Social Ethics Making - by Gary Dorrien (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

In the early 1880s, proponents of what came to be called "the social gospel" founded what is now known as social ethics. This ambitious and magisterial book describes the tradition of social ethics: one that began with the distinctly modern idea that Christianity has a social-ethical mission to transform the structures of society in the direction of social justice.

• Charts the story of social ethics - the idea that Christianity has a social-ethical mission to transform society - from its roots in the nineteenth century through to the present day
• Discusses and analyzes how different traditions of social ethics evolved in the realms of the academy, church, and general public
• Looks at the wide variety of individuals who have been prominent exponents of social ethics from academics and self-styled "public intellectuals" through to pastors and activists
• Set to become the definitive reference guide to the history and development of social ethics
• Recipient of a CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title for 2009 award

From the Back Cover

In the early 1880s, proponents of what came to be called "the social gospel" founded what is now known as social ethics. This ambitious and magisterial book describes the tradition of social ethics: one that began with the distinctly modern idea that Christianity has a social-ethical mission to transform the structures of society in the direction of social justice.

This book describes the founding and development of social ethics as a discourse in the realms of the academy, church, and general public. It analyzes the three major traditions of social ethics, explains their revisions and offshoots, interprets evangelical and neoconservative alternatives, and delineates the various confessional and cultural standpoints from which religious thinkers have construed the social meaning of Christianity. Almost from the beginning, "social ethics" named a specific academic field and a way of thinking about Christian ethics that transcended the academy. Dorrien pays attention to both meanings, bringing together prominent academic voices and important exponents of social Christianity, including pastors, movement activists, and self-styled "public intellectuals".

Engagingly written by one of the field's leading figures, this book is set to become the definitive reference guide to the history and development of social ethics.

Review Quotes

"A masterful, careful, and encyclopedic history of Christian social ethics--from the social gospel to Christian realism to liberationist theologies and beyond. It is simply the definitive history of Christian social ethics in the US--a must-read for scholars, students, and practitioners alike." (Choice)

"In this magnificent, sprawling and monumental book, Gary Dorrien maps the origins and development of Christian social ethics in the U.S. by making an insightful analysis of its three major traditions and numerous alternatives.

Social Ethics in the Making will soon be recognized as a classic. It is a captivating, expertly written and exhaustively researched pilgrimage through the changing landscape of Christian social ethics." (The Christian Century)

About the Author

Gary Dorrien is the Reinhard Niebuhr Professor of Social Ethics at Union Theological Seminary and Professor of Religion at Columbia University. He is the author of 14 books and over 200 articles that range across the fields of ethics, social theory, theology, philosophy, politics, and history.