About the Book
T&T Clark Handbook of Public Theology introduces the various philosophical and theological positions and approaches in the emerging discourse of public theology. Distinguishing public theology from political theology, as well as from liberation theology, this book clarifies central terms like ‘public sphere’, ‘the secular’, and ‘post-secularity’ in order to highlight the specific characteristics of public theology.
Its particular focus lies on the ways in which much of public theology has established itself as a contextual theology in politically secular societies, aiming to continue the apologetical tradition in this specific context. Depending on what is regarded as the most pressing challenge for the reasonable defence of the Christian hope in liberal democracies, public theologians have focused on (social) ethics, ecclesiology, or Soteriology, with the aim to strengthen the virtues needed for democratic citizenship. Here, attention is being paid to Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox perspectives. The volume further illustrates the characteristics of the discourse by introducing the ways in which public theologians have responded to concrete challenges arising in the spheres of politics, economics, ecology, sports, culture, and religion.
To highlight the international scope of the public theological discourse, the volume concludes with a summarizing overview of public theological debates in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and Latin America.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Part 1 Conditions and Self-Positioning
1. The Public Sphere, Maureen Junker-Kenny (Trinity College Dublin, Ireland)
2. Liberal Democracy, Hans-Martien ten Napel (Leiden University, The Netherlands)
3. The Secular, Christoph Hübenthal (Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands)
4. Post-Secularity and the Pluralization of Public Theology, William Barbieri (The Catholic University of America, Washington, USA)
5. The Distinction of Public Theology from Political and Liberation Theologies, Gaspar Martinez (Facultad de Teología de Vitoria, Spain)
6. Public Theology as Apologetics, Elaine Graham (University of Chester, UK)
Part 2 The Ecumenical Scope of Public Theology
7. The Legacy of Theological Liberalism: A Ghost in Public Theology, Ulrich Schmiedel (The University of Edinburgh, UK)
8. Public Theology in the Catholic Tradition, Katie Dunne (National University of Ireland, Ireland)
9. A Public Orthodox Theology, Aristotle Papanikolaou (Fordham University, USA)
10. Post-Liberal Positions in Public Theology, Ben Fulford (University of Chester, UK)
11. Ecumenical Collaboration in Public Theology, Florian Höhne (Humboldt University Berlin, Germany)
12. Relations to Other Religions, Manfred Pirner (Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany)
Part 3 Theological Tenets in Public Theology
13. Public Theology and (Social) Ethics, Hak Joon Lee (Fuller Theological Seminary, USA)
14. Public Theology and the Doctrine of God, Anne Siebesma (Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands)
15. A Black Soteriological Dialogue With Public Theology, Reggie Nel (Stellenbosch University, South Africa)
16. Public Theology and Ecclesiology, Al Barrett (The Queens Foundation Birmingham, UK)
17. Liturgy and Public Theology, Catherine Pickstock (University of Cambridge, UK)
18. Public Eschatology: Seeking Hope in a World of Dispair, Mary Doak (University of San Diego, USA)
Part 4 Challenges for Public Theology
19. Politics, Amy Daughton (University of Birmingham, UK)
20. Race, Gender, and Public Theology, Brian Bantum (Seattle Pacific University, USA)
21. Public Theology and Culture, Graeme Smith (University of Chichester, UK)
22. Economics, Devin Singh (Dartmouth College, USA)
23. Ecological Theology as Public Theology, Hilda Koster (University of Toronto, Canada)
24. Challenges for Public Theology: Sports, Dries Vanysacker (KU Leuven, Belgium)
Part 5 The International Scope of Public Theology
25. Africa, Dion Forster (Stellenbosch University, South Africa)
26. Public Theology in Asia, Alexander Chow (University of Edinburgh, UK)
27. Public Theology in Australia, Robert Gascoigne (Catholic University of Australia, Australia)
28. Public Theology in Europe: Towards a Performative-Political Approach, Martin Kirschner (Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Germany)
29. Public Theology in North America: Commonality Amid Plurality, Nicholas Hayes-Mota (Boston College, USA)
30. Public Theology in Latin America, Eneida Jacobsen (Villanova University, USA)
List of Contributors
Index
About the Author :
Christoph Hübenthal is Professor of Systematic Theology and Director of the Center for Catholic Studies at Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Christiane Alpers is Research and Teaching Fellow at the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Germany.
Review :
This is a handbook that, with high intellectual sophistication and high sensitivity toward concrete contemporary challenges, both serves as a primer for the state of the art of public theology in the Global North and as indicator of a highly dynamic debate that is ongoing and growing.
Public theology is a model of theology that emphasizes the communicability between faith and reason. This Handbook paves the way for a new discussion, providing new argumentations and topics. Situating public theology in different traditions and debates, the Handbook is much more than a collection of essays. Its goal is to show how Christian theology may defend modernity against its theological as well as its secular enemies. It engages in theoretical reflections, recounts the complicated history of the concept, and opens the discussion to new ecumenical approaches. It emphasizes the inherent relationship of public theology with ethical questions, especially freedom, justice, and solidarity. This Handbook is a great success, and it could not be timelier.
I highly recommend this book to readers who, like me, are novices in the now burgeoning field of public theology. The chapters are so well-researched that they serve as proxy literature reviews for newcomers.
