Law Out of Context

Watson (law, U. of Georgia) presents a comparative history of law as theory and as it is actually practiced. Drawing on examples from the Gospels, the Roman Empire, South Africa, and American legal education, he argues that understandings of law are badly skewed and often based on false presumptions. Perhaps his arguments should be taken with a grain of salt as the very last sentence of the book falsely claims that slavery is not mentioned in the US Constitution. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Alan Watson, Distinguished Research Professor and Ernest P. Rogers Chair at the University of Georgia School of Law, is regarded as one of the world’s foremost authorities on Roman law, comparative law, legal history, and law and religion. He is the author of numerous books, including The State, Law, and Religion: Pagan Rome and Roman Law and Comparative Law (both Georgia). He is also the editor of the four-volume translation of the Digest of Justinian.