Christ and the Social Orders

Christ and the Social Orders explains Bonhoeffer’s approach to the social orders of secular modernity. The book places it among other twentieth century alternatives, and contrasts it with the ‘orders of creation’ that lent credence to German nationalism. Jon Coutts deftly analyses Bonhoeffer’s counter-construal, tracing its development from his year in Harlem through his theological resistance to his posthumously published Ethics. He highlights how Bonhoeffer’s thought continues to hold promise today, especially as it guides the church not to set itself aloof or above the social orders, but to serve Christ within them in a responsively constructive and way. This is unpacked in chapters that speak not only to the discernment of callings and responsibilities, but to the ramifications of Christian love for the social orders of work, culture, government, church, and home.