In Search of the Common Good
Overview
In Search of the Common Good 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. One 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.
With Logos Bible Software, this volume is completely searchable, with passages of Scripture appearing on mouseover, as well as being linked to your favorite Bible translation in your library. This makes this text more powerful and easier to access than ever before for scholarly work or personal Bible study. With the advanced search features of Logos Bible Software, you can perform powerful searches by topic or Scripture reference—finding, for example, every mention of “the common good,” or “community.”
- Introduction by the editors
- Bibliographical references and index
Top Highlights
“The other problem is that, when acted upon consistently, rights discourse inevitably focuses attention upon the institutions of law and politics, which in turn become the privileged arenas of social conflict. Political struggles normally yield both winners and losers. Rarely are they accompanied by sincere gestures of reconciliation, or genuine efforts to heal the wounds that political polarization has inflicted on both sides.” (Pages 6–7)
“It was Augustine who insisted that the highest good is the love of God and that the common good is found in the communion of all persons with one another and with God. This understanding, deeply rooted in the biblical tradition and its notions of covenant, has created a permanent tension between political society and the religious community as the ultimate locus of the common good. More precisely, it has raised the question of how one speaks of the common good in political terms and what is the relation between the body politic and the ekklēsia as harborers and bearers of the common good. Insisting that the good of the polis is not the highest good, Augustine substantially reshaped the understanding of the common good.” (Page 5)
“In various ways, the essays that follow take up that question once more. In some instances they seek to raise the issue of the community generally (Mount). In other cases they deal with the role of the political authority—for good or ill—in the pursuit of the common good (Cavanaugh, Porter, Skillen). Or they explore the necessity of defining the common good in relation to God’s own intentions and the community that is formed in worshipful response to God (Jenson).” (Page 6)
- Title: In Search of the Common Good
- Editors: Patrick Miller and Dennis P. McCann
- Publisher: Continuum International
- Publication Date: 2005
- Pages: 368
Patrick Miller is a 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 and, along with Max Stackhouse and Shirley Roels, the coauthor of On Moral Business: Classical and Contemporary Resources for Ethics and Economics. McCann also served as the executive director of the Society of Christian Ethics (1996-2001).