Eternal, Natural, Human, Divine: A Theological Perspective on the Types of Law

Edited book (chapter)

Crowe, Jonathan. 2026. "Eternal, Natural, Human, Divine: A Theological Perspective on the Types of Law." Crowe, Jonathan, Lee, Constance Youngwon and Neoh, Joshua (ed.) Jurisprudence and Theology The Australian School. United Kingdom. Routledge. pp. 55-66
Chapter Title

Eternal, Natural, Human, Divine: A Theological Perspective on the Types of Law

Book Chapter CategoryEdited book (chapter)
ERA Publisher ID3137
Book TitleJurisprudence and Theology The Australian School
AuthorsCrowe, Jonathan
EditorsCrowe, Jonathan, Lee, Constance Youngwon and Neoh, Joshua
Page Range55-66
Chapter Number4
Number of Pages12
Year2026
PublisherRoutledge
Place of PublicationUnited Kingdom
ISBN9781032971575
9781003592464
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003592464-5
Web Address (URL)https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003592464-5/eternal-natural-human-divine-jonathan-crowe
Abstract

Thomas Aquinas’s distinction between four kinds of law—eternal, natural, human and divine—has become a staple of Western jurisprudence. This chapter explicates the distinction between these categories of law, beginning with and building upon Aquinas’s analysis. In so doing, it emphasises the essential role of theological doctrines in fully grasping the relationships between the categories. Aquinas’s exposition of the four kinds of law assumes a distinction between divine and human perspectives on law, as well as a specific conception of the sources and limits of the human capacity for reliable legal knowledge, and God’s role in making this knowledge possible. These theological dimensions of Aquinas’s understanding of law have often been obscured in more recent jurisprudential discussions, but they are essential for grasping some of the subtle and enduring insights in his taxonomy.

ANZSRC Field of Research 2020480410. Legal theory, jurisprudence and legal interpretation
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Byline AffiliationsSchool of Business, Law, Humanities and Pathways - Law and Justice
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