Faith, Force, and Reason follows the evolution of the rule of law from its birth in the marshes of Mesopotamia over 4,000 years ago to its battle against apartheid in South Africa in the last twenty-five years. It is recounted through the voices of emperors and kings, judges and jurists, and popes and philosophers who have thought about what the rule of law is all about and how it works.

All of law’s most momentous achievements – Justinian’s Corpus Juris Civilis, the Magna Carta, and the American Bill of Rights – and most celebrated advocates – Plato and Aristotle, Cicero, Aquinas, Edward Coke, Hugo Grotius, and John Marshall – are featured. So are law’s darkest moments: the trial of Socrates, the burning and beheading of witches and heretics, the persecution of Jews, and the proclamation of Lex Regia which legalized the dictatorial powers of Roman emperors and medieval kings.

Faith, Force, and Reason challenges readers to think about the lessons of the history they have read. What does the rule of law mean in our own time? What does it demand of us as well as our political leaders?

Faith, Force, and Reason follows the way legal thinking has evolved over time and explains how the rule of law has come to replace faith and force as the accepted method of conflict resolution.

Preface
Introduction

Ancient History: Warlords, Priests and Philosophers
1. Babylon and Jerusalem
2. Athens and Sparta
3. Rome

Medieval History: Jurists and Lawyers
4. Damascus and Baghdad
5. Bologna and Rome (again)
6. London

Modern History: Judges
7. Washington
8. The Hague
9. Johannesburg

Future History: The People
10. New France
11. New World
12. New Person

Index

"David M. Beatty’s Faith, Force, and Reason is　a love letter to the rule of law … historically informed, impassioned but not uncritical, and engagingly written for the ordinary reader!"

"With his customary lucidity, David M. Beatty has produced a work that is remarkably accessible, edifying, and insightful."

"Although the ‘rule of law’ is often invoked, it is rarely defined or carefully examined. In this beautifully written book, David M. Beatty does just that. At a time when the rule of law is under assault … this book could not be more timely or important."

"At once sweeping and specific, sober and hopeful, and rich with insights that will excite legal scholars and lay readers alike, Faith, Force and Reason is a necessary text for a moment when the rule of law is under incredible strain."

"Both erudite and accessible, David M. Beatty’s sweeping … history of the rule of law illuminates how the ebb and flow of law’s supremacy reflects both its resiliency as a bulwark against tyranny and oppression and its stubborn failings."

"Faith, Force, and Reason offers an engaging history of the rule of law … Beatty renders profound academic debates in terms that general readers will understand … It should be required reading for entering law students."