"Human rights, personal liberties, community, aesthetic satisfaction and the environment?"
I wish my friend Carol was here to discuss these things with me.
An excerpt from nevermindthebricolage, a fairly random blog with a keen mind behind it, Barry Taylor.
"Graham Ward's latest book, The Politics of Discipleship: Becoming Postmaterial Citizens, offers up a definition of a post-materialist that came from the work of Ronald Inglehart. Inglehart argued that as people moved out of economic instability their values change (in this thought he is not alone), and that the
contemporary move is towards quality-of-life issues. He names five issues which make up the 'postmaterialist'--human rights, personal liberties, community, aesthetic satisfaction and the environment (this was posited by Inglehart in the 1970s--pretty sharp), with the shift towards these values " it seems a fundamental and profound shift in societal attitudes in process," he wrote. To this postmaterialist position Ward wants to offer a metaphysics and a theology, to deepen the citizenship of the postmaterialist.
I wish my friend Carol was here to discuss these things with me.
"Graham Ward's latest book, The Politics of Discipleship: Becoming Postmaterial Citizens, offers up a definition of a post-materialist that came from the work of Ronald Inglehart. Inglehart argued that as people moved out of economic instability their values change (in this thought he is not alone), and that the
contemporary move is towards quality-of-life issues. He names five issues which make up the 'postmaterialist'--human rights, personal liberties, community, aesthetic satisfaction and the environment (this was posited by Inglehart in the 1970s--pretty sharp), with the shift towards these values " it seems a fundamental and profound shift in societal attitudes in process," he wrote. To this postmaterialist position Ward wants to offer a metaphysics and a theology, to deepen the citizenship of the postmaterialist.He is also arguing that globalization(the environment of postmaterialism) is a religious ideology, like secularism, and one whose roots are Christian. Ward feels that globalization shares an imperialist bent like Christianity, although its version is both different and similar. Essentially what he is trying to do is insert a theological root into postmaterialist values that can help us liberate ourselves from superficial lifestyles and whims of consumerism. Not a bad goal."
. . . and that the contemporary move is towards quality-of-life issues.
He names five issues which make up the 'postmaterialist'--human rights, personal liberties, community, aesthetic satisfaction and the environment ...with the shift towards these values...”
Prodigal Kiwi(s) blog
He names five issues which make up the 'postmaterialist'--human rights, personal liberties, community, aesthetic satisfaction and the environment ...with the shift towards these values...”
Prodigal Kiwi(s) blog"For some time now, Ward has blended orthodox theology, biblical study, and cultural theory with an independent originality. Now he has added politics to this mix. An extremely significant volume."--John Milbank, University of Nottingham
"Graham Ward examines the political side of postmodernism in order to discern the contemporary context of the church and describe the characteristics of a faithful, political discipleship. His study falls neatly into two sections. The first, which is the more theoretical section, considers "the signs of the times." Ward names this section "The World," noting that the church must always frame its vision and mission within its worldly context. In the second section, "The Church," he turns to constructive application, providing an account of the Christian practices of hope that engage the world from within yet always act as messengers of God's kingdom.
"Graham Ward examines the political side of postmodernism in order to discern the contemporary context of the church and describe the characteristics of a faithful, political discipleship. His study falls neatly into two sections. The first, which is the more theoretical section, considers "the signs of the times." Ward names this section "The World," noting that the church must always frame its vision and mission within its worldly context. In the second section, "The Church," he turns to constructive application, providing an account of the Christian practices of hope that engage the world from within yet always act as messengers of God's kingdom.
Ward's study accomplishes two related goals. First, he provides an accessible guide to contemporary postmodernism and its wide-ranging implications. Second, he elaborates a discipleship that informs a faith seeking understanding, which Ward describes as "the substance of the church's political life."
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