Rabbi Burton L. Visotzky, a nationally recognized authority on Jewish history and biblical teachings, will examine the myth of divine law in secular society when he delivers the 18th annual lecture for DePaul University’s Center for Church/State Studies. The lecture will be held at 3 p.m. March 1 at the Union League Club of Chicago, Crystal Room, 65 W. Jackson Blvd.

A member of the faculty at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York since 1977, Visotzky is the Nathan and Janet Appleman Chair in Midrash and Interreligious Studies. He has been the associate and acting dean of the seminary’s graduate school and is the founding rabbi of the egalitarian worship service of the Seminary Synagogue, as well as director of the Louis Finkelstein Institute for Religious and Social Studies at the seminary.

A prolific writer and one of the nation’s leading Jewish theologians, Visotzky has authored seven books, including the best-selling “The Genesis Ethics: How the Tormented Family of Genesis Leads Us To Moral Development” (1997, Random House), “The Midrash on Proverbs” (1992, Yale University Press), “The Road to Redemption: Lessons from Exodus on Leadership and Community”(1998, Crown Publishing) and “From Mesopotamia to Modernity: Ten Introductions to Jewish History and Literature” (1999, Westview Press).

Visotzky served as a consultant and a featured on-screen personality for a ten hour television project he developed with journalist Bill Moyers for PBS. The series, “Genesis: A Living Conversation,” premiered in 1996. He also was a consultant to Jeffrey Katzenberg of DreamWorks SKG for the film “Prince of Egypt.”

His work has been discussed on National Public Radio, PBS, Lifetime and A&E cable and the major television networks, and has appeared in print in such publications as “The New York Times Sunday Magazine,” “U.S. News & World Report,” “Newsweek,” “Time Magazine” and “Forbes.”

Visotzky’s remarks at DePaul will be published in the DePaul Law Review later in the year. The Center for Church/State Studies was established by the College of Law at DePaul to encourage informed debate over the liberties and protections of the First Amendment. For more than 15 years, it has forged a vital link between the secular and religious communities in society.

The Visotzky lecture is free and open to the public, but reservations are required. Call 312/362-8818 or visit the Center for Church/State Studies Web page at: www.law.depaul.edu to reserve a space.

Note to Editors: Reporters wishing to cover Visotzky’s lecture should call Valerie Phillips, Media Relations Department, at 312/362-5039.