Upcoming Book: Self-Evident Truth?: Catholic Perspectives on American Law

In the spring of 2007, Catholic University of America Press will publish a book tentatively titled "Self-Evident Truth?:  Catholic Perspectives on American Law."  The book is co-edited by MOJ friend Teresa Collett and yours truly.  Contributers include MOJ bloggers Robert Araujo, Rick Garnett, Amy Uelmen, and Rob Vischer.  Other contributers include Lorenzo Albacete, Benedict Ashley, John Coughlin, Cardinal Dulles, Robert George, Mary Ann Glendon, Jim Gordley, Tom Kohler, Kevin Lee, Vince Rougeau, and Chris Wolfe.

A starting assumption of the book is that before we can discuss law we have to have some grasp of the nature of the human person.  Therefore, after a chapter on the foundations of Catholic Legal Theory, the book has two anthropological chapters, one theological and the other philosophical.  The next section of the book has three chapters covering foundational issues in Catholic thinking, covering the relationship of freedom to truth, solidarity, subsidiarity, and the common good.  This is followed by two chapters on Catholic dialogue with secular perspectives in political and legal theory.  The final section of the book contains eight chapters addressing Catholic Perspectives on particular substantive areas of the law, including all of the subjects (except Civil Procedure) traditionally taught in the first year of law school.

In the future I'll post the table of contents and blog more about the book and its potential audience and uses.  I will probably assign it (in pre-publication form) for my seminar in Religion and Democracy next fall and hope others at both the law school and undergraduate level will consider it for their students. 

For me, this has been a labor of love, which I hope finds a wide audience. Our Sunday Visitor Institute was instrumental in getting the project off the ground by providing funding to host a conference addressing these issues several years ago.  And, Bob Destro, then interim Dean at Catholic, was gracious enough to host us.  The book, which has changed significantly in the intervening years, is a direct result of that conference.

Michael