Description
Book SynopsisIn the world’s most developed democracies, anxiety about the future of democracy itself is palpable. The tension between moral aspiration and moral despair in modern political life has reached a point of crisis. Christian Realism arose during a similar time of crisis, when Reinhold Niebuhr used the insights of the Christian tradition to interpret the clash between democracy and totalitarianism in the first half of the 20th century.
Beginning with Robin Lovin’s account of Niebuhr’s Christian realism as a nuanced blend of theological, moral, and political realisms, The Future of Christian Realism directly addresses fundamental topics in theology, ethics and politics. The contributors of this volume come from different traditions, span five continents, and together present a case for the continuing relevance of Christian realism. By paying close attention to many of the most pressing moral challenges facing societies today, the authors illustrate and evaluate the relevance of Christian realism in the contemporary world.
Table of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgements, Dallas Gingles, Joshua Mauldin, and Rebekah Miles
Introduction: Realism in an Age of Global Dysfunction, Eric Gregory
Section One: Theological and Ethical Points of Departure
Chapter One: The Christian Socialist Difference: Moral Realism, Robin Lovin, Reinhold Niebuhr, and Democratic Socialism, Gary Dorrien
Chapter Two: The Future of Theological Realism, Gerald McKenny
Chapter Three: Christian Realism and Doctrine, Douglas F. Ottati
Chapter Four: The Future of Moral Realism, William Schweiker
Chapter Five: Law and Christian Realism, Elisabeth Rain Kincaid
Section Two: Christian Realism and Political Realities
Chapter Six: Christian Realism and International Law, William P. George
Chapter Seven: Christian Realism and International Relations. Kevin Carnahan
Chapter Eight: Environmental Ethics and Christian Realism: Reckoning with and Hope Beyond an Era of Witting Ecological Ruin, Frederick Simmons
Chapter Nine: The Children of Light in the Twenty-First Century: Global Conflict, Democracy, and the Politics of Despair, Joshua Mauldin
Chapter Ten: Economics and the Future of Christian Realism, Nathan I.C. McLellan
Chapter Eleven: Institutions and the Future of Christian Ethics, Dallas Gingles
Chapter Twelve: Christian Realism and Race in the United States, Peter Paris
Chapter Thirteen: Fostering the Impossible in a World Marked by Sin: Bringing the New Christian Realism into Conversation with the Opioid Crisis, Todd Whitmore
Section Three: Global Perspectives on the Future of Christian Realism
Chapter Fourteen: The Chinese Dream of Prosperity: Historical Roots, Ironies, and Challenges, Luping Huang
Chapter Fifteen: Christian Realism in Japan, Yoshibumi Takahashi
Chapter Sixteen: Christian Realism in the African Context, Simeon O. Ilesanmi
Chapter Seventeen: A Gospel that Opens Up Free Spaces: Reinhold Niebuhr’s Insights into Understanding Church and State in Russia Today, John P. Burgess
Chapter Eighteen: Christian Realism in the United Kingdom, Nigel Biggar
Chapter Nineteen: American Exceptionalism, Christian Realism, and the New Realities, Rebekah Miles
Conclusion: Christian Realism in a Polarized Society, Robin W. Lovin
About the Contributors
