Divine law

Divine law is any body of law that is perceived as deriving from a transcendent source, such as the will of God or gods – in contrast to man-made law or to secular law. According to Angelos Chaniotis and Rudolph F. Peters, divine laws are typically perceived as superior to man-made laws,^[1][2] sometimes due to an assumption that their source has resources beyond human knowledge and human reason.^[3] Believers in divine laws might accord them greater authority than other laws,^[4][5][2] for example by assuming that divine law cannot be changed by human authorities.^[2]

According to Chaniotis, divine laws are noted for their apparent inflexibility.^[6] The introduction of interpretation into divine law is a controversial issue, since believers place high significance on adhering to the law precisely.^[7] Opponents to the application of divine law typically deny that it is purely divine and point out human influences in the law. These opponents characterize such laws as belonging to a particular cultural tradition. Conversely, adherents of divine law are sometimes reluctant to adapt inflexible divine laws to cultural contexts.^[8]

Medieval Christianity assumed the existence of three kinds of laws: divine law, natural law, and man-made law.^[4] Theologians have substantially debated the scope of natural law, with the Enlightenment encouraging greater use of reason and expanding the scope of natural law and marginalizing divine law in a process of secularization.^[9] Since the authority of divine law is rooted in its source, the origins and transmission-history of divine law are important.^[10][a]

Conflicts frequently arise between secular understandings of justice or morality and divine law.^[11][12]

Religious law, such as canon law, includes both divine law and additional interpretations, logical extensions, and traditions.^[5]