THE GOSPEL OF LIFE

an analysis of Christian Natural Law

Introduction

           

The history of jurisprudence spans at least forty-four centuries, in during all but one of which the dominant theories underlying law were the natural law theories. During most of the twentieth century the legal academy viewed natural law as something unworthy of discussion. Lately, however, natural law seems to be regaining its rightful place of pre-eminence.
            A leading natural lawyer has written, “Historically there is not really a tradition of natural law, but several traditions.” One such tradition of natural law stems from Catholicism; a branch of Natural Law known as “Biblical Natural Law” or “Christian Natural Law”. It is but a fallacy to assume that this facet of Natural Law rose with jurists such as Aquinas and died with the rise of Protestantism. Some of the most prominent contemporary natural law theorists are Roman Catholics. Works of J. Budziszewski, John Finnis,  Robert George,  and Russell Hittinger  stand as a tribute to the Biblical origin of Natural Law.
          
            The paper (attached) aims to analyze the concept of natural law as rooted in the Bible and Christian faith. The researcher has examined the theories of Thomas Aquinas, John Calvin and contemporary jurists Pope John Paul II, in an endeavour to bring to light the fact that the Christian theory does not see law as a command given by God to men, but in fact sees it as an enterprise involving human reason and application of the mental faculty.