A Trinitarian Theology of Law

“Using a trio of Aquinas, Moltmann, and O’Donovan as his foils, David McIlroy argues for a trinitarian theology of human law, rooted in the created order of God the Father, accountable to the final judgement of God the Son, and inspired by the liberating impulses of the God the Spirit. This engaging text offers a provocative and innovative outline for a whole new way of thinking about the foundations and fundamentals of law and government. Jurists and theologians alike will find ample inspiration in these learned pages.”


John Witte, Jr., Director of the Center for the Study of Law and Religion, Emory University


“. . . a tour de force that unpacks theology of law in relationship not only to the Christian doctrines of creation, fall, and providence, but also vis-à-vis the doctrines of incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, and Pentecost. Going beyond his interlocutors, McIlroy is at his most provocative, in my view, in proposing a pneumatological theology of law that sees the role of the Spirit both as “hidden” in the maintenance of what he calls “shallow justice” (the administration of human rule) and as a prerequisite to the achievement of “deep justice” (which emerges out of transformed hearts rather than through legislative enaction).”


Amos Yong, Regent University School of Divinity


“This book effectively does what it sets out to do, that is, to assess the significance of the doctrine of the Trinity in helping us to understand human law by means of an extended conversation with Jürgen Moltmann, Oliver O’Donovan, and Thomas Aquinas. . . . There is no doubt that McIlroy has an assured knowledge not just of the key theological texts of Moltmann, O’Donovan, and Aquinas that aid Christian reflection on the proper, divinely ordained role of human law, but also of classical theological and legal works.”


Brian T. Trainor, Tabor College, Adelaide