Redeeming Law: Christian Calling and the Legal Profession [Paperback]

Michael P. Schutt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 24, 2007

Being a Christian lawyer is possible, but not easy. Law professor Michael Schutt believes that although there are significant obstacles, Christians belong in the legal profession and should regard it as a sacred calling. The Christian God is, after all, a God concerned with justice, both divine and human. However, the pathway beginning with law school and leading to the daily demands of practice doesn't provide much guidance for pursuing law as a Christian calling. Schutt offers this book as a vital resource for reconceiving the theoretical foundations of law and gives practical guidance for maintaining integrity within a challenging profession. A hopeful and practical book for law students and those serving in the legal profession.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book is a valuable resource for lawyers and law students seeking to integrate their faith and professional calling at a deeper level. Michael Schutt has combined his experience as both a legal practitioner and a legal academic to expose the stumbling blocks that lead to secularization and spiritual apathy in the study and practice of law. His call for integrity through wholeness will pierce the heart of every Christian in the legal profession who is concerned about compartmentalizing work and faith." (Stephen N. Bretsen, associate professor and Volkman Chair of Business and Law, Wheaton College )

"Many Christian law students and lawyers have never begun to explore what their faith means for their professional lives. One reason has been the lack of quality resources to help illuminate the path. With this book, Michael Schutt has helped fill the void by providing a resource that is theologically deep and practically relevant. Whether you're a beginning law student or a senior partner at a firm, this book is a must-read if you're serious about reflecting on what it means to be a Christian lawyer." (Robert K. Vischer, associate professor, University of St. Thomas School of Law )

"Mike Schutt has written a very accessible account of what it should mean for a Christian to study and practice law. Neither law school nor the practice of law directly offers sincere Christians an open door to bring their faith into their profession. But Mike shows why Christian integrity demands more than getting good grades and billing lots of hours. He demonstrates why and how bringing our confession of Christ's lordship into the law is vitally important." (C. Scott Pryor, Regent University School of Law )

About the Author

Michael P. Schutt (J.D., University of Texas School of Law) is Associate Professor of Law at Regent University, where he has taught since 1993. He is the director of the Institute for Christian Legal Studies (ICLS), a cooperative ministry of the Christian Legal Society and Regent Law School. ICLS seeks to encourage Christian law students, professors, and lawyers to seek and study biblical truth as it relates to law and legal institutions. Mike also serves InterVarsity Christian Fellowship as the national coordinator of its Law School Ministry. Before joining the Regent law faculty, he practiced law in Fort Worth, Texas. He is an honors graduate of the University of Texas School of Law.

Product Details

• Paperback: 290 pages
• Publisher: IVP Academic; 1 edition (July 24, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830825991
• ISBN-13: 978-0830825998
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #439,975 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wake-up Call for Christian Lawyers, February 9, 2008

By 

Stephen Bloom (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Redeeming Law: Christian Calling and the Legal Profession (Paperback)

Mike Schutt pulls no punches in this provocative and inspiring challenge to those of us lawyers who claim to be followers of Christ. While undergirded by faithful optimism, this isn't some shallow feel-good book offering easy answers. To the contrary, Schutt calls Christian attorneys to a comprehensive and thoroughly transformative model of redemptive legal thinking.

To get a sense of how Mike cuts straight to the hearts of those who practice the profession of law, consider just one of the many blunt questions he asks: "How do we know that the lawyer's calling is - or can be - legitimate love of and service to neighbor rather than simply respectable prostitution?" Ouch.

If you, like me, are a lawyer honestly seeking to serve and honor Jesus in and through your legal vocation, then you need to open this book, the sooner the better. You will be blessed in your ongoing struggle to genuinely integrate your faith and your career.

While I might consider my own book, The Believer's Guide to Legal Issues, to be a "must read" for Christian laypersons facing common legal issues, "Redeeming Law" is absolutely a "must read" for Christian lawyers!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Necessary for both Law Students and Lawyers, February 8, 2010

By 

Jose A. (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Redeeming Law: Christian Calling and the Legal Profession (Paperback)

Are you a Christian Lawyer or a lawyer who just happens to be Christian? That's the central question behind 'Redeeming Law', and the answer is that the latter option is a non-starter. No serious lawyer, or any professional for that matter, can legitimately isolate his professional life from his faith without bordering on hypocrisy.

As a law student, I found this book incredibly insightful and thought-provoking, because it sets both an intellectual and a pragmatic framework for slowly beginning to view every aspect of my life, particularly my future profession, through the lens of my faith. You might think that the basic message of this book is that we should all leave our law firms and become champions of "Christian causes" in the law, but this couldn't be further from the truth. Probably my favorite part is Schutt's discussion of how we've lost a biblical understanding of vocation, and how even the most mundane activities in our lives can be used for glorifying God and helping realize His kingdom. The tendency to separate life into "secular" and "religious" activities is a symptom of our culture's problems, not a solution.

If I must offer a constructive criticism of the book, I'd say that it could've been a bit quicker to get to the lawyer-specific advice. The first half or so was more of a broad cultural critique of common attitudes toward work; a discussion which could really be addressed to anyone. That weakness, however, may end up a strength, because the broad treatment makes 'Redeeming Law' an excellent "first step" towards a lengthier life-long project of integrating faith and work. I'm grateful to Mr. Schutt for his writing and hope that he will bless us with future works on this subject.

4.0 out of 5 stars Thought-provoking and practical - good read for those interested in the law, January 12, 2011

By 

Dan Panetti "Worldview Director" (Plano, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Redeeming Law: Christian Calling and the Legal Profession (Paperback)

Very thought-provoking book about the challenges and opportunities for Christian lawyers in today's cultural climate. Schutt does a great job giving the reader a valuable history lesson about the role that believers have played in shaping jurisprudence over centuries - something unfortunately lost on this generation. He also does a great job giving those interested in attending law school in the future a good understanding of what they'll be faced with and how to best prepare. And, finally, Schutt helps those in the legal profession ask some important questions about how they can glorify God with what they do in their profession. This book would make an excellent gift to any attorney friend that you have or a student interested in pursuing a law degree and legal career.