New primer - state of the art on Public Theology in the Global North
Professors from Radboud University, Netherlands, Christoph Hübenthal and Christiane Alpers edited the
T&T Clark Handbook of Public Theology.
This is an introduction to Public Theology through various philosophical and theological positions. Distinguishing public theology from political theology as well as liberation theology, this book clarifies central terms such as 'public sphere', 'the secular' and 'post-secularity' to highlight the specific characteristics of public theology.
About this book, the chair of GNPT, Prof. Rudolf von Sinner, affirmed: "This is a handbook that, with high intellectual sophistication and high sensitivity to concrete contemporary challenges, serves as a primer for the state of the art of public theology in the Global North and as an indicator of continuity and growth."
The handbook's particular focus is on the ways in which much public theology has established itself as contextual theology in politically secular societies, aiming to continue the apologetic tradition in that specific context. Depending on what is considered the most pressing challenge to the reasonable defense of Christian hope in liberal democracies, public theologians have focused on (social) ethics, ecclesiology, or soteriology, with the aim of strengthening the virtues necessary for democratic citizenship. Here, attention is being paid to Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox perspectives. The volume further illustrates the features of the discourse, introducing the ways in which public theologians have responded to concrete challenges that arise in the spheres of politics, economics, ecology, sports, culture, and religion.
To highlight the international reach of public theological discourse, the volume concludes with a summary of public theological debates in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and Latin America.
With information of bloomsbury.com