Pope Benedict XVI's Legal Thought: A Dialogue on the Foundation of Law

by Marta Cartabia (Editor), Andrea Simoncini (Editor)

Overview

Throughout Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI's pontificate he spoke to a range of political, civil, academic, and other cultural authorities. The speeches he delivered in these contexts reveal a striking sensitivity to the fundamental problems of law, justice, and democracy. He often presented a call for Christians to address issues of public ethics such as life, death, and family from what they have in common with other fellow citizens: reason. This book discusses the speeches in which the Pope Emeritus reflected most explicitly on this issue, along with the commentary from a number of distinguished legal scholars. It responds to Benedict's invitation to engage in public discussion on the limits of positivist reason in the domain of law from his address to the Bundestag. Although the topics of each address vary, they nevertheless are joined by a series of core ideas whereby Benedict sketches, unpacks, and develops an organic and coherent way to formulate a “public teaching” on the topic of justice and law.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781107090200
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	03/05/2015
Series:	Law and Christianity
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.63(d)

About the Author

Marta Cartabia, full professor of constitutional law, is a Member of the Italian Constitutional Court since 2011, currently serving as Deputy President. She has taught in a number of Italian universities and was a visiting scholar and professor in France, Germany and the United States.

Andrea Simoncini is currently a full professor of constitutional law at the University of Florence, Italy. In 2009 he was Fulbright Distinguished Lecturer at Notre Dame University where he was also a visiting professor at the Law School.

Table of Contents

1. A journey with Benedict XVI through the spirit of constitutionalism Marta Cartabia and Andrea Simoncini; Part I. Law, Reason, and Religion: 2. Reality and transcendence: more than a religious issue Armin von Bogdandy and Sergio Dellavalle; 3. Human dignity without God? Reflections on some relevant speeches of Benedict XVI Rafael Domingo; 4. The windows of Benedict XVI: reason, revelation, and law Wael Farouq; 5. The secular state, democracy, and natural law: Benedict XVI's address to the Bundestag from the perspective of legal ethics and democracy theory Martin Rhonheimer; 6. From Regensburg to Berlin – holiness and reason: a reflection on Pope Benedict XVI's public lectures J. H. H. Weiler; 7. 'To serve right and to fight wrong': why religion, human rights, and human dignity need each other John Witte, Jr; Part II. Fundamental Rights and Freedom of Religion: 8. Faith and reason in the Regensburg address Giuliano Amato; 9. Religious freedom in the political speeches of Pope Benedict XVI Mary Ann Glendon; 10. Freedom of religion – the contribution of Benedict XVI to a universal guarantee from a European perspective Christoph Grabenwarter; 11. Benedict's legacy: human rights, human dignity, and the possibility of dialogue Christopher McCrudden; Part III. Democracy in a Society of 'Others': 12. Concerning the doctrine of democracy in Benedict XVI Massimo Luciani; 13. Acting contrary to reason is contrary to God's nature Andrés Ollero; 14. A listening heart: where democracy begins Andrea Pin.