Christian thinking about involvement in human government was not born (or born again!) with the latest elections or with the founding of the Moral Majority in 1979. The history of Christian political thinking goes back to the first decades of the church's existence under persecution. Building on biblical foundations; that thinking has developed over time. This book introduces the history of Christian political thought traced out in Western culture--a culture experiencing the dissolution of a long-fought-for consensus around natural law theory. Understanding our current crisis; where there is little agreement and often opposing views about how to maintain both religious freedom and liberal democracy; requires exploring how we got where we are. Greg Forster tells that backstory with deft discernment and clear insight. He offers this retrospective not only to inform but also to point the way beyond the current impasse in the contested public square. Illuminated by sidebars on key moments in history; major figures and questions for further consideration; this book will significantly inform Christian scholars' and students' reading and interpretation of history.
#1876675 in Books Chalice Press 2012-08-30 2012-08-30Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.90 x .70 x 6.10l; .95 #File Name: 082720034X272 pagesA New Evangelical Manifesto A Kingdom Vision for the Common Good
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Disappointing but Well-IntentionedBy Lost in VegasI found this volume very uneven. The chapters were written by 12 or 15 different writers; all involved in one way or another with a liberal form of evangelical Christianity and an aspect of citizen activism. Some of the chapters presented a case for a particular Christian response to a problem and specific ways Christians might respond to the problem. Others were more theoretical and not always very deep or helpful. I think good intentions were certainly behind the creation of this book; but the editor should have been more careful in choosing the writers and editing the submissions.1 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Refresthing; encouraging readBy Robert BallewFor years I felt alone in my beliefs and have been encouraged to find that there is a community of belivers that have a world view that mirrors mine. This scholarly work is recommended for the many who have been edged out of what has become know as the Evangelical Right but who retain their conservative Christian belifts.Well done.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. New but not liberalBy Clayton Todd KirkOverall; this is a good introduction to the current state of affairs in the small “new†Evangelical Movement. As I gather this is the branch of Evangelicalism that is opposed to the co-opting of Christianity by the political Right and the literal fundamentalists. I enjoyed reading it even though I am not particularly attached to their cause; which I will explain more about below. There is actually a lot of diversity in the book. Everything from the “hot button†issues like War and Abortion to more mundane (but important) things like the pragmatics of theology and the future of the Church. Perhaps my favorite parts were the authors who began their topic with a personal story. Some of these are quite interesting in and of themselves such as the article by Richard Cizik; former leader in the National Association of Evangelicals.I will confess that I got this book for free and so didn’t really know what it was until I dove into it; and as I opined above; I am glad I did. However; I do not agree with the ideological thread of the book which seems to be something like “Evangelical Christianity can be saved through adjustments.†Although I certainly prefer this “new†brand of Christianity to the know-nothing fundamentalists that have infiltrated the churches; I still do not think it gets at the core problem. The real problem for Christianity isn’t just the interpretation of the Bible and Politics; it is the CORE MYTH that is the problem. Thomas Altizer was closer to a real solution when he suggested in 1965 that the God of the bible was “dead†to our culture. The central myth was no longer believable to modern humans.Thus this isn’t really a book about the “liberals†of theology in the turn of the century sense or the Spong/Borg sense (to cite modern examples). These are basically theological conservatives with certain uncommonly held interpretations of Christianity which they believe impinge upon the personal and political sphere.In sum; it is a good and enjoyable book. It is also a useful book IF you hold to the theology of the authors outlined above.
