ABSTRACT
The difficulty in defining ‘religion’ provides part of the rationale for restricting the book to Abrahamic religious belief. It was logical to confine the focus of this book to religions that were part of a similar theological ‘root’. The specific focus on Abrahamic religions arose also from the fact that the case studies examined focus on situations when Abrahamic beliefs have come into conflict with other values protected by English medical law. Both law and religion interconnect within the society from which they evolve. There are two main thoughts about law as a social institution. One is legal idealism, which sees the foundations of law’s authority as based upon natural rights. A person with religious views often lives in a liberal democratic society that is predominately secular. Most societies can be seen to adopt particular stances in respect of religion as follows: anti-religious, non-religious, and religious. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
