The Goodness of God: Theology, the Church and the Social Order Book

Stephen Long opens his erudite discussion of theology and ethics, The Goodness of God, with the insistence that moral critique must emerge from a particular location, rather than from the fluid values of any "neutral" observer. Long sets out to put theology and ethics-as well as the church-in proper relation to one another. Ethics must be based in theology, not the other way around. Our "finite participation in the infinite make possible participation in a goodness beyond us." That goodness comes to us in the flesh of Jesus Christ, and the church is indispensable in drawing all people toward God's goodness. The church, a social ethic in itself, gives purpose and order to other social institutions, including family, government, and the market. The Goodness of God, intriguing and scholarly, will appeal to theologians, philosophers, economists, ethicists, and those in the social sciences. Philosophically sophisticated and thorough, it could be adopted as a text for seminary, graduate, and upper-level undergraduate theology courses.Read More