Abstract. Throughout its historical existence, humanity has sought to comprehend, understand, and become aware of itself, the surrounding world, its place within the world, and the world within itself. In this respect, the realms of religion and law are no exception. Since ancient times, humanity has been interested in the nature and essence of human relations, as well as the norms and rules that define their characteristics. The object of human understanding has consistently been the relationships between religious and legal phenomena, their ontological foundations, and their values and significance in individual and societal life. Religion and law play a significant role in the lives of individuals and communities. They provide a sense of meaning and purpose in difficult times and help people navigate complex ethical and moral issues. Religion and law have played a significant role in shaping human history and culture, influencing art, literature, music and philosophy, and contributing to the development of social and political institutions. However, the relationship between religion and law is complex and multifaceted.
In addition, not everyone finds religion relevant or important to their lives, and there are many different beliefs and perspectives on the role and meaning of religion. Ultimately, the role of religion depends on individual beliefs, values and experiences and can vary across cultures, societies and historical periods. Nevertheless, for many people, religion can offer a source of meaning, community, guidance and support that enriches their lives and helps them navigate the complexities of the world.
There are almost no attempts to theorize the relationship between religion and law in scholarly works. The forms of influence of religion on lawmaking and law enforcement remain outside the attention of legal scholars. Existing research in this area is often characterized by fragmentation.
Modern jurisprudence contains little information about the interaction of religious norms and law in regulating social relations. Under such conditions, there is an urgent need for a scientific analysis of this issue.
The purpose of this research is to establish, on the basis of modern legal understanding, the basic principles of the relationship between religion and law, and to clarify the role of religion in the legal plane.
Today, the church and religious organizations play a significant role in the life of Ukrainian society, making every effort to solve certain problems. This became especially evident during Russia’s large-scale treacherous invasion of Ukraine and the Russian-Ukrainian war.
The issues of the relationship between religion and law have been the subject of consideration by many scholars, including A. Baumeister, V. Blikhar, O. Vovk, O. Danilian, R. Dvorkin, E. Yevgrafova, and others.
The philosophical and methodological foundation of the study is based on the principle of pluralism in the selection of methodological approaches, methods, and techniques, as these form the basis of the scientific and cognitive process. This principle ensures unity and purposefulness in the examination of the shared features of religion and law in law-making and law enforcement, such as ritual, tradition, authority, and universality.
It is argued that in modern society, although religious values are losing their former meaning of the “sacred image” of the world, and even if Christian principles do not have a direct impact on the legal system, they still play a significant role in legal life, because European legal culture was created under the influence of Christianity and the Christian view of the world. Modern European legal systems operate in a social system that has absorbed Christian religious values.
The research is aimed at further developing the general theory and philosophy of law, deepening knowledge about the relationship between religion and law in the system of social regulation, and improving legislation. The results obtained can be used in law-making and law enforcement practice, in the preparation of textbooks, manuals, for lawyers, philosophers, sociologists and all those who are not indifferent to the development of legal consciousness.
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