Overview

This volume offers a public theology of democratic participation that confronts the temptation to autocracy to which much of the church has succumbed. Grounding a vision of democratic pluralism within the core of the Christian understanding of God, Christ, and the kingdom of God it argues that Christian identity creates a responsibility to stand against the rising authoritarianism of American society. The question of identity is at the heart of Christian theology: Who are we? Who is God? Where do we belong? This volume offers an account of Christian identity in the context of the rise of Christian nationalism and the threat that this ideology poses to democratic society. It demonstrates how the very real threats posed by Donald Trump, Q-Anon, and the tech-right are rooted in the church's failure to offer a compelling account of what it means to be and to belong as Christian, and how our identity is defined fundamentally by the life, death, and teaching of Jesus Christ.

Full Product Details

9781725270954

Table of Contents

Reviews

""Paeth masterfully defends the Christian commitment to democracy against the dangerous resurgence of Christian nationalism, the rise of authoritarian political figures, and other contemporary challenges to democratic pluralism. Meticulously researched and accessibly written, this book will help faithful Christians not only read the signs of the times as they sort out what it means today to claim a Christian identity but also grasp the eschatological dimensions of their public responsibilities to others."" --Grace Yia-Hei Kao, Bishop Roy I. Sano and Kathleen A. Thomas-Sano Professor of Pacific and Asian American Theology, Claremont School of Theology ""This is a very timely call for reflection of Christians as to what constitutes their identity and where their ultimate loyalty lies in view of current autocratic tendencies that can count on massive Christian nationalist support. While focused on the US and the ambiguity of its narratives of self-understanding, it holds relevance for any tendency of Christianity that confuses civic responsibility with the strive for power."" --Rudolf von Sinner, Professor of Theology, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil

Author Information

Scott Ronald Paeth is Professor of Religious Studies and Peace, Justice, and Conflict Studies at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. He is the author or editor of nine books, including Exodus Church and Civil Society: Public Theology in the Work of Jürgen Moltmann, Public Thelogy: Essays in Honor of Max Stackhouse, The Niebuhr Brothers for Armchair Theologians, and Shaping Public Theology: Selections from the Writings of Max Stackhouse.

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