In this engaging conversation, Justin Collings, academic vice president of BYU and a distinguished scholar, explores his new book, Divine Law. He discusses how divine law is intertwined with love and grace, reshaping the understanding of commandments as uplifting rather than burdensome. Collings dives into the eternal role of Christ, emphasizing mercy, and shares transformative insights on family life through spiritual blessings. He also highlights the significant impact of poetry in conveying spiritual truths and enhancing one's relationship with divine law.
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insights INSIGHT
Divine Law as Grace
Divine law is motivated by God's love and grace, focusing on lifting His children.
Law is a redemptive directive, guiding us towards salvation.
insights INSIGHT
Divine Law vs. Secular Law
Secular law uses threats, while divine law offers warnings and consequences.
Divine law respects agency; it is about becoming, not coercion.
insights INSIGHT
Christ's Role as Advocate
Christ advocates with the Father, not against Him.
Christ's role is to help us receive the Father's love and will through grace and agency.
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Today, I'm joined by Dr. Justin Collings to discuss his new book, Divine Law, just out from the Maxwell Institute as part of its Themes in the Doctrine and Covenants series. This volume is one of seven and will be featuring interviews with each of the authors over the next few months.
Justin Collings is the academic vice president of Brigham Young University and a distinguished scholar in his own right. He graduated from BYU and earned a law degree and a PhD in history from Yale, and clerked on the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. In addition to his administrative duties, he remains a professor of law at BYU's J. Reuben Clark Law School, where he authored two books on constitutional law and history from Oxford University Press. Justin and his wife Lia live in Orem, Utah. And as you'll hear in our conversation, are the proud parents of eight children.
As Justin admits, the topic of divine law may not strike you as immediately compelling. It might even spark some deep-seated fear or dread. But I think you'll find that he brings this book to life with careful thinking, real life examples, and most of all, a bedrock conviction grounded in the revelations that God is loving, merciful, and full of grace. Divine law and divine love in this way of looking at things are one and the same. Justin was a good sport to field some tough questions about punishment versus consequences and a threat versus a warning. But if you're expecting dry legalese, you'll be glad to find that Justin is a lively and lyrical writer and his book is studded with poetry. In fact, our discussion of poetry's relationship to scripture and its role in a spiritual life is one of my favorite parts of the interview. I think you'll enjoy it too.
Maxwell Institute Podcast