In this book, twelve historians examine the nature of the American Protestant establishment and its response to the growing pluralism of this century. The authors conclude that the period surveyed forms a distinct epoch in the evolution of American Protestantism. The days when Protestant cultural authority could be taken for granted were over, but a new era in which religious pluralism would be widely accepted had not yet arrived.

Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971) was a major American theologian and political thinker of the mid-twentieth century. He has received much attention from biographers and historians in recent years, but, since his thought remains very relevant for contemporary ethics, a reassessment is due of what he might contribute to current thinking about politics and society. This book is intended to present Niebuhr's ideas about "Christian Realism" in a way that will be useful to people who are thinking about today's social issues.

Liberalism and Catholicism are two of the most important forces shaping the contemporary political culture of the United States. This book explores what is at stake as they encounter each other in new contexts today and what a fresh conversation between them promises for the future of American public life. It is based on the conviction that both traditions continue to have much to learn from each other and that both would contribute more constructively to the resolution of the problems facing the nation if they were to do so.

This book examines the famous Jefferson document that foreshadowed the Constitution's guarantee of religious liberty, the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. Jefferson wrote the Virginia Statute and shepherded it through a decade-long struggle for adoption. The statute reflects two key Revolutionary principles: absolute freedom of religious conscience and the separation of church and state.

In this excellent outline of Christian ethics, Robin W. Lovin achieves a balance between the questions and issues which form the core of the study of ethics and the life situations from which those questions arise.

Eschewing a sectarian approach which dismisses other understandings of the moral life, Lovin nonetheless lays claim to a specifically Christian understanding of ethics. He begins with basic Christian convictions about the reality of God and human redemption and weaves these convictions into the fabric of moral concerns that are widely shared in contemporary society. He...

Abingdon Pillars of Theology is a series for the college and seminary classroom designed to help students grasp the basic and necessary facts, influence, and significance of major theologians. Written by major scholars, these books will outline the context, methodology, organizing principles, primary contributions, and major writings of people who have shaped theology as we know it today.

Reinhold Niebuhr understood the tensions and complexities of the Christian Life. His approach became to theology became known as "Christian realism." Through his life and work we can see the...

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...

A few years ago, the first distinction that ethicists drew was the line between Christian ethics and philosophical ethics. However, in our global context, Christian ethicists must now, in addition, compare and contrast various ethics. Christian ethics has become increasingly multivocal not only because of a plurality of faiths but also because of a plurality of Christianities.

Beginning with five key ideas about God's relationship to humanity and history, Dr. Lovin shows how these work together to shape the Christian stance. In the first three chapters, he then shows how those...

Can a neuroscientist help a theologian interpret a medieval mystical text? Can a historian of religion help an anthropologist understand the effects of social cooperation on human evolution? Can a legal scholar and a theologian help each other think about how fear of God relates to respect for the law?

In this volume leading scholars in ethics, theology, and social science sum up three years of study and conversation regarding the value of interdisciplinary theological inquiry. This is an essential and challenging collection for all who set out to think, write, teach, and preach...