Legal Personhood of Animals

Personhood is defined as ‘the state or fact of being a person.’ ‘Personhood’ has five contextual definitions: political, economic, social, legal, and religious. Who the Bible qualifies as a person fulfills the religious definition of personhood. This religious sense can then be applied to the legal definition of personhood. The Hebrew word nephesh and the Greek term psuché designate personhood in the Bible. Notably, the Bible recognizes animals (and humans) as nephesh and psuché. Thus, the Bible considers animals (and humans) to have personhood and, therefore, be ‘persons.’ This religious denotation of personhood can now be applied to the legal definition. The Legal Information Institute defines a natural person as ‘a living human being.’ According to this definition, animals cannot be considered natural persons. However, animals can be regarded as ‘legal persons.’ The Legal Information Institute defines a legal person as ‘a human or a non-human legal entity that is treated as a person for legal purposes.’ Since the Bible designates personhood to animals and considers them ‘persons,’ our ministry advocates they should be recognized as ‘legal persons’ in global law. In conclusion, the Christian Animal Rights Association advocates for the legal personhood of animals.