In Search of the Common Good

(Hardback)

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This collection focuses on the meaning of the common good and what resources Christian theology, biblical studies, and ethics might contribute to our understanding of it. The rationale for the discussion in the volume is ultimately theological. Whether under the formal rubric of "common good" discourse or not, the meaning of a commitment to community and the duties and claims of the individual related to the community have never been more pressing concerns. We must recognize that the thinking about the common good is intrinsic to the very character of Christian faith and the ethos it invokes. The biblical vision is in a most profound way a vision of the common good. Whether expressed in notions of justice and mercy, the care of the weak, covenantal living, or the new Jerusalem, the meaning of being human and living with the neighbor are so intrinsically bound together that there is no escaping involvement in the search for the common good in our time.

Reviews

-Mention. Theology Digest/ Vol. 52 No. 3/ Fall 2005 -- Theology Digest
"The conversation includes some noteworth convergences...This volume is a delightful invitation not only to overhear the conversation which has already taken place, but to join it."Scottish Journal of Theology, 2009
"Although the common good is among the most fundamental motifs within Christian ethics, the notion is notoriously slippery. This volume makes significant contribution to our understanding of the common good by exploring for our times wide-ranging aspects of socially responsible collective action for the mutual benefit of all... Among the strengths of the volume are its consistently learned, well-documented presentation and the way the authors reach out to a rich variety of dialogue partners, both within and beyond theological circles... a testament to the complexity of the ethical task facing Christians today."- Thomas Massaro, September Vol. 67, no.3 * Theological Studies *
"There are many good things on offer in this well-produced volume, which will provide the student and the pastor with a very effective introduction to the important tradition of common good thinking." -- Michael Northcott, New College, University of Edinburgh * Theology *

Author Bio

Patrick Miller is Professor of Old Testament Theology in the Department of Biblical Studies at Princeton Theological Seminary. Dennis P. McCann is the Alston Professor of Bible and Religion at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, GA. He is the author of Christian Realism and Liberation Theology: Practical Theologies in Creative Conflict (Orbis, 1981) and, along with Max Stackhouse and Shirley Roels, the coauthor of On Moral Business: Classical and Contemporary Resources for Ethics and Economics (Eerdmans, 1995). McCann also served as Executive Director of the Society of Christian Ethics (1996-2001).