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Natural Law
Davenant Press

Natural Law

A Brief Introduction and Biblical Defense

by David Haines and Andrew A. Fulford

Does Scripture itself point us to guidance in nature?

As Christians, we affirm that Scripture is our supreme guide to truth and righteousness. Some wish to go further and assert that it is our only guide. But how then can we account for the remarkable insight and moral integrity that many unbelievers seem to display? Indeed, how to account for the myriad ways in which believers themselves navigate the world based on knowledge and intuition not always derived from Scripture?

Enter the doctrine of natural law. Frequently misrepresented as an assertion of the autonomous power of human reason or as a uniquely Roman Catholic doctrine, natural law has actually been an integral part of orthodox Christian theology since the beginning, and is even clearly asserted in Scripture itself.

In this brief guide, David Haines and Andrew Fulford explain the philosophical foundations of natural law, clear up common misunderstandings about the term, and demonstrate the robust biblical basis for natural law reasoning.

$16.95
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About the Author

David Haines

(PhD. in philosophy, Université Laval), is Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Theology at Bethlehem College & Seminary, Associate Professor of philosophy and religion at VIU, lecturer in medieval philosophy at the University of Sherbrooke, and teaching fellow in dogmatics and philosophy with Davenant Hall. David is the founding president of Association Axiome. He has published a number of articles in collaborative books and academic journals, and has published books on Natural Theology and Natural Law. His academic research focuses on Ancient and Medieval philosophy, C. S. Lewis, Thomism, and natural theology. In his spare time, he enjoys juggling and archery.

Andrew Fulford

is a Ph.D candidate at McGill University, where he is researching the relationship of Richard Hooker’s thought to narratives of the emergence of secularity in the early modern period. He is the author of Jesus and Pacifism: An Exegetical and Historical Investigation (Davenant, 2016), and essays on John Calvin and Richard Hooker.

Publication Details

  • Publisher: Davenant Press
  • ISBN: 978-0999552728
  • Publication Date: December 1, 2017
  • Pages: 142
  • Author: David Haines and Andrew A. Fulford
  • Price: $16.95

Endorsements

  • “This is a Guide that has considerable depth, indeed two distinct dimensions. The reader is first guided to the philosophical roots of natural law thinking in ancient and scholastic philosophy; then secondly to the Biblical evidence for natural law. The result makes for a first-rate, thought-provoking introduction.”

    — Paul Helm, Professor Emeritus, King’s College, London

  • “God’s general revelation has not only a cosmic, but also a moral dimension. This much should be uncontroversial among Christian theologians and philosophers. During the twentieth century, however, it was widely held that the Reformation had done away with this moral side of general revelation which we call natural law. Happily, during the last decade that misreading has been successfully corrected, and we are now moving from retrieval to contemporary reflection. Fulford and Haines join this revival of Protestant consideration of natural law with a solid philosophical and biblical introduction. The authors and the Davenant Institute deserve our deepest thanks for making these issues accessible to a wide readership in such a clear and thoughtful book.”

    — Manfred Svensson, Manfred Svensson, Professor of Philosophy, University of the Andes, co-editor, Aquinas Among the Protestants

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