A Covenantal Imagination
Selected Essays in Christian Social Ethics
Imprint: Resource Publications
This harvest of articles drawn from William Johnson Everett's career of teaching and research on four continents and in a variety of institutions shows the breadth, depth, and diversity of his interests. Like spotlights in the wider field of Christian social ethics, they illuminate the key threads that have held together an emerging tapestry of thought woven around the powerful concept of covenant. Whether lifting up concepts of covenant, federalism, and corporation, the "oikos" of work, family, and faith, the public nature and mission of the church, or the ethical meaning of journey metaphors, his rich and artful style leads us into thinking more deeply about the way our lives are joined in a "covenantal imagination" about a more just and sustainable world.
William Johnson Everett is Professor Emeritus of Christian Social Ethics at Andover Newton Seminary at Yale Divinity School. He holds degrees from Wesleyan University, Yale Divinity School, and Harvard University. He has taught at St. Francis Seminary (Milwaukee), Candler School of Theology, Emory University, and Berea College, as well as in Heidelberg, Bangalore, and Cape Town. His writing encompasses many areas of ethics as well as fiction, poetry, and memoir. He blogs at www.WilliamEverett.com.
"These stimulating essays draw on the central biblical image of covenant to argue that human freedom and social connectedness can be mutually supportive, not opposed. They . . . argue that the covenant that can link us to God and one another sheds ethical light on practical areas ranging from family life . . . to the struggle against racism and pursuit of post-conflict reconciliation. A valuable contribution that can guide our divided society to greater mutual respect and solidarity."
--David Hollenbach, SJ, Georgetown University
"A Covenantal Imagination is a fitting testament to a lifetime's work as a theologian and ethicist. The depth and scope of reflections in this volume demonstrate Everett's commitment to understanding Christian ethics as touching on every dimension of human life . . . . The thread that ties these essays together is Everett's understanding of covenant as the key to the moral framework in which Christian social ethics is done."
--Scott Paeth, DePaul University
"In these essays, Everett traverses an extraordinary array of ethical issues, ranging through the ecological crisis, marriage, family and work, the importance of federalism and reconciliation in political life, and much more. The theological theme of covenant anchors his interpretation of these issues, but Everett's sociological imagination, interwoven with the insightful use of metaphor, symbol, and story, leads the reader at every point to see the world refreshed and anew. An invaluable treasury."
--Jon P. Gunnemann, Candler School of Theology, Emory University, emeritus
Related Titles
