regularly also associated with the freedom of communities and institutions. Christian institutions, as a necessarily communal affair, get targeted," she said.

In response to these challenges, Professor Alvaré advocated for a robust defence of religious teachings, emphasising that they are both reasonable and loving. She urged Christian institutions to articulate the importance of their family norms, not as arbitrary rules, but as profound expressions of Christian love and the identity of God. "Our family norms are not man-made moralism intended to make sex ugly or unattractive. They are rather ways in which Christians understand that we get a glimpse of the identity of God, how he loves us, how we're supposed to love him and one another," she asserted.

Drawing on her extensive legal expertise, Professor Alvaré highlighted the importance of preserving religious freedom not just as a matter of individual rights but as a crucial element of the common good. She pointed to studies showing that religious practices contribute positively to various societal outcomes, including family stability, volunteerism, and charitable contributions. "We need to make arguments that say not just 'I have a right,' but 'you want our witness. You need our witness’. I would like to see us not just standing on our right to religious freedom, but expressing that when we have that right, it will benefit the common good,” she emphasised.

See below for photos from the night and a recording of Professor Alvaré’s lecture.