Christian Realism and the New Realities

✍ Scribed by Robin W. Lovin

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Year: 2008
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 241
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Are religion and public lifed really separate spheres of human activity? Should they be? In this book, Robin Lovin criticises contemporary political and theological views that separate religion from public life and advocates a more integrated understanding of modern society. Drawing on the work of two influential twentieth-century theologians, Reinhold Niebuhr and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, he argues that: 'Christian realism' encourages responsible engagement with social and political problems Political commitment is not confined to the sphere of law and government *The decisions of individuals influence global ethics

✦ Table of Contents

Cover......Page 1
Half-title......Page 3
Title......Page 5
Copyright......Page 6
Contents......Page 7
Preface......Page 9
Introduction......Page 11
The scope of christian realism......Page 15
Christian realism and modern politics......Page 21
New realities......Page 25
The crisis......Page 29
Twenty-first-century realisms......Page 31
The witness......Page 33
The antiutopian realist......Page 38
The counterapocalyptic realist......Page 42
The pluralist realist......Page 47
Reality and responsibility......Page 53
Augustine’s realism......Page 56
Christian idealism......Page 60
Reformation realism......Page 63
The successful modern state......Page 68
Politics for the public......Page 71
Realism and liberalism......Page 74
Justice and hope......Page 78
Beyond secular authority......Page 82
Pluralist realism......Page 86
Varieties of christian realism......Page 91
Politics and “values”......Page 94
Responsibility......Page 98
Niebuhr on responsibility and realism......Page 103
Bonhoeffer on responsibility......Page 106
Contexts......Page 109
Critical and responsible......Page 116
Diversity of goods......Page 120
Knowledge and conflict......Page 124
Christianity and democracy......Page 127
Public reason......Page 130
Unapologetic theology......Page 134
Integrity......Page 136
Contexts and forums......Page 142
Public forums......Page 148
Human goods and public reason......Page 153
Comprehensive doctrines and public reason......Page 158
The unapologetic moment......Page 160
Questions......Page 162
More questions......Page 164
The end of an era?......Page 167
A tolerable solution......Page 170
A clah of civilizations?......Page 172
Globalized contexts......Page 175
Anarchy and idolatry......Page 180
The state in context......Page 183
Global pluralism......Page 188
The irony of modern politics......Page 191
Value pluralism......Page 195
Theological realism......Page 199
Meaning in socety......Page 202
Responsibility and theological realism......Page 205
The task of theological realism......Page 210
The person and the good......Page 212
Ways of life......Page 214
The integrity of the person......Page 217
New directions......Page 223
Politics, faith, and a meaningful more life......Page 229
Select Bibliography......Page 233
Index......Page 239