Short description:

This book explores both historical and contemporary Christian sources and dimensions of global law, and includes critical perspectives, comparative perspectives, and dialectics with other faiths and liberal philosophical perspectives.

Long description:

This book explores both historical and contemporary Christian sources and dimensions of global law and includes critical perspectives from various religious and philosophical traditions.

Two dozen leading scholars discuss the constituent principles of this new global legal order historically, comparatively, and currently. The first part uses a historical-biographical approach to study a few of the major Christian architects of global law and transnational legal theory, from St. Paul to Jacques Maritain. The second part distills the deep Christian sources and dimensions of the main principles of global law, historically and today, separating out the distinct Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox Christian contributions as appropriate. Finally, the authors address a number of pressing global issues and challenges, where a Christian-informed legal perspective can and should have deep purchase and influence. The work makes no claim that Christianity is the only historical shaper of global law, nor that it should monopolize the theory and practice of global law today. But the book does insist that Christianity, as one of the world?s great religions, has deep norms and practices, ideas and institutions, prophets and procedures that can be of benefit as the world struggles to find global legal resources to confront humanity?s greatest challenges.

The volume will be an essential resource for academics and researchers working in the areas of law and religion, transnational law, legal philosophy, and legal history.

Table of Contents:

Introduction

Part 1: Historical-biographical approach

1        St. Paul and the moral law

2        Augustine and the common good

3        Thomas Aquinas: definitions and vocabulary in his Treatise on Law

4        Francisco de Vitoria and the global commonwealth

5        Francisco Suárez on the law of nations and just war

6        Alberico Gentili and the secularization of the law of nations

7        Johannes Althusius and the universal rule of natural laws and rights

8        Hugo Grotius and the aking of modern natural law

9        Kant?s Religion and Perpetual Peace

10      Jacques Maritain and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

11      Robert Schuman and the process of European integration

Part 2: Structural principles of global governance

12      Christianity and the global rule of law

13      Christianity and the principle of dignity

14      Christianity and the principle of equality in global law

15      The principle of the common good

16      Christianity, sovereignty, and global law

17      Christianity and the principle of solidarity

18      Christianity and the principle of subsidiarity

Part 3: Global issues and global public goods

19      Christianity and human rights

20      Christianity and the international economic order

21      Christianity and a global law for migration

22      Christianity, global environmental protection, and animal law

23      Christianity and the use of force: Lex and Pax Christi

24      Christianity and international criminal law