The End of Law - Political Theology and the Crisis of Sovereignty
Book Title: The End of Law - Political Theology and the Crisis of Sovereignty
Authors: Mårten Björk is Senior Lecturer at the Newman Institute in Uppsala, Associate Fellow at Campion Hall, Oxford University, and Researcher in Systematic Theology at Lund University.
Tormod Johansen is Senior Lecturer and Docent in Public Law at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, and an ISSE Senior Fellow.
Book Publisher: Routledge
Date of Publication: December 22, 2025
Abstract: This book examines how Gustav Radbruch, H. L. A. Hart, and Ernst-Wolfgang Böckenförde each addressed the question of the end of law, its function, and its normative foundation within the context of the modern legal and political order. Through a politico-theological reading, it highlights the tension between legal validity and moral legitimacy, as well as the extent to which law can maintain public order without compromising its own claim to justice.
The analysis of Radbruch, Hart, and Böckenförde sheds light on how valid law can become unjust, demanding actions that may conflict with individual judgment or morality. It raises questions about natural law, the relationship between morality and law, and law’s ultimate purpose, suggesting that law and politics represent, at best, a relative good. It addresses the broader crisis of legal authority and state sovereignty, the expanding reach of state power, and whether law should instruct, command, or ultimately point beyond itself.
The End of Law is of interest to scholars in legal theory, political theology, and the philosophy of law.
The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) 4.0 license.
The book is included in the following book series: Nomos Studies in Law, Culture and Power
The book can be purchased here, and a PDF version is available here.
