The Cambridge Companion to Christian Political Theology

Description

Interest in political theology has surged in recent years, and this accessible volume provides a focused overview of the field. Many are asking serious questions about religious faith in secular societies, the origin and function of democratic polities, worldwide economic challenges, the shift of Christianity's center of gravity to the global south, and anxieties related to bold and even violent assertions of theologically determined political ideas. In fourteen original essays, authors examine Christian political theology in order to clarify the contemporary discourse and some of its most important themes and issues. These include up-to-date, critical engagements with historical figures like Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, and Immanuel Kant; discussions of how the Bible functions theopolitically; and introductions to key movements such as liberation theology, Catholic social teaching, and radical orthodoxy. An invaluable resource for students and scholars in theology, the Companion will also be beneficial to those in history, philosophy, and politics.

Craig Hovey is Associate Professor of Religion at Ashland University and Executive Director of the Ashland Center for Nonviolence. His publications include Bearing True Witness: Truthfulness in Christian Practice, Nietzsche and Theology, and To Share in the Body: A Theology of Martyrdom for Today's Church. Elizabeth Phillips is Tutor in Theology and Ethics at Westcott House, an Anglican seminary affiliated with the University of Cambridge. She is the author of Political Theology: A Guide for the Perplexed.

'I am sure this will become the standard British text on Christian political theology in the early twenty-first century, and will be an invaluable guide for many theology students.' Peter Sedgwick, Church Times 'The editors of this volume had the daunting task of bringing order to the chaotic world of political ideology. They have succeeded ... and they managed to do so in a fraction of the pages one might expect.' Kristen Deede Johnson, Anglican Theological Review 'As it stands, this work is an informative, illuminating, and sometimes insightful introduction to significant developments and discourses in the last seventy-five years of political theology.' Brian A. Williams, Studies in Christian Ethics 'This is a book that I intend to return to again and again and one well worth spending both money and time investing in. Do not expect to put it down after reading even just one chapter without at least a dozen questions buzzing about in your head. It asks them and it provokes them in equal measure and that, I suggest, is a very good thing.' Ashley Lovett, Regent's Reviews