A Theology of Political Vocation: Christian Life and Public Office

Power, money, endless competition. A zero-sum game. Politics as usual. Only the hearty or craven need apply. The political actors have lost sight of the politics of a common good.

A Theology of Political Vocation takes up the question of public life precisely where most discussions end. Proving that moral ambiguity does not exclude moral possibility, author John Senior crafts a theology of political vocation not satisfied simply by theologies of sin and grace and philosophical theories of power. For Senior, political theology moves beyond merely staking a claim within a public conversation, a move that prizes discursive skills and aims at consensus concerning shared norms and values. Political theology must offer an account of a political vocation.

Senior connects political deliberation to moral judgment, explores use and consequence of power, analyzes political conflict and competition, and limns the ethics of negotiation and compromise. In light of this richer understanding of political vocation, Senior develops theological resources appropriate to a variety of ecologies--ordinary citizens, political activists, and elected officials. A Theology of Political Vocation shows how Christian politicians can work faithfully within the moral ambiguity of political life to orient their work--and indeed, their very selves--toward the common good.

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A Theology of Political Vocation: Christian Life and Public Office

Power, money, endless competition. A zero-sum game. Politics as usual. Only the hearty or craven need apply. The political actors have lost sight of the politics of a common good.

A Theology of Political Vocation takes up the question of public life precisely where most discussions end. Proving that moral ambiguity does not exclude moral possibility, author John Senior crafts a theology of political vocation not satisfied simply by theologies of sin and grace and philosophical theories of power. For Senior, political theology moves beyond merely staking a claim within a public conversation, a move that prizes discursive skills and aims at consensus concerning shared norms and values. Political theology must offer an account of a political vocation.

Senior connects political deliberation to moral judgment, explores use and consequence of power, analyzes political conflict and competition, and limns the ethics of negotiation and compromise. In light of this richer understanding of political vocation, Senior develops theological resources appropriate to a variety of ecologies--ordinary citizens, political activists, and elected officials. A Theology of Political Vocation shows how Christian politicians can work faithfully within the moral ambiguity of political life to orient their work--and indeed, their very selves--toward the common good.

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A Theology of Political Vocation: Christian Life and Public Office

A Theology of Political Vocation: Christian Life and Public Office

by John E. Senior
A Theology of Political Vocation: Christian Life and Public Office

A Theology of Political Vocation: Christian Life and Public Office

by John E. Senior

eBook

$54.99 

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Overview

Power, money, endless competition. A zero-sum game. Politics as usual. Only the hearty or craven need apply. The political actors have lost sight of the politics of a common good.

A Theology of Political Vocation takes up the question of public life precisely where most discussions end. Proving that moral ambiguity does not exclude moral possibility, author John Senior crafts a theology of political vocation not satisfied simply by theologies of sin and grace and philosophical theories of power. For Senior, political theology moves beyond merely staking a claim within a public conversation, a move that prizes discursive skills and aims at consensus concerning shared norms and values. Political theology must offer an account of a political vocation.

Senior connects political deliberation to moral judgment, explores use and consequence of power, analyzes political conflict and competition, and limns the ethics of negotiation and compromise. In light of this richer understanding of political vocation, Senior develops theological resources appropriate to a variety of ecologies--ordinary citizens, political activists, and elected officials. A Theology of Political Vocation shows how Christian politicians can work faithfully within the moral ambiguity of political life to orient their work--and indeed, their very selves--toward the common good.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781481304603
Publisher: Baylor University Press
Publication date: 09/15/2015
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 234
File size: 517 KB

About the Author

John E. Senior is Assistant Teaching Professor of Ethics and Society and Director of the Art of Ministry Program at Wake Forest University School of Divinity.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction: Statecraft in a Machiavellian Age
1. What Is a Political Vocation?
2. Responsibility and Representation
3. Vocation and Formation in Political Space
4. The Moral Ambiguity of Political Space
5. The Journey of Political Vocation
6. The Project of Political Vocation
7. Irony as a Political Virtue
8. Good Political Competition
Conclusion: The Possibility of Political Vocation

What People are Saying About This

Mark Douglas

During a time when the doctrine of vocation is looked upon with suspicion and politics with cynicism, John Senior has crafted a wonderful book that is a thoughtful exploration of vocation and a compelling view of politics. In a lucid and disciplined way, he brings vocation and politics together, not by elevating them beyond belief, but by crafting a theological defense of the unavoidable moral ambiguity of both. He thereby shapes an argument for the operational benefits and moral significance of treating politics as vocation.

Ted A. Smith

Christians involved in many kinds of politics will find a vision within that can guide and sustain them in their work. Learned, charitable, hopeful, and firmly grounded in the world, Senior’s book gives a model of the virtues to which it calls us.

Robert Benne

Drawing upon a vast array of ancient to contemporary authors, Senior constructs a foundational theological perspective on politics as a vocation. Systematically moving through every facet of political life, he offers great insight into what it might mean to be a politician who is at the same time Christian.

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