Law and Religion

The Legal Teachings of the Protestant and Catholic Reformations

Contributions by Mathias Schmoeckel Contributions by John Witte Jr. Contributions by Todd Rester Contributions by Mia Korpiola Contributions by Alain Wijffels Contributions by Vincenzo Lavenia Contributions by Richard H. Helmholz Contributions by Charles Donahue Jr Contributions by Harald Maihold Edited by Wim Decock Edited by Jordan J. Ballor Edited by Michael Germann Edited by Laurent Waelkens Associate editor Günter Frank Associate editor Ute Lotz-Heumann Associate editor Barbara Mahlmann-Bauer Associate editor Johannes Schilling Associate editor Günther Wassilowsky Associate editor Siegrid Westphal Associate editor Tarald Rasmussen Associate editor Mathijs Lamberigts Associate editor Bruce Gordon Associate editor David M. Whitford

Book cover: Law and Religion

Extent: 278 pages

Publisher: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht

Subjects: Religious Studies

Series: Refo500 Academic Studies (R5AS)

Language: English

Hardback (Published)

(September 2014)

ISBN: 9783525550748

6.34 x 9.33 inches

Price: $200.00

In stock

Wim Decock collects contributions by internationally renowned experts in law, history and religion on the impact of the Reformations on law, jurisprudence and moral theology. The overall impression conveyed by the essays is that on the level of substantive doctrine (the legal teachings) there seems to be more continuity between Protestant and Catholic, or, for that matter, between medieval and early modern jurisprudence and theology than usually expected.


Wim Decock collects contributions by internationally renowned experts in law, history and religion on the impact of the Reformations on law, jurisprudence and moral theology. The overall impression conveyed by the essays is that on the level of substantive doctrine (the legal teachings) there seems to be more continuity between Protestant and Catholic, or, for that matter, between medieval and early modern jurisprudence and theology than usually expected. As it is illustrated with regards to topics ranging from just war doctrine over business ethics to marriage law, at the very least there appears to have been an on-going conversation between jurists and theologians across the confessional divide. This does not prevent some contributions from highlighting that on the institutional level, for instance in university politics, radical tensions between Reformers and Counter-Reformers played a paramount role. This book also offers approaches to the relationship between Church(es) and State(s) in the early modern period and to the practical as well as doctrinal use of natural law in both Protestant and Catholic lands.

  • Contributions by Mathias Schmoeckel
  • Contributions by John Witte Jr.
  • Contributions by Todd Rester
  • Contributions by Mia Korpiola
  • Contributions by Alain Wijffels
  • Contributions by Vincenzo Lavenia
  • Contributions by Richard H. Helmholz
  • Contributions by Charles Donahue Jr
  • Contributions by Harald Maihold
  • Edited by Wim Decock
  • Edited by Jordan J. Ballor
  • Edited by Michael Germann
  • Edited by Laurent Waelkens
  • Associate editor Günter Frank
  • Associate editor Ute Lotz-Heumann
  • Associate editor Barbara Mahlmann-Bauer
  • Associate editor Johannes Schilling
  • Associate editor Günther Wassilowsky
  • Associate editor Siegrid Westphal
  • Associate editor Tarald Rasmussen
  • Associate editor Mathijs Lamberigts
  • Associate editor Bruce Gordon
  • Associate editor David M. Whitford