The First Grace: Rediscovering the Natural Law in a Post-Christian World
Once closely tied to Christian theology, the concept of natural law has metamorphosed into a secular form that Catholic moral theorist Hittinger finds dangerously corrosive. Because the secularizers of natural law have severed its connections to God as its source, Hittinger argues, it no longer reinforces moral duty but instead legitimizes amoral individualism and anti-religious jurisprudence. Though Hittinger's analysis relies heavily upon Catholic dogma and scholarship, his closely reasoned logic connects at key points with Protestant traditions--and bears upon numerous points of public policy. Consequently, although relatively few non-Catholic readers will be interested in the treatment of natural law in recent papal encyclicals, Protestant scholars may heed Hittinger's call for a reintegration of natural law into scriptural contexts, and legal theorists of various religious backgrounds will glean insights from his dissection of the natural-law casuistry practiced by the Supreme Court. Of particularly keen interest is Hittinger's parsing of the sharply conflicting natural-law arguments deployed in the nation's bitter debate over abortion. Not written for general readers but sure to attract serious scholars of church-state issues.Bryce ChristensenCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved