Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
  1. Home
  2. Books
  3. Christianity and Democracy
  • Cited by 45
Publisher:
Cambridge University Press
Online publication date:
January 2010
Print publication year:
1995
Online ISBN:
9780511627927
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511627927
Subjects:
Politics: General Interest, Religion, Politics and International Relations, Theology
Series:
Cambridge Studies in Ideology and Religion (7)
Information

Book description

The need for global democratisation is now widely recognised, but there is considerable debate about what this means and how it can be achieved. In this important study John de Gruchy examines the historic and contemporary roles of Christianity in the development of democracy. He traces the gestation of modern democracy in medieval Christendom, and then describes the virtual breakdown of the relationship as democracy becomes the polity of modernity. Five twentieth-century case studies - the USA, Nicaragua, sub-Saharan Africa, Germany and South Africa - demonstrate the extent to which ecumenical Christianity has begun to reconnect with democracy and act as its contemporary midwife. De Gruchy argues that democracy needs to rediscover its spiritual heritage, while Christianity needs to develop a theology adequate for its participation in the realisation of a just democratic world order.

Reviews

‘De Gruchy has made an excellent contribution to a burgeoning field of research and a thoughtful offering to churches as they reflect on their future role in democratizing societies.’

Source: Religion and Values in Public Life

‘A contribution of exceptional importance not only for an understanding of the Christian past but, still more, for reshaping its present.’

Adrian Hastings Source: formerly University of Leeds

‘ A lucid and well-argued case for anchoring the vision of democracy in the prophetic vision of a just society ... I commend this book to all and sundry.’

John S. Pobee Source: Chairman of the World Council of Churches, Geneva

Refine List

Actions for selected content:

Select all | Deselect all
  • View selected items
  • Export citations
  • Download PDF (zip)
  • Save to Kindle
  • Save to Dropbox
  • Save to Google Drive

Save Search

You can save your searches here and later view and run them again in "My saved searches".

Please provide a title, maximum of 40 characters.
Cancel
×

Contents

Contents

Metrics

Altmetric attention score

Full text views

Total number of HTML views: 0
Total number of PDF views: 0 *
Loading metrics...

Book summary page views

Total views: 0 *
Loading metrics...

* Views captured on Cambridge Core between #date#. This data will be updated every 24 hours.

Usage data cannot currently be displayed.