"No question has been as persistently nettling as the proper relationship of Christians and the Christian church to political power, and the results have often been calamitous. This classic collection of Christian statements on social ethics, now fully revised and augmented, provides a panoramic view of the 2000-year development of Christian concerns for political justice, peace, civil rights, family law, civil liberties, and other 'worldly' issues. In readings that range from the Bible to church fathers to Bonhoeffer and Pope Benedict XVI, these substantial excerpts enable the student to see the flow of Christian thought and the deeper religious context for addressing today's most pressing problems. George W. Forell's classic book has come to life once again thanks to the outstanding revision and updating by James M. Childs. This book with its impressive breadth, depth, and ecumenical sensitivity provides a unique source for giving students access to the most significant texts in Christian Social Ethics from the Bible to the present day (Charles Curran ; Perkins School of Theology)." -- BACK COVER.