by: Miroslav Volf

• Format

  Hardcover

  ISBN

  9781587432989

  Dimensions

  5.5 x 8.5

  Pub. Date

  Jul 2011

  SRP

  $21.99

  Carton Quantity

  48

  Number of pages

  192

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• Format

  Paperback

  ISBN

  9781587433436

  Dimensions

  5.5 x 8.5

  Pub. Date

  Apr 2013

  SRP

  $17.99

  Carton Quantity

  64

  Number of pages

  192

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• Format

  E-Book

  ISBN

  9781441232076

  Pub. Date

  Aug 2011

  SRP

  $17.99

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About

Scroll down for more video from Miroslav Volf.

While Volf argues that there is no single way Christian faith relates to culture as a whole, he explores major issues on the frontlines of faith today: 1) In what way does the Christian faith come to malfunction in the contemporary world, and how should we counter these malfunctions? 2) What should a Christian's main concern be when it comes to living well in the world today? and 3) How should we go about realizing a vision for human flourishing in relation to other faiths and under the roof of a single state?

Covering such timely issues as witness in a multifaith society and political engagement in a pluralistic world, this compelling book highlights things Christians can do to serve the common good. 

Endorsements

"Our efforts as people of faith to bring our religious convictions into the public arena have clearly malfunctioned in recent years, but Miroslav Volf does not want us to retreat to a 'private faith' mentality. Instead he offers profound counsel about how faith-based public advocacy can promote the common good in our increasingly pluralistic world. This important book is packed with wisdom!"

Richard J. Mouw, president and professor of Christian philosophy, Fuller Theological Seminary

"Why should Christians use the resources of their faith to speak to and serve the common good rather than reducing the faith to a message that soothes individuals or energizes them to pursue success? And how can they do that without coercing those who are not Christians? In A Public Faith, Miroslav Volf sets for himself the daunting task of addressing these two deep and urgent questions in a way that is both widely accessible and takes account of the scholarly literature. He succeeds on all counts. It is a wonderful guide for the perplexed in our times."

Nicholas Wolterstorff, Noah Porter Professor of Philosophical Theology, Yale University; senior fellow, Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture, University of Virginia

"Firmly rooted within his own tradition of Christianity, Miroslav Volf has produced an indispensable guide for voices of faith within the arena of public discourse. A Public Faith is arguably the most important book on the topic since H. Richard Niebuhr's Christ and Culture."

Randall Balmer, professor of American religious history, Columbia University

Reviews

Named One of the Top 100 Books and One of the Top 10 Religion Books of 2011 by Publishers Weekly

2012 Nautilus Silver Book Award Winner
2011 Book of the Year Award, Foreword Magazine
Named a "Best Book of 2011" by Englewood Review of Books

"With a goal of generating hope for Christian communities in today's pluralistic world, Volf encourages Christians to share and receive gifts of spiritual wisdom, to speak truth in their distinct religious voice, and to live generously with people of other faiths. This insightful exploration of how Christians may faithfully engage today's political and pluralistic culture provides accessible, wise guidance for people of all faiths."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Volf puts his finger on one of the most relevant and hotly contested subjects in our world today--the role of faith in public life. . . . When people start taking their faith commitments and living them publicly in a pluralistic world they are bound to encounter others who, equally convicted, are living out their faith. This is at the root of so much violence in our world. For Christians however, Volf is adamant that our role is not accommodation to the culture (idle faith) or the total transformation of the culture (coercive faith), but creative engagement with the world. . . . This book will be an invaluable resource to Christian communities who are working out for themselves what this creative engagement with the world looks like in their context."--Ryan J. Bell, Huffington Post

"[Volf] is one of the most well-respected modern theologians to address the issue of religion and politics in a fairly systematic way. His contribution in A Public Faith is highly original. As someone who has read widely in the area of religion and politics, I found the book learned, interesting, and creative. It is written accessibly and will interest laypersons and scholars alike. The book deserves a wide audience and is one that will affect its readers well after they have turned the final page."--Hunter Baker, Christianity Today (5-star review)

"Volf has become a major voice in world-wide Christian theology, respected by scholars, leaders, and readers of his many books from across the broad spectrum of faith. . . . Volf draws insights from important Muslim and Jewish scholars and ponders how the Christian faith has often 'malfunctioned' in the public sphere and how we might serve the common good, as followers of Christ, in our religiously pluralistic context. Very insightful."--Byron Borger, Capital Commentary (Center for Public Justice)

"Reviewers typically do one or more of five things: they point out where, in their judgment, the author is confused or mistaken; they explain difficult passages; they elaborate some point that they think the author treated too briefly or superficially; they posit that something the author did not discuss should have been discussed; or they talk about something other than the book. Yet nothing that Volf says seems to me confused or mistaken. There are no difficult passages that call for elucidation; the writing is lucid throughout. . . . The discussion throughout is at just the right depth and extent for the purposes at hand. There is no gap in the discussion that calls to be filled. And the book is too important to justify changing the subject. . . . Volf has a gift for asking the right questions and for introducing helpful categories, and . . . he is never satisfied with simplistic answers to his questions. . . . Volf describes his book as 'a sketch of an alternative to totalitarian saturation of public life with a single religion as well as to secular exclusion of all religions from public life.' It's a guide for the perplexed who seek to live in the open space between those two unacceptable alternatives."--Nicholas Wolterstorff, Comment

"Volf offers an important argument for how difference and disagreement in public, including those of an 'engaged faith,' can be productive for our democratic politics."--Kenneth Sheppard, Patrol magazine

"If there is any one theologian writing today that may deserve to be considered a true public intellectual it would be . . . Miroslav Volf. . . . Volf writes passionately about some of the themes raised by Neuhaus, however it is clearly a twenty-first century book. It is global, and it is attentive to a variety of religions. [It] is less a response to the hegemony of the secularists . . . [and more] a reflection on how to be faithful to Christ in a pluralizing world of huge diversity, ideological and religious. . . . If Neuhaus' Naked Public Square was the right book for the right time a generation ago, Volf may have written that book for us today. This is the right book for the right time, urgent, clear-headed, insightful, and good. We can be grateful for his wide vision, his deep concerns, and his graceful desires to see Christ honored in the public square in ways that are humble, tolerant, and just."--Byron Borger, Q Ideas blog

"[Volf] is one of the best theological interpreters of America's current social, religious, and political landscape. . . . He's that rare breed of scholar-writer who can popularize erudite theology without diminishing its scope or masking its subtleties. . . . A Public Faith will make for interesting reading. . . . As candidates and their partisan backers exploit religious language for political gain, Volf has provided the conceptual and linguistic tools for changing the terms of a tired debate."--Debra Dean Murphy, Englewood Review of Books

"This accessible political theology should be viewed as a significant revision of Richard Mouw's Pluralisms and Horizons. Moreover, it is not inconsequential that Volf constructs much of his proposal employing David Ford's compelling model of Scriptural Reasoning and Nicholas Wolterstorff's Christian philosophy, which wholeheartedly subscribes to a political pluralism. Read behind this whole text, once again, is Volf's personal history and struggle against the political coerciveness of communist Yugoslavia and the genocide that took place between Christians and Muslims from Serbia, Bosnia, and his native Croatia. A worthy read!"--Stuart Weir, Themelios

"At once erudite and accessible, Volf explores the place and role of religion, Christianity in particular, in public life. . . . He wrestles with many of the most vexing contemporary questions, such as the alleged link between faith and violence."--Anthony B. Robinson, Christian Century

"[This] gifted Christian theologian answers a pressing question in a pluralistic culture, arguing that nonexclusionary theological truth is not only possible but also socially healthy."--Publishers Weekly

"In any election year, debates rage about the role of religion in public life. This excellent volume should be required reading for all candidates running for public office, among others. . . . Excellent notes and index. . . . Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through researchers/faculty; general readers."--G. H. Shriver, Choice

"This is quite simply the right book at the right time by a well-respected Yale theologian who draws on some of the best writers among . . . mainline Protestant, evangelical, Catholic, and Orthodox thinkers, helping us navigate the complex cultural setting of pluralism, resentments about fundamentalisms, theological violence, and--still, at least until people read this book--a quietism that suggests we needn't think much about pubic life. . . . This is serious, nuanced, [and] evangelical in the best sense. . . . Give this to anybody you know who is active in activism or public discourse."--Byron Borger, heartsandmindsbooks.com

"Volf is one of the more popular theologians working today and these lectures wonderfully capture the need to be involved in faithful Christian witness even as we recognize the quandaries of pluralism. Highly recommended."--Byron Borger, Hearts & Minds blog

"[An] important [book] on contemporary Christianity in the public square. [It] sets out a refreshing way forward within our changing cultural contexts. . . . Miroslav Volf is characteristically radical, but inclusive, clear, and concise."--Michael Doe, Church Times

"Volf's irenic expression of the role of Christian faith in public life is a breath of fresh air in the midst of the foul winds of today's culture wars. . . . Volf's book is thought-provoking and insightful. In defending his case for an 'engaged faith,' he carefully probes the models available and steers a middle path between secularism and theocracy. Both of these extreme sides in today's culture will benefit from reading this fine little book."--Kurt Peterson, Covenant Companion

"Volf reminds us that Christian faith is public and that part of the mandate of our public faith is to serve the common good. Can we resist coerciveness and work for our neighbor's flourishing? Can we stay true to our unique identity while also listening well to others? The gospel requires it, and our culture is desperate for it. Volf offers good wisdom for our times."--Winn Collier, Religious Herald

"At the root of Christian faith, argues Volf, is a view of human flourishing that is diametrically opposed to desire satisfaction. Neo-liberalism has convinced us that satisfying personal desires is what matters most, but Christian satisfaction is found in first seeking the common good. This is his strongest argument. Volf deftly massages in quotes by Nietzsche, Marx, Max Weber, Doris Lessing, and Charles Taylor. He shows in his own writing how to be open to discussion, how to set up strong boundaries and identity, and how to engage the world by sharing wisdom, love, and forgiveness. In so doing, he models the openness that is often lacking in atheist critics of religious faith. . . . How can you square away the countless atrocities done in Christ's name? It makes you wonder, does faith even matter apart from your private world? Miroslav Volf responds with a resounding 'Yes.'"--Andrew Siebert, Geez Magazine

"A fresh vision of how religious people may live publicly with both faithfulness to their traditions and respect for religious others. . . . A Public Faith presents another nuance on the ever-developing study of 'Christ and culture.' This area of inquiry has recently produced both pastoral . . . and technical works. . . . Volf succeeds in achieving a balance between the two, making A Public Faith appropriate for scholar and student, pastor and parishioner alike."--M. Caleb Murphree, Trinity Journal

"[A] superb book. . . . Volf offers helpful insight into Christian identity in a pluralistic world and outlines ways Christians can share their wisdom. The questions Volf addresses in this wise book puzzle pastors, parishioners, and the public. He is particularly adept at poking holes in popular but overly simplistic solutions to the question of religion and public life. Though it is much more than this, the book may be read as a sort of apologetic directed at those who dismiss religion as the problem. Pastors will find it an encouraging, illuminating, and helpful resource for preaching. The clarity of Volf's writing and the accessibility of his thought recommend it for a lay book study or Sunday School class. Theologians, ethicists, and anyone who struggles with questions of religion and public life will find this an excellent statement of why and how Christians ought to be working to mend the world."--Raymond R. Roberts, Interpretation