The Sins of the Fathers: The Law and Theology of Illegitimacy Reconsidered (Paperback)

~ John Witte Jr. (Author) "Sex has long excited an intimate union between theology and law in the Christian West..." (more)
Key Phrases: bastardy litigation, legal transplants, notis spuriisque, The Sins of the Fathers, New York, Church Fathers (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"John Witte has done it again! Sins of the Fathers demonstrates what his readers always expect from him: painstaking historical research, lucid presentation, plus jurisprudential and theological gravitas. But here we see even more: the profound humanity of this man, born of his familial experience, and revealed in the book's moving dedication, which gives us the leitmotif of this exceptional work." --David Novak, J. Richard and Dorothy Shiff Professor of Jewish Studies, University of Toronto

"This little book is a large achievement. It exemplifies the modern ideal of scholarship - complexly interdisciplinary, masterfully cross-cultural, lavishly learned, startlingly insightful, movingly personal, lucidly argued, and luminously written." --Carl E. Schneider, Chauncey Stillman Professor of Law and Professor of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan.

"Witte, one of the world's foremost thinkers on law and religion, has now produced this authoritative investigation of the often deeply disturbing history of illegitimacy in the Western world. It is not only grounded in rigorous scholarship and perceptive theology but also offers wise reflections on how civil responsibility, adoption and the institution of marriage might contribute more to the welfare of children today." --David F. Ford, Regius Professor of Divinity, University of Cambridge

Product Description

For nearly two millennia, Western law visited the sins of fathers and mothers upon their illegitimate children, subjecting them to systematic discrimination and deprivation. The graver the sins of their parents, the further these children fell in social standing and legal protection. While some reformers have sought to better the plight of illegitimate children, only in recent decades has illegitimacy lost its full legal sting. Yet the social, economic, and psychological costs of illegitimacy still remain high even in the liberal, affluent West. John Witte analyzes and critiques the shifting historical law and theology of illegitimacy. This doctrine, he argues, misinterprets basic biblical teachings on individual accountability and Christian community. It also betrays basic democratic principles of equality, dignity, and natural rights of all. There are no illegitimate children, only illegitimate parents, Witte concludes, and he presses for the protection and rights of all children, regardless of their birth status.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 226 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 1 edition (April 27, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521548241
• ISBN-13: 978-0521548243
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,987,874 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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5.0 out of 5 stars The Sins of the Fathers, October 8, 2009

By	Center for the Study of Law and Religion at E... (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sins of the Fathers: The Law and Theology of Illegitimacy Reconsidered (Hardcover)

For nearly two millennia, Western law visited the sins of fathers and mothers upon their illegitimate children, subjecting them to systematic discrimination and deprivation. The graver the sins of their parents, the further these children fell in social standing and legal protection. While some reformers have sought to better the plight of illegitimate children, only in recent decades has illegitimacy lost its full legal sting. Yet the social, economic, and psychological costs of illegitimacy still remain high even in the liberal, affluent West. John Witte, director of the Center for the Study of Law and Religion (CSLR) at Emory University, analyzes and critiques the shifting historical law and theology of illegitimacy. This doctrine, he argues, misinterprets basic biblical teachings on individual accountability and Christian community. It also betrays basic democratic principles of equality, dignity, and natural rights of all. There are no illegitimate children, only illegitimate parents, Witte concludes, and he presses for the protection and rights of all children, regardless of their birth status.

The book comes from the CSLR's ongoing project on "Christian Legal Studies" with support from the Lilly Endowment, Inc. and the Alonzo L. McDonald Family Foundation.

***

The Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University is home to world-class scholars and forums on the religious foundations of law, politics, and society. It offers first-rank expertise on how the teachings and practices of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam have shaped and can continue to transform the fundamental ideas and institutions of our public and private lives. The scholarship of CSLR faculty provides the latest perspectives, while its conferences and public forums foster reasoned and robust public debate.