RTS-Charlotte Library News

VanDrunen, David. A Biblical Case for Natural Law. Acton Institute. 2006. 75p. index. ISBN 978-880595-23-0.   Contributed by Michael Farrell, Associate Librarian, RTS-Orlando.

Using Scripture itself, VanDrunen attempts to prove that the Bible does not provide specific instruction for all areas of life.  Rather, the Bible points humanity toward “natural law,” a commonly held set of moral guidelines that are known apart from God’s Special Revelation.  Well-established in Roman Catholic thought, natural law has its detractors in many Protestant circles.  VanDrunen makes the case that natural law is rooted in Biblical teaching and in the thought of Protestant giants such as Calvin and Luther.  Basing much of his thought on man’s creation in the Image of God, VanDrunen succinctly exegetes other Scripture relevant to the natural law debate. He carefully explains St. Augustine’s “two kingdom’s theory” which he believes provides the structure in which people can use natural law.  VanDrunen would agree with Kuyper that there is not a square inch in the universe over which God does not claim sovereignty.  However,  unlike some of Kuyper’s followers, Vandrunen would also say that God rules different parts of that universe with different means.  God rules his church through the means of grace and most specially the preached Word of God.  God in general rules history and the physical universe with natural law.  Both the Bible and natural law are divine in origin, both are gifts from God that people must follow in order to “function properly.”  When we try to use Scripture when we should be using natural law, we will run into trouble; and when we try to use natural law when we should be using Scripture, we will run into a very similar trouble.