After Charity: Theological Reflections on International Development

International development has risen dramatically up both the political agenda in recent years. As the utopian myth of a global free market underpinned by the relentless spread of liberal democracy perishes in Iraq or is submerged under the floods brought on by climate change, politicians and churches pin more and more of their hopes for the world on international development. Proceeding from the premise that the 'work of political theology is to shed light from the Christian faith upon the intricate challenge of thinking about living in late-modern Western society' (O'Donovan) this book aims to understand the aspirations, purposes and practices of international development from the perspective and commitments of Christian faith. It aims to educate Christians and citizens in the practical reasonableness required for international development, based upon a recovery of traditional practices of charity.

Stephen J. Plant, a Methodist minister, teaches theology and ethics in the Cambridge Theological Federation and in the Cambridge University Faculty of Divinity. He has worked in overseas development and was for six years, Europe Secretary for the Methodist Church. He has published widely on the theology of Dietrich Bonhoeffer (including Bonhoeffer Continuum, 2004), and is co-editor of the International Bonhoeffer Colloquium series, published by Peter Lang. His most recent book is The SPCK introduction to Simone Weil (SPCK, November 2007). He is a regular contributor to The Times and has written widely for several church newspapers. In 2001 he was a visiting lecturer at Davuilevu Theological College in Fiji, and in 2002 was the Shann Lecturer at St John’s College, University of Hong Kong.