The Sacraments of the Law and the Law of the Sacraments

Sacramental theology explores the performative power of religious and legal rituals, such as the Catholic sacraments, to change reality and provide spiritual and legal goods to church members. Judith Hahn's study interprets sacro-legal symbols from various perspectives to demonstrate how law and religion shape social reality.

Format: Unspecified
Length: 350 pages
Publication date: 23 November 2023
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Sacramentality serves as a valuable category for comprehending the transformative impact of religious and legal rituals. By examining the significance of sacraments, we gain insight into how law employs sacramentality to shape reality through performative action, and how religion utilizes law to structure religious rituals, including sacraments. The study of sacramental action thus unveils the intricate interplay between law and religion, leading to legal, spiritual, and various social outcomes. In this comprehensive volume, Judith Hahn delves into this interplay by interpreting Catholic sacraments as exemplars of sacro-legal symbols that harness the sacramental functioning of law to offer both spiritual and legal benefits to church members. Hahn's approach, which incorporates perspectives from sacramental theology, legal studies, ritual theory, symbol theory, and speech act theory, sheds light on how law and religion collaborate harmoniously to shape our social reality.

The sacraments, as embodiments of religious and legal significance, hold a profound role in shaping our understanding of the performative power of rituals. Through the lens of sacramental analysis, we observe how law harnesses sacramentality to alter the fabric of reality through performative actions. Moreover, we witness how religion utilizes law to organize and structure religious rituals, including sacraments, thereby establishing a intricate web of interdependence between law and religion.

In this volume, Judith Hahn takes us on a captivating journey as she explores the interplay between law and religion through the interpretation of Catholic sacraments as sacro-legal symbols. By focusing on these symbols from the perspective of sacramental theology, legal studies, ritual theory, symbol theory, and speech act theory, Hahn unveils the intricate ways in which law and religion collaborate to shape our social reality.

Through her meticulous research and insightful analysis, Hahn demonstrates how the Catholic sacraments serve as powerful examples of sacro-legal symbols that draw upon the sacramental functioning of law to provide both spiritual and legal goods to church members. By leveraging the symbolic power of these sacraments, Hahn highlights how law and religion work hand in hand to shape our collective consciousness and create a shared sense of identity and purpose.

Moreover, Hahn's study sheds light on the broader implications of sacramental action for legal studies and ritual theory. By examining the ways in which law and religion intersect and influence each other, Hahn provides valuable insights into the complex dynamics of social order and the role of rituals in constructing and maintaining it.

In conclusion, Sacramentality serves as a powerful lens through which we can understand the performative power of religious and legal rituals. Through the study of sacraments, we gain insight into how law employs sacramentality to shape reality, and how religion utilizes law to organize religious rituals. Judith Hahn's volume, by interpreting Catholic sacraments as sacro-legal symbols, offers a comprehensive exploration of this interplay, shedding light on the ways in which law and religion collaborate to shape our social reality. This study is a valuable contribution to the fields of legal studies, ritual theory, and religious studies, and will undoubtedly inspire further research and contemplation.

Weight: 612g
Dimension: 158 x 237 x 27 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781009330169