CHRISTOPRAXIS
A Theology of Action
"Christopraxis is a signal achievement.
It presents a compelling theology of action that will both guide and challenge Christian engagement in the world today."

Robert Schreiter, Chicago Theological Union
Christian social ethics too often lands in despair. Edmund Arens exploits the nor mative aspects of Jürgen Habermas's philosophy to construct a fresh and positive Christian theology of action. Its centerpiece is the idea of communicative action, with its premise that speech is oriented toward eliciting shared conviction.

After offering clear, concise formulations of Habermas's chief ideas, Arens sketches their application in biblical, systematic, and practical theology. Christopraxis finds its axial point in the gospel portraits of Jesus' own creative, communicative, and critical praxis. Christopraxis redeems some of the promise of critical social theory for theology and situates Christian social ethics in a continuum of humane action oriented toward doing the truth

"We have waited too long for an explicitly biblical and theological theory of action crafted with the critical social theory of the Frankfurt School. With Arens's work, we need wait no longer. His appropriation of Habermas is skillful. And the chapters on Jesus-the heart of the book-are a gift to present readings of the gospels."