God Loves Diversity and Justice

Progressive Scholars Speak about Faith, Politics, and the World

Susanne Scholz editor

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Lexington Books

Published:27th Mar '17

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

God Loves Diversity and Justice cover

Both personal and scholarly in tone, this book encourages readers to think theologically, ethically, and politically about the statement that declares: “God loves diversity and justice.” The multi-religious, multi-ethnic, multi-disciplinary, and multi-gendered identities of the eleven contributors and two respondents deepen the conversation. It considers questions such as: Do we affirm or challenge this theological statement? Do we concentrate on “God” in our response or do we interrogate what diversity and justice mean in light of God’s love for diversity and justice? Alternatively, do we prefer to ponder the verb, to love, and consider what it might mean for society if people really believed in a divinity loving diversity and justice? Of course, there are no easy and simple answers whether we consult the Sikh scriptures, the Bible, the Qur’an, the movies, the Declaration of Human Rights, or the transgender movement, but the effort is worthwhile. The result is a serious historical, literary, cultural, and religious discourse that fends against intellectually rigid thought and simplistic belief systems across the religious spectrum. In our world in which so much military unrest and violence, economic inequities, and religious strife prevail, such a conversation nurtures theological, ethical, and political possibilities of inclusion and justice.

Fourteen scholars from a diversity of backgrounds, Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh, white, African-American, Asian, believers and non-believers, struggle with this affirmation about God, love, diversity and justice and all agree that together we must work for a world that affirms diversity with justice. A book well worth pondering. -- Rosemary Radford Ruether, Claremont School of Theology
The title of this collection of provocative essays makes a bold statement, which most of the authors support with arguments from religious texts and skillful critical analysis, while others dispute or regard as beside the point. An underlying question here is the role religion plays in upholding justice and celebrating diversity, toward healing the wounds of our fragmented and ailing global community. Religious believer or not, the reader is challenged to think, and to take a stand for oneself. -- Ruben L.F. Habito, Southern Methodist University

ISBN: 9781498557115

Dimensions: 231mm x 149mm x 18mm

Weight: 376g

248 pages