Christian Political Witness

'My kingdom is not of this world.' Followers of Jesus have been struggling to understand these words ever since he first uttered them-often in sharply contradictory ways. Today the inescapably political nature of Christian witness is widely recognized. But what is the shape of this witness? What should Christian political engagement look like today?The twelve essays in this volume, originally presented at the 2013 Wheaton Theology Conference, present biblical, historical and theological proposals for thinking responsibly about the intersection of church and state in the contemporary cultural situation. Prophetic and pastoral, this book offers a fresh look at a crucial and contested dimension of the Christian life.Contributors include: - Stanley Hauerwas - Mark Noll - Scot McKnight - Timothy G. Gombis - George Kalantzis - Jana Marguerite Bennett - William T. Cavanaugh - Peter J. Leithart - Daniel M. Bell Jr. - Jennifer M. McBride - David P. Gushee - Bishop David Gitari

George Kalantzis (Ph.D., Northwestern University) is associate professor of theology and director of The Wheaton Center for Early Christian Studies at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. His research and writing interests focus on the dynamic relationship between the written documents and their interpretation in early Christianity, paying particular attention to the development of christological and trinitarian thought, as well as the interplay of classical Greco-Roman and early Christian philosophical understandings of anthropology and biblical hermeneutics. He is the author of Caesar and the Lamb: Early Christian Attitudes on War and Military Service, Theodore of Mopsuestia: Commentary on the Gospel of John, coeditor with Andrew Tooley of Evangelicals and the Early Church: Recovery, Reform, Renewal, with Jeffrey P. Greenman of Life in the Spirit: Spiritual Formation in Theological Perspective and with D. Stephen Long of The Sovereignty of God Debate, as well a numerous articles and essays on Patristic thought. He is currently completing a project on wealth and poverty titled Crumbs From the Table: The Eucharist in the Life of the Church.Before coming to Wheaton College, Kalantzis taught seminary and doctoral students as they were preparing to engage the world and the church. He and his wife share this goal and vision with their Chicago area congregation where they serve in missions, the worship arts programs, and in adult and children's education. Gregory W. Lee (Ph.D., Duke University) is assistant professor of theology at Wheaton College. His academic interests focus on the appropriation of early Christian writers for contemporary theological reflection. His forthcoming book, 'Today When You Hear His Voice': Scripture, the Covenants, and the People of God, explores the dynamics of scriptural authority in Augustine, Calvin and the epistle to the Hebrews. His next major project will focus on Augustine's understanding of ecclesial sin and its implications for church division and the church-world relationship. He and his wife live in the North Lawndale area of Chicago, where they attend Lawndale Christian Community Church.