Categories that resonate more with most Protestant sects

[Michael deHaven Newsom]

For what it is worth, John Locke, clearly imbued with a radical form of
evangelical Protestantism, and John Williams, also from the same
tradition, insisted on a belief-action distinction.

I think that the more interesting question, one raised by a writer whom
I cannot now identify, is whether religiously-inspired actions are as
troublesome as Reynolds/Smith suggest.

I would ague that eucharistic theology could explain some of this, but
that will undoubtedly ignite a storm of protest from some on this
listserv.  For those who want to pursue the question of belief-action
from the point of view of eucharistic theology and Real Presence, and
Transubstantiation are invited to do so off-list.

"Volokh, Eugene" wrote:

>
>
>         An interesting hypothesis; I wonder how it would be tested.
>
>         This is especially so given the confounding effects of a
> counter-hypothesis:  In any liberal regime, there are powerful and
> sound reasons for courts to treat punishment of beliefs -- or, what is
> similar, punishment of acts because the actor has a religious
> motivation for the act, cf. Lukumi Babalu Aye -- as much more
> troubling than punishment of actions as such without regard to the
> religiosity of the actor.
>
>      -----Original Message-----
>      From:   Mark Graber [SMTP:mgraber at GVPT.UMD.EDU]
>      Sent:   Friday, June 02, 2000 1:53 PM
>      To:     RELIGIONLAW at listserv.ucla.edu
>      Subject:        Re: Categories that resonate more with most
>      Protestant sects
>
>      I'm not an expert on comparative religion or comparative religion
>      policies, but let me suggest something of the sort I have I
>      mind.  A Protestant, at elast in some sects, seems to be defined
>      as a set of beliefs.  Jews, by comparison, are persons who have
>      Jewish mothers or who have converted by a specific (contested)
>      practice.  Hypothesis.  The belief/act distinction seems more
>      natural in a protestant legal tradition than in a jewish legal
>      tradition.
>
>      Mark A. Graber
>      mgraber at gvpt.umd.edu
>