John Thomas Noonan (1926–2017)

1224. Power to Dissolve: Lawyers and Marriages in the Courts of the Roman Curia, by John T. Noonan, Jr. (16 June 1973) This is the most interesting and absorbing book I had read in 1973 and in fact it went on to be awarded the prestigious and coveted "Best Book Read by Me" award for 1973. It examines six marriage cases, ranging from the marriage of Charles of Lorraine to Nicole on Mat 22, 1621, to the marriage of Marie Reid to Frederick Parkhurst on Sept 21, 1887. I found each of the six show more cases fascinating and the book made me wish I was a canon lawyer! show less

4032 Narrowing the Nation's Power The Supreme Court Sides with the States, by John T. Noonan, Jr. (read 2 June 2005) Noonan is a favorite of mine, and the four books I previously read by him(Contraception: A History of Its Treatment by the Catholic Theologians and Canonists, by John T. Noonan, Jr. (read 5 Jun 1967, Power to Dissolve: Lawyers and Marriages in the Courts of the Roman Curia, by John T. Noonan, Jr. (read 16 Jun 1973) (Book of the Year), The Lustre of Our Country: The American show more Experience of Religious Freedom, by John T. Noonan, Jr. (read 24 Jan 2001) and The Scholastic Analysis of Usury, by John T. Noonan, Jr. (read 25 May 2005)) were really worth reading, one of them being the best book I read in 1973. This book is a 2002 book attacking the Supreme Court conservative majority's embracement of sovereign immunity, which is that Congress cannot legislate in ways limiting the states, grounded on the 11th Amendment. He assails City of Roene v. Flores, 521 U.S. 507, which held the Religious Freedom Restoration Act unconstitutional because congruence and proportionality had not been exercised by Congress--a finding reminiscent of the pre-New Deal days when the Court threw out legislation because the Court did not like it. This is a stunningly well-argued book by a leading conservative thinker in which the five person Rehnquist-voting conservative majority on the Court is shown to be 'activist' and non-respectful of Congress and laws it passes. A really thought-inducing book. show less

4027. The Scholastic Analysis of Usury, by John T. Noonan, Jr. (read 25 May 2005) I have read three other books by Noonan and his Power to Dissolve: Lawyers and Marriages in the Courts of the Roman Curia won my "Best Book Read This Year" award in 1973. This is his first book, published in 1957. I admit I did not attempt to follow the very intricate theoretical discussions of usury which scholastics devoted much attention to in the Middle Ages and after, and I became impatient with what I show more regarded as poor arguments in opposition to the taking of interest. But Noonan's research is awesome and he concludes respectfully that the theoretical structure while not always consistent encouraged investment and charity to the poor, and its practical success may be measured by a comparison between conditions of credit in medieval Europe and those in classical Greece or China or India. This is a worthwhile and brilliantly researched book. show less

3394 The Lustre of Our Country: The American Experience of Religious Freedom, by John T. Noonan, Jr. (read 24 Jan 2001) This is a great book, full of much insight. Its subtitle does not fully indicate all it discusses. But Chapter 7, called "The Pilgrim's Process," is a devastating consideration of the Supreme Court's troubles with the religious provisions of the First Amendment. Chapter 6 discusses a case I never heard of--the prosecution of Mrs. Ballard for fraud--and is super-interesting. show more The last chapter tells of the fight at Vatican II for the Declaration on Religious Freedom. Some of the chapters were a little heavy--e.g., Durkheim's Dilemma--but it was never a chore to read this very good book. show less