Engaging variously with the legacy of Paul L. Lehmann, these essays argue for a reorientation in Christian theology that better honours the formative power of the gospel to animate and shape doctrine and witness, as well as ethical and political life.

The authors explore key themes in Christian theology and ethics - forgiveness, discernment, responsibility, spirituality, the present day tasks of theology and the role of faith in public life - making plain the unabated importance of Lehmann's work at this juncture in contemporary theology. The internationally recognized contributors draw crucial connections between the gospel of reconciliation, the form of Christian theology and witness, and the challenges of contemporary ethical and political reflection. This book demonstrates why this close friend of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and author of Ethics in a Christian Context and The Transfiguration of Politics continues to influence generations of theologians in both the English-speaking world and beyond.

Contents: Editors' preface; Introduction: Paul Lehmann – the man and the teacher, Fleming Rutledge; Part I: Paul Lehmann as nurturer of theological discernment, Christopher Morse; The commandments and the common life – reflections on Paul Lehmann's The Decalogue and a Human Future, Nancy J. Duff; The laboratory of the living word – Paul Lehmann on conscience, church, and the politics of God, Barry Harvey. Part II: Creation, redemption and law – toward a Protestant perspective on the question of human law, Philip G. Ziegler; The advantages and limits of irregular and regular dogmatics – political responsibility according to Lehmann and Barth, David E. Demson; 'Where have we been? Where are we going?' – Paul Ramsey, Paul Lehmann, and Karl Barth's doctrine of God, James F. Cubie. Part III: The living word in the living world – Lehmann for preachers, Sally Ann Brown; Koinonia ethics and preaching in South Korea, Eunjoo Mary Kim; Christian ethics in the morning sunrise – living in God's providential space, Michelle J. Bartel; Select bibliography; A Paul L. Lehmann bibliography; Index.

About the Editor: Michelle J. Bartel is Pastor of Trinity United Presbyterian Church in New Washington, Indiana. She holds degrees from Calvin College and Princeton Theological Seminary, including a PhD in theological ethics from the latter. She continues to write in addition to being engaged in ministry. She is the author of What it Means to be Human, a book in the Foundations of Christian Faith series.
Philip G. Ziegler is Lecturer is Systematic Theology at the University of Aberdeen. He holds degrees from the University of St. Michael's College, Regis College and a ThD in systematic theology from Victoria University and the University of Toronto. He is the author of articles in Christian doctrine, historical theology and theological ethics, and recently published a book entitled Doing Theology When God is Forgotten: The Theological Achievement of Wolf Krötke.

Reviews: 'An excellent introduction to a theologian and ethicist whose contribution to the church's witness remains vital and provocative. Paul Lehmann could be and often was both inspiring and mystifying, but he believed that to undertake the task of Christian ethics was to be invited to engage the world in all its politics and economics, all its unbelief and fervent causes, with the story of the God whose salutary work in that world was to "make and keep human life human." What this book of essays makes abundantly clear is the humanity of Lehmann's own witness, a humanity whose clear-eyed hope helped many navigate the path of Christian discipleship in the previous century and promises to offer us help in the face of even more daunting challenges in our own day.'
Thomas W. Currie, Dean, Union-PSCE at Charlotte, USA

There is no better guide for thinking about Christian ethics in our time than Paul Lehmann. His work, as lively and relevant as ever, is often not easy to comprehend. These essays—clear, accessible, and interesting—are the best thing I know to help those who are familiar with Lehmann and those who are not begin to understand and, more importantly, appropriate his thought.
Patrick D. Miller, Professor of Old Testament Theology Emeritus, Princeton Theological Seminary

'Paul Lehmann was an event, unforgettable. I met and heard him in New York and Tübingen and was fascinated. His engaging lectures influenced generations of students. It is very appropriate to remember and actualize his theological ethics in conversations with him. These essays are full of memorable insights. They are indispensable for understanding and appreciating Paul Lehmann.'
Jurgen Moltmann, Professor Emeritus of Systematic Theology, University of Tübingen, Germany

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Full contents list

Introduction

Index