This important volume explores the implications of the emerging global society for the local church and its mission. Written by prominent scholars and missionaries, "The Local Church in a Global Era" examines the relation of Christian theology and ethics to global changes in the family, economics, technology, education, the media and other key spheres of life.

This well-known Christian ethicist ably bridges the gap between theology and political economy, proposing a theologically informed view of modern economic life. He traces the emergence of modern Protestant and Catholic views of the economic order from anti-slavery movements to contemporary Ecumenical themes. He delineates the failures of socialist, liberationist and laissez-faire systems and retrieves the neglected contributions of such figures as Shailer Mathews and Walter Rauschenbusch, while showing the continued relevance of Max Weber's view of economy and society for Christian ethics. He...

The promise and the threat of globalization are examined, using the tools of theological ethics to understand and evaluate the social contexts of life at the deepest moral and spiritual levels.>

This important volume explores the implications of the emerging global society for the local church and its mission. Written by prominent scholars and missionaries, "The Local Church in a Global Era" examines the relation of Christian theology and ethics to global changes in the family, economics, technology, education, the media and other key spheres of life.

Raymond R. Roberts makes a liberal's case for teaching religion and morality in public schools by first examining the intersection of religion and public education. He shows how proposals for moral education in public schools are shaped by definitions of religion. He argues that the public education's critics overstate the failures of public education because they examine public schools in isolation from negative trends in the family, the economy, the media, etc. From there he describes how a theory of spheres of influence gives us a better perspective from which to understand public...

In the late 20th century, the world has grown increasingly smaller because of advances in technology and the erosion of the nation-state as a political paradigm. The process of globalization-with its promises of a common culture, a common currency, and a common government-offers a new political model for the world that fosters unity and community.
At the same time, however, this process threatens to destroy the values, norms, and ideals that particular cultures have wrought and established and to thereby diminish the power of each culture's unique identity. As globalization occurs,...