Prophetic Realism: Beyond Militarism and Pacifism in an Age of Terror

(Paperback)

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After September 11, 2001, ordinary citizens faced a new world ruled by political and religious machinations against the threat of terrorism. While political leaders pursued a policy of militarism, many religious leaders advocated pacificism. Ronald H. Stone advocates a middle road between these two extremes, what he calls prophetic realism. Taking up Reinhold Niebuhr's notion of Christian realism, Stone argues that our current situation calls for hard answers to hard questions. Our foreign policy must account for the realistic threat of terrorism while at the same time understanding the religious roots of such activities and our response to them. As Stone contends, militarism simply demonizes the enemy while pacifism fails to grasp the real evil nature of the enemy. Stone calls for a prophetic stance that calls into question the shortcomings of our current international policy and our views of terrorism and terrorist states. Stone offers compelling evidence that Jesus provides the prophetic model of our interaction with our enemies. This book will change people's minds about the relationship of religion and politics in the contemporary world.

Reviews

"...Stone's interdisciplinary book makes an important contribution to current debates in theological ethics and international politics...Stone's project helps illuminate the challenges that American policies have obviated or neglected and would benefit specialists as well as upper-level undergraduate and graduate students." Jonathan Rothchild, Journal of Religion, July 2007 -- Jonathan Rothchild
"The great strength of this book is the clarity author Ronald Stone brings to the meaning, history, and theological importance of the tradition of prophetic realism. "Jeffrey W. Robbins, Journal of Church and State, April 10, 2008 -- Jeffrey W. Robbins
Reviewed in Evangelical Review of Society and Politics.
"Stone's book is an excellent source for the history of the relatioship between American secular politics and theology over the last one hundred years. To the European reader, it is exciting to see ways in which theology can coherently and successfully engage withpolitics in the public sphere" International Journal & Public Theology -- Liam Waldrom, University of Aberdeen, UK
Reviewed in Religious Studies Review, Vol. 36, No. 2, June 2010 (UK) His thesis is clearly and passionately argued, an example of applied religious ethics ... this book is accessible to clergy, laypersons and scholars alike.'
Ronald Stone is that rare intellectual who is at home in the discussions both of Christian theology and of international relations. This book, with its persistent interaction between the two realms, is a double challenge: to churches who are often nave and dogmatic in moral judgments about world affairs, and to those politicians and political scientists who ignore the ethical meaning of their judgments. It is particularly relevant in the post 9/11 era, when many past certainties are insecure. -Roger L. Shinn, Reinhold Niebuhr professor emeritus of social ethics, Union Theological Seminary, New York -- Roger L. Shinn * Blurb from reviewer *

Author Bio

Ronald Stone is John Witherspoon Professor Emeritus of Ethics at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.