Tragedy, Tradition, Transformism

In his original interpretation and critique of Paul Ramsey's ethical thought, D. Stephen Long traces the development of one of the mid-twentieth century's most important and controversial religious social thinkers. Long examines Ramsey's early liberal idealism as well as later influences on his work, including the just war doctrine, Reinhold Niebuhr's realism, H. Richard Niebuhr's historical relativism, Karl Barth's neo-orthodoxy, and Jacques Maritain's integralism. Long overcomes obstacles confronting any Ramsey scholar--such as a theology that cannot be systematized and the complexities of Ramsey's own writing--and lends sharp insight to the philosophical, theological, and moral issues we face today. Scholars of religious ethics and intellectual thought will find this work to be essential reading.

""Paul Ramsey's contribution to twentieth-century Christian ethics in this country was immense, and it deserves attention and careful study. Stephen Long provides just that--offering a thorough account of the development of Ramsey's thought, some little-known information (from the Ramsey papers at Duke) about Ramsey's early years, and the kind of probing theological analysis that Ramsey himself always attempted. This book will help make possible a continued reappropriation of the riches of Ramsey's writings.""
--Gilbert Meilaender, Oberlin College

D. Stephen Long is Professor of Theology at Marquette University. He has published a number of works including The Goodness of God, The Divine Economy, John Wesley's Moral Theology, and Theology and Culture (Cascade Books, 2007).