5th Annual Theology and Jurisprudence Symposium
THEME:
This annual symposium focuses on the relationship between theology and jurisprudence. Jurisprudence typically purports to provide a non-theistic account of ‘law’.
However, foundational to many theories of law is some kind of theology. Natural law, of course, is deeply influenced by its theological articulation through Thomas Aquinas and even modern ‘secular’ theories of natural law retain vestiges of this influence.
The main proponents of legal positivism (such as Thomas Hobbes and John Austin) often engaged with different aspects of Christian theology. Moreover, theological influences on legal theory are not limited to Christianity; jurisprudential viewpoints around the world have been shaped by a broad range of theological traditions.
The tendency of jurisprudence to ground itself in some kind of theology is not surprising given its need for an ontological foundation for legal authority. This symposium aims to consider jurisprudence from a variety of theological standpoints and critically examine the reliance of diverse theories of law on theological perspectives.
