Caesar's Coin Revisited: Christians and the Limits of Government"Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's," said Jesus, "and to God the things that are God's." What does this mean in a time and place drastically different from first-century Palestine? As more and more Christians from differing traditions exercise power in the political arena, what theological principles should shape their views of the role of government? Protestant and Catholic scholars of diverse views debate these questions in Caesar's Coin Revisited. From his provocative analysis of the "Caesar's coin" biblical passage (Mark 12:13-17), Luis E. Lugo concludes that while Christians should fulfill appropriate demands of citizenship, they must always remember that governmental authority lies within the all-encompassing sphere of God's authority. Jean Bethke Elshtain argues that because the very nature of "Caesar" has changed in our modern world, we must rethink the "things" that are his. She enhances her insights with an engaging examination of theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer's resistance to the Nazis. Kenneth L. Grasso demonstrates that Catholic social thought views the state as having a moral function: to establish social conditions conducive to the common good. He also explores the implications of this social teaching in the economic sphere. Doug Bandow, speaking from a libertarian perspective, points out that Scripture and tradition offer only guidelines, not a blueprint, for godly government. In his view, "social, moral, and economic matters more properly fall to the Church and other private institutions than to the state." Four other scholars - James V. Schall, S.J., Wilfred M. McClay, Max L. Stackhouse, and Glenn Tinder respectively - challenge and affirm these insights in responding essays. Each of the four chapters then ends with a lively discussion in which the eight contributors and a dozen other informed scholars and practitioners exchange views. |
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Contents
Comments | 30 |
Caesar Sovereignty and Bonhoeffer | 45 |
Comments | 64 |
Copyright | |
5 other sections not shown
Common terms and phrases
affirm American argue argument authority become believe Bonhoeffer Caesar called Catholic social thought Christian Church civil claims comes common concept concern constitutional Council create culture demands democratic dignity discussion diversity Doug duty economic Elshtain Ethics example existence fact freedom give God's going groups human idea important individual institutions issues Jesus John justice kind least less liberalism limited live look Lugo man's matters means ment moral nature notion particular Paul person political position possible principle problem promote proper protect question reason recognize relation religious render requires respect responsibility result role rule seems sense simply society sovereign sovereignty suggest talk teaching Testament theory things tradition true truth ultimate understanding University virtue whole
Bibliographic information
| Title | Caesar's Coin Revisited: Christians and the Limits of Government |
| Editor | Michael Cromartie |
| Publisher | Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1996 |
| Original from | the University of Michigan |
| Digitized | Jul 1, 2009 |
| ISBN | 080284202X, 9780802842022 |
| Length | 197 pages |
| Subjects | › Religion / General |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |