The SCM Core Text Christianity and Politics in the Modern Age provides an accessible, account of the main ideas and issues in social and political theology from the mid-nineteenth century to the present day. It examines the most significant contributions from key individuals and church bodies from the period.
The book begins with the advent of Christian Socialism in the UK and goes on to examine the US Social Gospel movement, reformist social theology in the UK (e.g. William Temple), theological realism, Roman Catholic social encyclicals, Liberation Theology and then post-liberal theology.
The book examines the context of each discrete movement, especially the social, economic and political context, and explore how this influenced the development of the particular social and political theologies The author investigates the impact of theological ideas and the statements of official Church bodies on the political life of the time. It will consider the extent to which social and political theology was able to shape contemporary debates and events.
