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Natural Law and Calvinist Political Theory

by L. S. Koetsier

242 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #03-1106; ISBN 1-4120-0738-0; US$23.00, C$25.00, EUR19.00, £13.00

Do human rights actually exist? Can you prove it? Discover the origin and development of human rights throughout history - read Natural Law and Calvinist Political Theory.

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about the book      about the author      excerpts      catalogue info

About the Book This thought provoking book begins with an historiography of Calvinist political theory and interpretations/definitions of natural law. Narrative of individuals (Ancient Greece to Protestant Reformation) who contributed to natural law. Biography of John Calvin including his philosophy and his political theory. Description of how Calvinist political theory developed between 1559 and 1649. Biography of John Locke, his theology and his political theory. The book concludes with a redefinition of Calvinist political theory.

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About the Author L. S. Koetsier was raised in Indiana, served in the US Army, and attended Cameron University in Lawton, OK. She completed her master's degree in 2002 and used her thesis, Natural Law and Calvinist Political Theory, to publish her first book.

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Excerpt

Preface

The philosophy of natural law has been a familiar topic within western culture for over twenty-three centuries. In general, the theory of natural law refers to a set of principles that are derived from nature, which are common to all mankind, and serve as a permanent standard for evaluating human conduct and civil laws. Three families or interpretations of natural law include classical, Christian, and modern theories.

From the ancient world, Hereclitus, Anaximander, Plato, Aristotle, and Cicero developed the classical conception of natural law. During the Christian era, Paul and Augustine referred to natural law; whereas, the medieval scholastics Aquinas, Ockham, Wycliffe, and Marsilius contributed to the Christian conception of natural law.

During the Protestant Reformation, Philip Melanchthon and John Calvin wrote about natural law. In his Institutes, Calvin defined natural law as the "apprehension of the conscience which distinguished sufficiently between just and unjust, and which deprived men the excuse of ignorance, while it proves them guilty by their own testimony." He described the purpose of natural law as "to render man inexcusable."

Although historians agree that Calvinism significantly influenced western culture, it was the political theorist Quentin Skinner who traced the contribution of Huguenot political writers to the development of Calvinist political theory. This culminated with John Locke's Two Treatises of Government which Skinner refers to as "the classic text of radical Calvinist politics." Between the time of Calvin and Locke, political writers in Spain, Scotland, France, the Netherlands, and England contributed to the development of natural law.

According to historians John T. McNeill, Ralph C. Hancock, and Alister E. McGrath, other historians have neglected to address Calvin's philosophy of natural law, his influence upon the development of political theory, as well as his influence on Locke. Natural law is the foundation of Calvinist political theory, analyzed in terms of theology, humanism, and philosophy. Since other historians tend to focus on Locke's humanism and philosophy, this work emphasized Locke's theology. However, this work will primarily focus upon the similarities between Calvin and Locke in regard to their political theory based upon natural law. The work will conclude with a redefinition of Calvinist political theory.

At the beginning of the work, it is stated that the writers Skinner and Hancock disagreed concerning the role of theology in Locke's thought. The author suggests a compromise: Calvin based his political theory upon theology whereas Locke used Calvin's theology to construct a partially secularized political theory. Towards the end of this work, it becomes clear that, based on the similarities between Calvin and Locke, both used theology to construct a partially secularized political theory. In other words, Calvin used the Christian conception of natural law as the foundation for his political theory whereas Locke borrowed the Christian conception of natural law in order to contribute to Calvinist political theory.

Although there are numerous books about natural law, this particular work provides a comprehensive understanding of natural law form its beginning until 1689. This work may be of interest to anyone who studies intellectual history, particularly history of political philosophy and history of religion. Written at a high school reading level, this work may be useful for home-educated students who wish to understand the ideological roots of American political thought.

In their book, The Doctrines of Grace, J.M. Boice and P.G. Ryken described fundamentalism as 'legalism' and 'anti-intellectualism.'¹ The remedy for anti-intellectualism is a proper understanding of the relationship between special and general revelation. In other words, all truth is God's truth - mathematics and astronomy as well as philosophy and psychology. Throughout their book, Healing the Hurting: Giving Life and Help to Abused Women, C.C. Kroeger and J.R. Beck explore how teachings of authority and submission (prevalent in fundamentalist churches) reinforce abuse of women and children². Although Natural Law and Calvinist Political Theory does not address fundamentalism, it does provide some answers for those who struggle with false teaching in these areas.

This work was originally a master's thesis for Cameron University of Lawton, Oklahoma. It was completed in May 2003 under the direction of professors David Miller, Thomas Atwater, and Margery Kingsley. I sincerely appreciate their extensive knowledge, considerable effort and their significant time. likewise, I appreciate my mother's patient listening and my husband's support.

Lora Suzanne Kotsier

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Catalogue Information

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