John Witte, Jr.
  • Home
  • What's New
  • About
  • Photos
  • Publications
    • Books
    • Articles, Essays, Book Chapters & Book Reviews
  • Lectures
  • Interviews
  • Op-Eds
  • Cambridge Law and Christianity Series
  • Emory Studies in Law and Religion Series
  • Brill Research Perspectives on Law and Religion
  • Home
  • What's New
  • About
  • Photos
  • Publications
    • Books
    • Articles, Essays, Book Chapters & Book Reviews
  • Lectures
  • Interviews
  • Op-Eds
  • Cambridge Law and Christianity Series
  • Emory Studies in Law and Religion Series
  • Brill Research Perspectives on Law and Religion
John Witte, Jr.

The Oxford Handbook of Christianity and Law

John Witte, Jr. and Rafael Domingo, eds., The Oxford Handbook of Christianity and Law (New York/Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2023)

Description

This volume tells the story of the interaction between Christianity and law--historically and today, in the traditional heartlands of Christianity and around the globe. Sixty new chapters by leading scholars provide authoritative and accessible accounts of foundational Christian teachings on law and legal thought over the past two millennia; the current interaction and contestation of law and Christianity on all continents; how Christianity shaped and was shaped by core public, private, penal, and procedural laws; various old and new forms of Christian canon law, natural law theory, and religious freedom norms; Christian teachings on fundamental principles of law and legal order; and Christian contributions to controversial legal issues. Together, the chapters make clear that Christianity and law have had a perennial and permanent influence on each other over time and across cultures, albeit with varying levels of intensity and effectiveness.

This volume defines "Christianity" broadly to include Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox traditions and various denominations and schools of thought within them. It draws on Christian ideas and institutions, norms and practices, texts and titans to tell the story of Christianity's engagement with the world of law over the past two millennia. The volume also defines "law" broadly as the normative order of justice, power, and freedom. The chapters address natural laws of conscience, reason, and the Bible and positive laws enacted by states, churches, and voluntary associations. Several chapters focus on Christian engagement with specific types of law: canon law, family law, education law, constitutional law, criminal law, procedural law, and laws governing labor, tax, contracts, torts, property, and beyond. Other chapters take up cutting edge legal issues of racial justice, environmental care, migration, euthanasia, and (bio)technology as well as fundamental legal principles of liberty, dignity, equality, justice, equity, judgment, and solidarity.


Table of Contents

  • Preface and Acknowledgements – John Witte Jr. and Rafael Domingo, Emory University, USA
  • About the Contributors

Part I: Christianity and Law in Historical Perspective

1. Christianity, Law, and the Bible – Brent A. Strawn, Duke University, USA

2. Christianity and Roman Law – Maria Doerfler, Yale University, USA

3. Law and the Church Fathers – Josef Lössl, Cardiff University, UK

4. Christianity and Byzantine Law – David Wagschal, Ontario College of Art & Design University, Canada

5. Germanic Christianity and the Law – Mathias Schmoeckel, University of Bonn, Germany

6. Law in the Context of Medieval Scholasticism – Jean Porter, University of Notre Dame, USA

7. The Development of the Classical Canon Law – R. H. Helmholz, University of Chicago, USA

8. Christianity and Medieval Civil Law – Orazio Condorelli, University of Catania, Italy

9. Law and Orthodox Christianity after Byzantium – Paul Valliere, Butler University, USA

10. The Protestant Reformations and Law – John Witte Jr., Emory University, USA

11. Catholic Reform, Law, and the School of Salamanca – David Lantigua, University of Notre Dame, USA

12. The Church of England and Protestant Established Churches in Europe (1648-1800) – T. Jeremy Gunn, International University of Rabat, Morocco

13. Christianity and Law in the Early Americas – Tamar Herzog, Harvard University, USA

14. Christianity and Law in the Age of Enlightenment – Harold J. Berman and John Witte Jr., Emory University, USA

15. Christianity and Law in the Nineteenth Century – Mark D. Chapman, Oxford University, UK

16. Christianity and Law in the Twentieth Century – Russell Sandberg, Cardiff University, UK


Part II: The Global Interaction of Christianity and Law Today

17. Christianity and Law in Europe Today – Andrea Pin, University of Padua, Italy

18. Christianity and Law in North America Today – Nathan S. Chapman, University of Georgia, USA

19. Christianity and Law in Latin America Today – Cristián Villalonga, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Chile

20. Christianity and Law in Africa Today – Paulinus I. Odozor, University of Notre Dame, USA

21. Christianity and Law in the Middle East Today – Dörthe Engelcke, Max Planck Institute, Hamburg, Germany

22. Christianity and Law in the Post-Soviet Space and Eurasia Today – Alfons Brüning, Radboud University in Nijmegen, The Netherlands

23. Christianity and Law in Northeast Asia Today – Jonghyu Jeong, Chonnam National University, South Korea

24. Christianity and Law in Southeast Asia Today – Daniel PS Goh and Jaclyn L. Neo, National University of Singapore, Singapore

25. Christianity and Law in China Today – Zhibin Xie, Institute of Sino-Christian Studies, Hong Kong and Eric Wang, Emory University, USA


Part III: Christianity and Core Legal Subjects

26. Christianity and Constitutional Law – Nicholas Aroney, University of Queensland, Australia

27. Christianity and Procedural Law – Mathias Schmoeckel, University of Bonn, Germany and John Witte Jr., Emory University, USA

28. Christianity and Equity – Samuel L. Bray and Paul B. Miller, University of Notre Dame, USA

29. Christianity and Criminal Law – Heikki Pihlajamäki, University of Helsinki, Finland

30. Christianity and Contract Law 
– Paolo Astorri, University of Copenhagen, Denmark and Wim Decock, Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium

31. Christianity and Family Law 
– Helen M. Alvaré, George Mason University, USA

32. Christianity and Property Law 
– Angela C. Carmella, Seton Hall University, USA

33. Christianity and Torts 
– Michael P. Moreland, Villanova University, USA

34. Christianity and the Law of Taxation 
– Allen Calhoun, Emory University, USA

35. Christianity and Labor Law 
– Thomas C. Kohler, Boston College, USA

36. Christianity and Economic Law 
– Daniel A. Crane, University of Michigan, USA

37. Christianity and Education Law 
– Charles L. Glenn, Boston University, USA and Jan De Groof, College of Europe, Belgium

38. Christianity and International Law 
– Neil Walker, Edinburgh University, UK


Part IV. Canon Law, Human Rights, and Religious Freedom

39. Catholic Canon Law 
– Judith Hahn, University of Bonn, Germany

40. Orthodox Canon Law 
– Vasile Mihai, Saints Peter and Paul Christian Orthodox Church, Boone, NC, USA

41. Protestant Church Laws 
– Norman Doe, Cardiff University, UK

42.
Christianity and Natural Law and Natural Rights – Jennifer A. Herdt, Yale University, USA

43. Christianity and Human Rights Law 
– Mark Hill, KC, Inner Temple and University of Notre Dame London Law Program, UK

44. Christianity and the Law of Religious Freedom 
– Steven D. Smith, University of San Diego, USA

45. Christianity and Religious Freedom in the Asian Context 
– Li-ann Thio, National University of Singapore, Singapore

46. Christianity and the Law of Church-State Relations 
– Gerhard Robbers, University of Trier, Germany


Part V. Christianity and Emerging Areas of Law

47. Christianity, Law, and the Ecological Crisis 
– Massimiliano Montini, University of Siena, Italy and M. Christian Green, Emory University, USA

48. Christianity and Migration Law 
– Donald M. Kerwin, Jr., Center for Migrations Studies, New York City, USA

49. Christianity and Health Care Law 
– John Keown, Georgetown University, USA

50. Christianity and the Law of (Bio)technology 
– Ruth L. Okediji, Harvard University, USA

51. Christianity and Legal Ethics 
– Robert F. Cochran, Jr., University of Virginia, USA

52. Christianity and Racial Justice 
– Vincent Lloyd, Villanova University, USA

53. Christianity and Global Justice 
– Lisa Sowle Cahill, Boston College, USA


Part VI. Christianity and Enduring Legal Principles and Values

54. Christianity, Love, and Justice 
– Nicholas Wolterstorff, Yale University, USA

55. Christianity and Human Dignity 
– Pamela Slotte, Åbo Akademi University and University of Helsinki, Finland

56. Christianity and Equality 
– Julian Rivers, University of Bristol, UK

57. Christianity and the Rule of Law 
– Simon Lee, Open University, UK

58. Christianity and Sovereignty 
– Nicholas Aroney, University of Queensland, Australia

59. Christianity and Judgment 
– David H. McIlroy, Queen Mary University of London, UK

60. Christianity, Law, and Solidarity 
– Rafael Domingo, Emory University, USA
​
  • Index

Picture


Copyright © John Witte, Jr. 2016-2025
All  Rights Reserved