The Crisis of Civil Law: What the Bible Teaches about Law and What It Means Today
How should Christians think about law?
In every age, this is one of the most difficult questions faced by followers of Christ. Within the modern church, there is little unity on how Scripture addresses issues like gun control, abortion, and whether we should disobey unjust laws. In The Crisis of Civil Law, legal scholar Benjamin B. Saunders draws from Scripture and the Christian tradition to provide valuable guidance on contemporary legal questions and the role of civil government. We can gain greater clarity by wisely applying the moral law found in Scripture—as well as the universal standards of the natural law—to the changing circumstances of human societies.
The Crisis of Civil Law includes detailed discussion of the biblical material on law as well as practical case studies that contextualize scriptural principles in modern Western society.
Praise for The Crisis of Civil Law
A superb primer on biblical law and its meaning in a world desperately hungry for the justice of God.
—Michael F. Bird, deputy principal, Ridley College, Melbourne, Australia
At a time of considerable controversy over Christians’ relationship to civil law, Ben Saunders’s new contribution is very welcome. He encourages Christians to avoid simplistic answers and charts a levelheaded course that’s both theoretically informed and practically insightful.
—David VanDrunen, Robert B. Strimple Professor of Systematic Theology and Christian Ethics, Westminster Seminary California
An accessible and authoritative guide to the enduring wisdom of Scripture and tradition on the ‘weightier matters of the law’ and on many legal aspects of public and private life. Law professor Ben Saunders combines real-world legal expertise with refined theological wisdom in delivering this refreshing and rewarding title. This book can be read in an evening but pondered for a long time.
—John Witte Jr., Robert W. Woodruff Professor of Law, McDonald Distinguished Professor of Religion, and faculty director, Center for the Study of Law and Religion, Emory University
In The Crisis of Civil Law, Benjamin Saunders combines robust theological analysis and keen academic knowledge of the Western legal tradition to provide Christians with a very helpful and accessible resource. This timely work provokes Christians to think more critically regarding the intersection of Christian ethics and civil law.
—Alan Branch, professor of Christian ethics, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
- Introduction
- Foundational Principles of the Christian View of Law
- Law and the Bible
- The Ten Commmandments and Civil Law
- Moral Law and Civil Law
- Obedience and Disobedience
- Errors to Be Avoided
- Conclusion
- Title: The Crisis of Civil Law: What the Bible Teaches about Law and What It Means Today
- Author: Benjamin B. Saunders
- Publisher: Lexham Press
- Publication Date: 2024
- Pages: 224
- Format: Logos Digital, Paperback
- Trim Size: 5.5x8.5
- ISBN: 9781683597568
Benjamin B. Saunders is associate professor at Deakin Law School in Melbourne, Australia.