Notre Dame Law School NDLScholarship Journal Articles Publications 2003 Canon Law and the Human Person John J. Coughlin Notre Dame Law School Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.law.nd.edu/law_faculty_scholarship Part of the Religion Law Commons Recommended Citation John J. Coughlin, Canon Law and the Human Person, 19 J. L. & Religion 1 (2003-2004). Available at: https://scholarship.law.nd.edu/law_faculty_scholarship/726 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Publications at NDLScholarship. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal Articles by an authorized administrator of NDLScholarship. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. CANON LAW AND THE HUMAN PERSON Rev. John J. Coughlin, O.F.M f I. INTRODUCTION This article explores the unity of law and theology in the 1983 Code of Canon Law [hereinafter CIC-1983].' The unity has remained critical since canon law emerged in the ancient Church.2 From the origins of the primitive Christian communities through the patristic era, the Church manifested a tension between charism and office, spirit and law? The medieval canonists achieved a great synthesis of the reason of law and faith of theology.4 The unified theory helped to form the basis t Professor of Law, Notre Dame University School of Law. J.C.D., J.C.L., Pontifical Gregorian University; J.D., Harvard Law School; Th.M., Princeton Theological Seminary; M.A., Columbia University; B.A., Niagara University. The author wishes to thank Monsignor William J. Toohy, Esq., and Professors John Finnis, M. Cathleen Kaveny and John Mansfield for their many helpful suggestions.