Overview

A Church for the World: The Church’s Role in Fostering Democracy and Sustainable Development challenges theologians and lay readers alike to think about the role of the church vis-à-vis its responsibility to the world. How may the church contribute to democracy and foster sustainable development? Contributors from mostly non-Western theological communities offer historical, developmental, ecclesiastical, and theological perspectives on the church-world relationship, challenging misconceptions and practices that prevent the church from living up to its transformational vocation as salt and light in the world (Matt. 5:13-16). The driving force behind the questions and perspectives discussed here is Gustavo Gutierrez’s axiom in A Theology of Liberation: A theology which fails to address the most urgent needs of ordinary people is not worthy of the word “theology.” Proceeding from this insight, this book creates awareness about the relationship between religion, democracy, and development, and aims to strengthen the self-understanding of the church with regard to its responsibilities in the world.

Full Product Details

9781978710771

Table of Contents

Reviews

In an increasingly globalized yet politically fragmented world with competing visions of the common good and economic relations, the perspective of religious scholars and theologians from the majority world can no longer be seen as an optional voice in an already constituted Western choral arrangement. Deressa and de Keijzer push us not only to reflect on but also reframe how we approach questions concerning democracy and sustainable development through the lens of emerging critical and constructive Global South voices. This composition of essays will train our ears to listen for a more complex, deeper, and richer polyphony of voices contributing a challenging vision toward the common good informed by the Christian tradition. -- Leopoldo A. Sanchez M., Concordia Seminary It is such a rare delight to find together in a single book Christian theologians from such a wide variety of non-Western backgrounds and perspectives offering new and fresh views on such an important topic - the church's role in the civil and political realms. This makes A Church For the World a unique and valuable addition to the ongoing worldwide Christian conversation. The topic itself is not new, but how many times is it addressed from a non-Western perspective and dealing with real life examples from developing countries throughout Africa and Asia? How many times do you find Martin Luther, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Gudina Tumsa (Ethiopia) in the same book, let alone the same chapter?! During my many years on the African continent and even now in working with under-represented groups in the United States, the flow of ideas has always tended to be from the West to the non-West. This book attempts to reverse the flow. This time the non-West advises the West and I found their suggestions to be relevant and thought provoking. Throughout, my own theological thinking was challenged, shaped, and sharpened! -- Glenn Fluegge, Concordia University Irvine

It is such a rare delight to find together in a single book Christian theologians from such a wide variety of non-Western backgrounds and perspectives offering new and fresh views on such an important topic - the church's role in the civil and political realms. This makes A Church For the World a unique and valuable addition to the ongoing worldwide Christian conversation. The topic itself is not new, but how many times is it addressed from a non-Western perspective and dealing with real life examples from developing countries throughout Africa and Asia? How many times do you find Martin Luther, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Gudina Tumsa (Ethiopia) in the same book, let alone the same chapter?! During my many years on the African continent and even now in working with under-represented groups in the United States, the flow of ideas has always tended to be from the West to the non-West. This book attempts to reverse the flow. This time the non-West advises the West and I found their suggestions to be relevant and thought provoking. Throughout, my own theological thinking was challenged, shaped, and sharpened! -- Glenn Fluegge, Concordia University Irvine In an increasingly globalized yet politically fragmented world with competing visions of the common good and economic relations, the perspective of religious scholars and theologians from the majority world can no longer be seen as an optional voice in an already constituted Western choral arrangement. Deressa and de Keijzer push us not only to reflect on but also reframe how we approach questions concerning democracy and sustainable development through the lens of emerging critical and constructive Global South voices. This composition of essays will train our ears to listen for a more complex, deeper, and richer polyphony of voices contributing a challenging vision toward the common good informed by the Christian tradition. -- Leopoldo A. Sanchez M., Concordia Seminary

It is such a rare delight to find together in a single book Christian theologians from such a wide variety of non-Western backgrounds and perspectives offering new and fresh views on such an important topic — the church's role in the civil and political realms. This makes A Church For the World a unique and valuable addition to the ongoing worldwide Christian conversation. The topic itself is not new, but how many times is it addressed from a non-Western perspective and dealing with real life examples from developing countries throughout Africa and Asia? How many times do you find Martin Luther, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Gudina Tumsa (Ethiopia) in the same book, let alone the same chapter?! During my many years on the African continent and even now in working with under-represented groups in the United States, the flow of ideas has always tended to be from the West to the non-West. This book attempts to reverse the flow. This time the non-West advises the West and I found their suggestions to be relevant and thought provoking. Throughout, my own theological thinking was challenged, shaped, and sharpened! -- Glenn Fluegge, Concordia University Irvine In an increasingly globalized yet politically fragmented world with competing visions of the common good and economic relations, the perspective of religious scholars and theologians from the majority world can no longer be seen as an optional voice in an already constituted Western choral arrangement. Deressa and de Keijzer push us not only to reflect on but also reframe how we approach questions concerning democracy and sustainable development through the lens of emerging critical and constructive Global South voices. This composition of essays will train our ears to listen for a more complex, deeper, and richer polyphony of voices contributing a challenging vision toward the common good informed by the Christian tradition. -- Leopoldo A. Sánchez M., Concordia Seminary

Author Information

Samuel Yonas Deressa is assistant professor of theology and Global South at Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota. Josh de Keijzer (PhD Systematic Theology, Luther Seminary) is the author of Bonhoeffer's Theology of the Cross: The Influence of Luther in ""Act and Being"".

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available