Download or read book Calvin s Political Theology and the Public Engagement of the Church written by Matthew J. Tuininga and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2017-04-06 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: John Calvin's two kingdoms political thought offers a fresh paradigm for constructive Christian engagement in pluralistic liberal societies.
Download or read book Calvin s Political Theology and the Public Engagement of the Church written by Matthew J. Tuininga and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2017-04-06 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Calvin's Political Theology and the Public Engagement of the Church, Matthew J. Tuininga explores a little appreciated dimension of John Calvin's political thought, his two kingdoms theology, as a model for constructive Christian participation in liberal society. Widely misunderstood as a proto-political culture warrior, due in part to his often misinterpreted role in controversies over predestination and the heretic Servetus, Calvin articulated a thoughtful approach to public life rooted in his understanding of the gospel and its teaching concerning the kingdom of God. He staked his ministry in Geneva on his commitment to keeping the church distinct from the state, abandoning simplistic approaches that placed one above the other, while rejecting the temptations of sectarianism or separatism. This revealing analysis of Calvin's vision offers timely guidance for Christians seeking a mode of faithful, respectful public engagement in democratic, pluralistic communities today.
Download or read book Political Grace written by Roland Boer and published by Westminster John Knox Press. This book was released on 2009-01-01 with total page 178 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this exploration of Calvin's political thought, Roland Boer treats Calvin as a biblical scholar and political philosopher, showing us elusive aspects of Calvin's Institutes. Boer investigates Calvin's careful thinking in the Institutes as well as in his biblical commentaries, pursuing Calvin's understanding of political freedom. Calvin argued for a greater freedom for the faith than theologians had imagined, Boer claims, but then stepped back from the most radical implications of this call. Boer also explores Calvin's views on grace with the eye of a careful interpreter and suggests what we might find in Calvin's political thought if we took the Bible, grace, and freedom as seriously as he did. Clearly these are relevant points to consider for Christian political living today.
Download or read book The Church in the Public written by Ilsup Ahn and published by Augsburg Fortress Publishers. This book was released on 2022-08-09 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Church in the Public shows how church/state dualism has corrupted the church's social witness and allowed neoliberal and neocolonial ideas to assert control of public and political life. Ahn argues for a public church, one that collaborates and cooperates with other public actors and entities in the promotion of a just social order.
Download or read book Pews Prayers and Participation written by Corwin E. Smidt and published by Georgetown University Press. This book was released on 2008 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Pews, Prayers, and Participation: Religion and Civic Responsibility in America" offers a fresh approach to key questions about what role religion plays in fostering civic responsibility in contemporary American society. In the course of their study the authors examine whether an individual exhibits a diminished, a privatized, a public, or an integrated form of religious expression, based on the individual's level of participation in both the public (worship) or private (prayer) dimensions of religious life. They question whether the privatization of religious life is counterproductive to engagement in public life, and they show that religion does indeed play a significant role in fostering civic responsibility across each of its particular facets.--From publisher description.
Download or read book Awaiting the King Cultural Liturgies Book 3 written by James K. A. Smith and published by Baker Academic. This book was released on 2017-11-07 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this culmination of his widely read and highly acclaimed Cultural Liturgies project, James K. A. Smith examines politics through the lens of liturgy. What if, he asks, citizens are not only thinkers or believers but also lovers? Smith explores how our analysis of political institutions would look different if we viewed them as incubators of love-shaping practices--not merely governing us but forming what we love. How would our political engagement change if we weren't simply looking for permission to express our "views" in the political sphere but actually hoped to shape the ethos of a nation, a state, or a municipality to foster a way of life that bends toward shalom? This book offers a well-rounded public theology as an alternative to contemporary debates about politics. Smith explores the religious nature of politics and the political nature of Christian worship, sketching how the worship of the church propels us to be invested in forging the common good. This book creatively merges theological and philosophical reflection with illustrations from film, novels, and music and includes helpful exposition and contemporary commentary on key figures in political theology.
Download or read book Politics after Christendom written by David VanDrunen and published by Zondervan Academic. This book was released on 2020-04-21 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For more than a millennium, beginning in the early Middle Ages, most Western Christians lived in societies that sought to be comprehensively Christian--ecclesiastically, economically, legally, and politically. That is to say, most Western Christians lived in Christendom. But in a gradual process beginning a few hundred years ago, Christendom weakened and finally crumbled. Today, most Christians in the world live in pluralistic political communities. And Christians themselves have very different opinions about what to make of the demise of Christendom and how to understand their status and responsibilities in a post-Christendom world. Politics After Christendom argues that Scripture leaves Christians well-equipped for living in a world such as this. Scripture gives no indication that Christians should strive to establish some version of Christendom. Instead, it prepares them to live in societies that are indifferent or hostile to Christianity, societies in which believers must live faithful lives as sojourners and exiles. Politics After Christendom explains what Scripture teaches about political community and about Christians' responsibilities within their own communities. As it pursues this task, Politics After Christendom makes use of several important theological ideas that Christian thinkers have developed over the centuries. These ideas include Augustine's Two-Cities concept, the Reformation Two-Kingdoms category, natural law, and a theology of the biblical covenants. Politics After Christendom brings these ideas together in a distinctive way to present a model for Christian political engagement. In doing so, it interacts with many important thinkers, including older theologians (e.g., Augustine, Aquinas, and Calvin), recent secular political theorists (e.g., Rawls, Hayek, and Dworkin), contemporary political-theologians (e.g., Hauerwas, O'Donovan, and Wolterstorff), and contemporary Christian cultural commentators (e.g., MacIntyre, Hunter, and Dreher). Part 1 presents a political theology through a careful study of the biblical story, giving special attention to the covenants God has established with his creation and how these covenants inform a proper view of political community. Part 1 argues that civil governments are legitimate but penultimate, and common but not neutral. It concludes that Christians should understand themselves as sojourners and exiles in their political communities. They ought to pursue justice, peace, and excellence in these communities, but remember that these communities are temporary and thus not confuse them with the everlasting kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christians' ultimate citizenship is in this new-creation kingdom. Part 2 reflects on how the political theology developed in Part 1 provides Christians with a framework for thinking about perennial issues of political and legal theory. Part 2 does not set out a detailed public policy or promote a particular political ideology. Rather, it suggests how Christians might think about important social issues in a wise and theologically sound way, so that they might be better equipped to respond well to the specific controversies they face today. These issues include race, religious liberty, family, economics, justice, rights, authority, and civil resistance. After considering these matters, Part 2 concludes by reflecting on the classical liberal and conservative traditions, as well as recent challenges to them by nationalist and progressivist movements.
Download or read book Calvin and the Whigs written by Ruben Alvarado and published by Pantocrator Press. This book was released on 2017-06-06 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The relationship between Calvinist political theory and John Locke’s Two Treatises on Civil Government has been debated for some time, and the consensus is that Locke’s theory constitutes the further development of Calvinist theory. But upon closer analysis, that conclusion proves entirely flawed. Calvinism proves to be worlds apart from the political philosophy of John Locke. It proves to be the mature fruit of the medieval “two swords” form of government, in which church and state share public power, rather than an early stage on the road to the dissociation of church and state, a road which Locke put us firmly upon with his own formulation of political power. Indeed, upon closer inspection Calvinism proves to be the product of a thousand-year tradition of Western political thought commencing with Augustine and moving through the Carolingian Renaissance and the Papal Revolution. That history is rediscovered and outlined in this book, as the preliminary means for recovering the true meaning of political Calvinism and its utter discontinuity with the modernism that commenced with Locke’s paradigm. It also helps disabuse us of the notion that history is linear, and that progress is straightforward. Rather, it helps us to understand the deformational period of history in which we live, and the need for a return to a confessional understanding of law, the state, and constitutionalism.
Download or read book Theology Made Practical written by Joel R. Beeke and published by Reformation Heritage Books. This book was released on 2015-09-20 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Theology Made Practical , Joel R. Beeke, David W. Hall, and Michael A. G. Haykin declare the significance of John Calvin’s life and ideas—particularly his contributions to systematic theology, pastoral theology, and political theology—as well as the influence he had on others through the centuries. With focused studies related to the Trinity, predestination, the Holy Spirit, justification, preaching, missions, principles of government, welfare, and marriage, this book demonstrates how Calvin’s thought has been, and still is, a dynamic wellspring of fruitfulness for numerous areas of the Christian life. More than 450 years since Calvin experienced the beatific vision, his thinking about God and His Word still possesses what our culture passionately longs for—true relevancy. Table of Contents: Part 1: Calvin’s Biography 1. The Young Calvin: Preparation for a Life of Ministry—Michael A. G. Haykin 2. Practical Lessons from the Life of Idelette Calvin—Joel R. Beeke Part 2: Calvin’s Systematic Theology 3. “Uttering the Praises of the Father, of the Son, and of the Spirit”: John Calvin on the Divine Triunity —Michael A. G. Haykin 4. Calvin on Similarities and Differences on Election and Reprobation—Joel R. Beeke 5. Calvin on the Holy Spirit—Joel R. Beeke 6. Explicit and Implicit Appendixes to Calvin’s View of Justification by Faith —David W. Hall Part 3: Calvin’s Pastoral and Political Theology 7. Calvin’s Experiential Preaching—Joel R. Beeke 8. John Calvin and the Missionary Endeavor of the Church—Michael A. G. Haykin 9. Calvin on Principles of Government—David W. Hall 10. Calvin on Welfare: Diaconal Ministry in Geneva—David W. Hall 11. Christian Marriage in the Twenty-First Century: Calvin on the Purpose of Marriage—Michael A. G. Haykin Part 4: Calvin’s Legacy 12. Calvin’s Circle of Friends: Propelling an Enduring Movement—David W. Hall 13. Calvin as a Calvinist—Joel R. Beeke 14. Calvinism and Revival—Michael A. G. Haykin
Download or read book Redeeming Politics written by Peter Iver Kaufman and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2014-07-14 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Peter Iver Kaufman explores how various Christian leaders throughout history have used forms of "political theology" to merge the romance of conquest and empire with hopes for political and religious redemption. His discussion covers such figures as Constantine, Augustine, Charlemagne, Pope Gregory VII, Dante, Zwingli, Calvin, and Cromwell. Originally published in 1990. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.
Download or read book The Christian Polity of John Calvin written by Harro Höpfl and published by CUP Archive. This book was released on 1985-07-18 with total page 326 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores the relationship between Calvin's thought about civil and ecclesiastical order and his own circumstances and activities. The early chapters argue that in his pre-Genevan writings, including the first edition of the Institution, Calvin's political thinking was entirely conventional; his subsequent thought and conduct were not an implementation of previously formulated ideas. Later chapters examine whether and to what extent Calvin developed a distinctive vision of the Christian polity as part of an overall conception of the Christian life.
Download or read book Church State and Citizen written by Sandra F. Joireman and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2009 with total page 201 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Church, State, and Citizen , Sandra F. Joireman has gathered political scientists to examine the relationship between religion and politics as seen from within seven Christian traditions: Catholic, Lutheran, Reformed, Anabaptist, Anglican, Evangelical and Pentecostal. In each chapter the historical and theological foundations of the tradition are described along with the beliefs regarding the appropriate role of the state and citizen. --from publisher description
Download or read book Church State and Public Justice written by P. C. Kemeny and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2009-09-20 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abortion. Physician-assisted suicide. Same-sex marriages. Embryonic stem-cell research. Poverty. Crime. What is a faithful Christian response? The God of the Bible is unquestionably a God of justice. Yet Christians have had their differences as to how human government and the church should bring about a just social order. Although Christians share many deep and significant theological convictions, differences that threaten to divide them have often surrounded the matter of how the church collectively and Christians individually ought to engage the public square. What is the mission of the church? What is the purpose of human government? How ought they to be related to each other? How should social injustice be redressed? The five noted contributors to this volume answer these questions from within their distinctive Christian theological traditions, as well as responding to the other four positions. Through the presentations and ensuing dialogue we come to see more clearly what the differences are, where their positions overlap and why they diverge. The contributors and the positions taken include Clarke E. Cochran: A Catholic Perspective Derek H. Davis: A Classical Separation Perspective Ronald J. Sider: An Anabaptist Perspective Corwin F. Smidt: A Principled Pluralist Perspective J. Philip Wogaman: A Social Justice Perspective This book will be instructive for anyone seeking to grasp the major Christian alternatives and desiring to pursue a faithful corporate and individual response to the social issues that face us.
Download or read book On Charity and Justice written by Abraham Kuyper and published by Lexham Press. This book was released on 2022-02-09 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Kuyper on a Theological Approach to Justice The practical outworking of Kuyper's doctrine of common grace demanded a commitment to seeking Christ's glory in every sphere of human life. Christians are called to witness to the lordship of Christ through sacrificial service, not domination, and such service calls us to seek charity and justice for all people. In this anthology of articles and reflections, Kuyper articulates a Christian vision for engaging with society. Though his analysis was intended for his late-nineteenth-century Dutch context, his thoughts remain strikingly relevant for Christians living in the modern world. For Kuyper, God's law preserved civil justice, making humane life possible. However, the law itself could not save society—only the gospel can transform the heart. But the gospel is for all of life. Kuyper elaborated a social Christian approach to politics, resulting in a distinct perspective on property, human dignity, democracy, and justice.
Download or read book Calvin s Doctrine of the State written by Mark J. Larson and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2009-01-08 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Contemporary treatments of Calvin's political views often imply that he embraced a theocratic civil polity and that he was committed to holy war doctrine. On the basis of the primary sources, the first half of this volume argues that neither position is correct. Calvin, in his political thought, maintained the superiority of a republic as a civil polity. In addition, he placed himself firmly within the medieval just war tradition that was established by Augustine of Hippo and later reaffirmed by Thomas Aquinas. In terms of his commitment to classical just war teaching, Calvin stood in continuity with Martin Luther, even while he distanced himself from the holy war perspective of the Zurich Reformers Henry Bullinger and Peter Martyr Vermigli. In the thinking of Calvin, a war could only be authorized by the state, not the church. War had to be prosecuted with humanity and restraint, and not in the tradition of the medieval crusade. The second half of the book sets forth what Calvin actually believed on the matter of government and war. Here we examine his teaching on parliamentary resistance to monarchical tyranny and the full dimensions of his commitment to justice of war categories. Unlike Luther and Bullinger, Calvin provided a parliamentary remedy for the perennial evil of tyranny. With Vermigli and Theodore Beza siding with Calvin on this right, a body of Reformed doctrine was established to which succeeding generations could appeal for teaching, direction, and justification for taking up arms. It is clear that Calvin's political legacy is profoundly evident in the American Revolutionary War and in the constitutional determination for a republic in the United States of America. Calvin's ecclesiastical republicanism, as it came to fruition in Presbyterian church government, was a powerful impetus toward the creation of republican institutions in civil government.
Download or read book The Good of Politics Engaging Culture written by James W. Skillen and published by Baker Academic. This book was released on 2014-03-18 with total page 366 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this addition to the acclaimed Engaging Culture series, a highly respected author and Christian thinker offers a principled, biblical perspective on engaging political culture as part of one's calling. James Skillen believes that constructive Christian engagement depends on the belief that those made in the image of God are created not only for family life, agriculture, education, science, industry, and the arts but also for building political communities, justly ordered for the common good. He argues that God made us to be royal stewards of public governance from the outset and that the biblical story of God's creation, judgment, and redemption of all things in Jesus Christ has everything to do with politics and government. In this irenic, nonpartisan treatment of an oft-debated topic, Skillen critically assesses current political realities and helps readers view responsibility in the political arena as a crucial dimension of the Christian faith.
Download or read book The Church and Religious Persecution written by Robert J. Joustra and published by . This book was released on 2015-07-25 with total page 72 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Religious persecution is on the rise. Daily news stories and social science research chronicle the suffering of Christians and those of other faiths at the hands of both governments and private citizens. Yet, with few exceptions, the North American church has been largely absent from serious action that addresses this global problem. "The Church and Religious Persecution" examines the nature and scope of religious persecution worldwide, explores the response of the church, and proposes steps church leaders and members can take to stand up for religious freedom and build a faith-based movement against persecution.
