Published January 27, 1997
A host of questions that surround the notion of natural law are examined and debated by a distinguished group of scholars–Russell Hittinger, Susan Schreiner, Daniel Westberg, Joan Lockwood O’Donovan, Carl E. Braaten, Timothy George, William Edgar, and Robert P. George. They explore various Protestant and Catholic interpretations of natural law; how natural law relates to theology, philosophy, science, and secular authority; and whether natural law should be preferred to more explicitly religious language in public debates of moral issues. Michael Cromartie is senior fellow in Protestant studies and director of the Evangelical Studies Project at the Ethics and Public Policy Center.
“Much that divides the Roman from the Reformed and evangelical traditions is related to the issue of ‘natural law.’ . . . This book plumbs depths of the common heritage and points toward necessary future convergences that are today obscured by polemics. An indispensable resource in a global era.”
–Max L. Stackhouse, Princeton Theological Seminary
“These superbly edited exchanges untangle many confusions and inaugurate a powerful conversation.”
–Michael Novak, American Enterprise Institute
“Some of the best current thinking on the challenges and opportunities involved in the much needed ecumenical renewal of the natural law tradition.”
–Phillip E. Johnson, University of California, Berkeley
