136 - Toward a Christian Political Ethics

Toward a Christian Political Ethics
By José Miguez Bonino
Philadelphia, Fortress Press, 1983. 126 pp. $5.95

The author accomplishes with distinction what at first glance seems an impossible task in so short a book: a project of clarifying the nature of the question of a "Christian political ethics," outlining the relevant characteristics of the Latin American historical context from which he speaks, and sketching a basic theological reflection upon the subject.

Having argued lucidly for the "recognition of social analysis as a constitutive moment in theological reflection on politics" (p. 45), Bonino opts for the perspective of the "dialectical stream" within the social sciences, which he finds to correspond most adequately to "an option for solidarity with the poor." His chapters on Latin America are an excellent periodization of the dynamics of "the role of religion and Christianity in shaping, supporting and challenging the various historical projects in Latin American history." The author stands with those who have committed themselves to a project of liberation, and his theological reflections should help and challenge those in the North American church who are willing to open themselves to the power of that project.

Francisco O. Garcia-Treto
Trinity University
San Antonio, Texas.