Abstract

DE FREITAS, S.. Belief and legal philosophy: A conceptual framework for Christian scholarship in undergraduate legal education. Koers (Online) [online]. 2009, vol.74, n.1-2, pp.43-65. ISSN 2304-8557.

Legal education in South Africa has arrived at a discursive juncture that demands clarity on what the "purpose" of legal education should be. Debate on the purpose of legal education, more specifically for the Christian law student, becomes especially important in a society dominated by positivism, materialism and pragmatism. With specific reference to the undergraduate Christian law student, this article firstly explains that the purpose of legal education should include the nurturing of the student's belief - a belief encompassing his/her foundational perspective(s) on reality. Secondly, in order to achieve the proper nurturing and development of the Christian law student's belief, the importance of the teaching of legal philosophy is explained. In this regard, proposals are postulated pertaining to specific means by which such nurturing and development of the undergraduate Christian law student's foundational belief can be attained.

Keywords : Christian education; legal education; legal philosophy; university.

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