Public Theology and Political Economy: Christian Stewardship in Modern Society

Christian ethicist Max Stackhouse bridges the gap between theology and political economy, proposing a theologically informed view of modern economic life. He traces the emergence of modern Protestant and Catholic views of the economic order from anti-slavery movements to contemporary ecumenical themes. Stackhouse delineates the failures of socialist liberationist and laissez-faire systems and retrieves the neglected contributions of such figures as Shailer Mathews and Walter Rauschenbusch, while showing the continued relevance of Max Weber’s view of economy and society for Christian ethics. He concludes that Christian stewardship must cultivate and articulate a new public theology that will shape the structures and policies of public life.