Reinterpretations of St. Paul's Concept of Law

Tawia B. Ansah, New England School of Law

Abstract

The article is at the intersection of law, philosophy, and theology. I examine the work of Giorgio Agamben and Alain Badiou on Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. Both approach Pauline law formalistically, but with very different ideas about what law is. Whereas Agamben sees continuities, Badiou sees breaks and ruptures, between law and ideas traditionally extrinsic to the realm of the juridical (grace, faith, love, etc.). But both apprehend a political significance of Paul to juridical thought within late modernity (postmodern and post-secular). I analyze their work, therefore, for its relevance to legal theory.