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Project
Calvinism and Commercial Law in Early Modern Europe
The 2008 global financial crisis was caused by, among other factors, a deficit of financial regulation. This problem has not only legal, but also moral implications, as the markets need both legal and moral norms. Attempts to promote new standards of regulation failed to consider law and morality together. What is the future of European financial regulation? This project aims to contribute to the resolution of this problem by looking at 16th-17th century Europe, when the modern markets emerged. Roman Catholic and Protestant theologians and jurists both challenged legal and economic issues. Historians of economics have praised the significant role played by Calvinism in fostering capitalistic attitudes, but legal historians have not fully considered it. The objective of this project is to understand the moral and legal regulation of the market produced by Calvinism. During the PDM one-year fellowship, this project will focus on the writings of leading Calvinist theologians and jurists on commercial law published in 16th-17th century France.
Date:1 Oct 2019 → 30 Sep 2020
Keywords:Law and Protestantism, Law and Morality, Market Regulation, Financial Crisis
Disciplines:History of law