LAW AND RELIGION: THE LEGAL TEACHINGS OF THE PROTESTANT AND CATHOLIC REFORMATIONS. Eds Wim Decock, Jordan J Ballor, Michael Germann and Laurent Waelkens Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht (www.v-r.de/en/), 2014. 278 pp. ISBN 9783525550748. €110.
| Author | Stephen Bogle |
| DOI | 10.3366/elr.2015.0283 |
| Published date | 01 May 2015 |
| Date | 01 May 2015 |
| Pages | 285-287 |
This collection of essays aims to assess the similarities and differences between “the legal writings of the Catholic and Protestant reformers” of the early modern period (6). To those familiar with this field this might bring to mind the historical work of the late Harold J Berman. With this in mind, this review takes a wider view of the contribution this collection makes and its relationship to Berman's work. Indeed, one might say that it is important that some of the most respected legal historians in Europe and the USA have explored in greater detail some of Berman's historical insights.
Harold Berman was akin to a theoretical physicist who defied orthodox methodologies. One only needs to consider his later work on the concept of “world law” (H Berman, “World law: an ecumenical jurisprudence of the Holy Spirit” (2006) 63 Theology Today 365) to get a feel for his ambition as a thinker. Throughout his career he viewed things on a macro scale. He spoke of the “western legal tradition” not Civil Law or Common Law, and during the 1960s and 1970s he defined “soviet law” for comparison with “western law” (H Berman,
Berman's
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