Cities of God: (Routledge Radical Orthodoxy)

Beginning with an account of how Christian theology is called upon to read the signs of the time, Cities of God traces the shift in urban culture in North America and Western Europe that took place in the 1970s. The modern sites of eternal aspiration and hope became the post-modern cities of eternal desires. The old, modern theological responses to the city become unbelievable and inadequate, necessitating a new theological approach to urban living. Such an approach would have to engage with and respond to the insurgent social atomism and the celebration of virtual realities evident in the late capitalist, post-modern civic living. The book seeks to develop that approach, emphasizing the analogical relations which exist between physical, ecclesial, sacramental, social and political bodies. It argues for a profound participation of all these bodies in the Body of Christ. Working through analyses of contemporary film, architecture and literature, and drawing upon traditional theological resources in Augustine and Gregory of Nyssa, the book lays out a systematic theology which has the preparation and building of cities of God as its focus.

Table of Contents:
Preface Introduction: the signs of the times PART I Cultural atomism 1 Cities of eternal aspiration 2 Cities of endless desire PART II The analogical world-view 3 Transcorporeality: the ontological scandal 4 The displaced body of Jesus Christ 5 Communities of desire 6 The Church as the erotic community 7 The erotics of redemption PART III Theology and the practices of contemporary living 8 Cities of angels 9 Cities of the good: the redemption of cyberspace

About the Author :

Graham Ward is Professor of Contextual Theology and Ethics at the University of Manchester and Executive Editor of The Journal of Literature and Theology. (OUP). He is the author of a number of books, including Critical Theory (Macmillan) and the editor of The Postmodern God (Macmillan) and The Certeau Reader (Blackwell). He is the co-editor, with John Millbank and Catherine Pickstock of Routledge's Radical Orthodoxy series.

'The book is ... a truly major achievement, the most sustained constructive piece of work by an Anglican theologian for many years.' - Scottish Journal of Theology

'There is a humility here which acknowledges that "our dogmatisms speak more about our fears than our aspirations." No liberal could have put it better.' - Revd Steven Shakespeare, Church Times

'With Cities of God, which is a worthy postmodern sequel to Harvey Cox's The Secular City (1965), Graham Ward establishes himself as one of the most engaging and visionary theologians of his generation.' - Stephen H. Webb, Reviews in Religion and Theology