James K. A. Smith

Robert Benne

Thomas W. Heilke

J. Brian Benestad

Bruce Fields

Five Views on the Church and Politics

James K.A. Smith

Learn to think deeply about the relationship between church and state in a way that goes beyond mere policy debates and current campaigns. Few topics can grab headlines and stir passions quite like politics, especially when the church is involved. Considering the attention that many Christian parachurch groups, churches, and individual believers give to politics--and of the varying and sometimes divergent political ideals and aims among them--Five Views on the Church and Politics provides a helpful breakdown of the possible Christian approaches to political involvement. General Editor Amy Black brings together five top-notch political theologians in the book, each representing one of the five key political traditions within Christianity: Anabaptist (Separationist: the most limited possible Christian involvement in politics) - represented by Thomas Heilke Lutheran (Paradoxical: strong separation of church and state) – represented by Robert Benne Black Church (Prophetic: the church's mission is to be a voice for communal reform) – represented by Bruce Fields Reformed (Transformationist: emphasizes God's sovereignty over all things, including churches and governments) – represented by James K. A. Smith Catholic (Synthetic: encouragement of political participation as a means to further the common good of all people) – represented by J. Brian Benestad Each author addresses his tradition's theological distinctives, the role of government, the place of individual Christian participation in government and politics, and how churches should (or should not) address political questions. Responses by each contributor to opposing views will highlight key areas of difference and disagreement. Thorough and even-handed, Five Views on the Church and Politics will enable readers to consider the strengths and weaknesses of the most significant Christian views on political engagement and to draw their own, informed conclusions.

Ashley Woodiwiss

Religion and politics appear together in newspaper headlines more today than ever before. Questions about the relationship between religion and politics--on theoretical, historical, and behavioral levels--are likewise heavily debated behind the front pages, by scholars in political science who demonstrate the 'new Christian thinking.' The Re-Enchantment of Political Science engages these scholars in an interdisciplinary conversation concerning the identity and ends of Christian political science. It considers whether and to what extent the community of Christian scholarship, within its own narrative religious traditions, can add a distinctive and significant dimension to the discipline of political science. Contributors also explore how the new Christian thinking informs political theory and its subfields, including liberalism, communitarianism, and critical theory. Finally, the book describes how policy studies are possible within a Christian framework using standard scholarly tools of analysis. The Re-Enchantment of Political Science, in revealing the growing theoretical and methodological sophistication of faith-informed political science, charts the terrain of political science today.

Christian Scholars Engage Their Discipline

The Re-enchantment of Political Science

During his distinguished academic career, Eric Voegelin was described as the most important philosopher of history and consciousness since Toynbee; similarly, Voegelin has been interpreted by his critics using virtually every ideological label available: fascist, communist, liberal, conservative, existentialist, fideist, socialist, reactionary, Jew, Catholic, and Protestant. With startling new insights into the theoretical foundations of Voegelin's writings, Heilke's gripping analysis and compelling conclusions demonstrate how his subject was primarily a philosopher in quest of reality, and why no ideological category can grasp the core of such an intellectual journey.

In Quest of Reality

Eric Voegelin

Thomas W. Heilke

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