The Language of Canon Law

The Roman Catholic Church has been criticized for its legalism, which is fueled by the language of ecclesiastical law (medieval legal Latin). Judith Hahn's book, "The Language of Canon Law," explores the legal order of the church to better understand how it communicates as a legal institution. She argues that the language of canon law reveals the political ideology of the church hierarchy and proposes a rethinking of whether Latin is the appropriate language of a global and cross-cultural legal order like canon law.

Format: Hardback
Length: 248 pages
Publication date: 14 March 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

The Roman Catholic Church has faced widespread criticism for various reasons, one of which is its perceived legalism. The growing disinterest of church members in the law and the church hierarchy's juridified interpretation of Christianity has been fueled by the language of ecclesiastical law, which excludes most of the faithful from understanding and participating in discussions about reforming the church's legal structure. In her book, "The Language of Canon Law," Judith Hahn delves into the legal order of the Roman Catholic Church to gain a better understanding of how the church communicates as a legal institution. Hahn argues that the language of canon law reveals the political ideology of the church hierarchy and employs the tools of language and law scholarship to examine and challenge this language.

Hahn's examination of the function of canon law language in ecclesiastical communications includes an analysis of the character of canonical language, the grammar and terminology of canon law, and how canon law language employs linguistic tricks and techniques to create its distinctive sound. She also discusses the comprehension difficulties that arise from ambiguities in the law, from transfer problems between legal and common language, and from the confusing mix of legal, doctrinal, and moral norms in canon law.

This book makes a significant contribution to law, language, theology, and sociology, proposing a rethinking of whether Latin is the appropriate language for a global and cross-cultural legal order like canon law. Hahn suggests that the global church should instead seek to develop a multi-language practice to better engage with diverse communities and promote understanding and participation in church reform.

Weight: 480g
Dimension: 162 x 244 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780197674246