The University of New South Wales

go to UNSW home page

Handbook Home

PRINT THIS PAGE
Law and Religion. Christianity and the Western Legal Tradition - LAWS3242
 Library lawn

 
Faculty: Faculty of Law
 
 
School:  Faculty of Law
 
   
 
Campus: Kensington Campus
 
 
Career: Undergraduate
 
 
Units of Credit: 6
 
 
EFTSL: 0.12500 (more info)
 
 
Indicative Contact Hours per Week: 4
 
 
Enrolment Requirements:
 
 
Prerequisite: LAWS1001 and LAWS1011 and Corequisite: LAWS2311; Prerequisite: JURD7101 and JURD7111 and Corequisite: JURD7211
 
 
Excluded: JURD7542
 
 
CSS Contribution Charge:Band 3 (more info)
 
   
 
Further Information: See Class Timetable
 
  

Description

The course will explore the complicated and fascinating relationship between Christian theology and law. The religious dimension of western law for a long time was forgotten or overlooked. The change started with publication of Harold Berman's "Law and Revolution. The Formation of the Western Legal Tradition". The issue of law and religion has long been pushed to the margins of the main trends of jurisprudence, but in the past few years there is a growing number of publications on 'law and religion'. The aim of the course is to explore that stream of thinking about law and its connection with theology and show the religious sources of many Western legal concepts.
The course will focus on historical and contemporary issues, among them the impact of Christianity and its theology on the western legal tradition from Paul, Augustine of Hippo through to Thomas Aquinas and Luther, Calvin and others. Their impact on changes in the western concept of law will be explored. The reciprocal impact of law on Christianity and its theology will also be investigated. Contemporary scholarship on, and crossing, the borders between Christian theology and law will also be discussed.

URL for this page:

© The University of New South Wales (CRICOS Provider No.: 00098G), 2004-2011. The information contained in this Handbook is indicative only. While every effort is made to keep this information up-to-date, the University reserves the right to discontinue or vary arrangements, programs and courses at any time without notice and at its discretion. While the University will try to avoid or minimise any inconvenience, changes may also be made to programs, courses and staff after enrolment. The University may also set limits on the number of students in a course.