Oliver O'Donovan is a fellow of the British Academy and professor emeritus of Christian ethics and practical theology at the University of Edinburgh. His books include The Desire of the Nations, The Ways of Judgment, Resurrection and Moral Order, and The Disappearance of Ethics.
Christopher J. Insole
-- in Times Literary Supplement
"The Ways of Judgment is political theology as it used to be done,
and as it should not be attempted at home. In a no-nonsense way, we
are simply told what certain concepts mean, and instructed in what
the proper shape of political order ought to be. All this without
extensive qualification, justification, commentary on the
literature, or academic caution. . . It is meant as a high
compliment to say that The Ways of Judgment is a deeply and
astonishingly unfashionable book. . . A glory of this book is that
everyone -- liberals, conservatives, communitarians, socialists,
libertarians -- will likely be offended by something."Choice
"This rewarding but difficult book makes a significant contribution
to the neglected discipline of political theology.
Recommended."William C. Placher
-- in The Christian Century
"No one should accuse Oliver O'Donovan of tackling easy topics. . .
In rich dialogue with both political thinkers and the Christian
tradition, O'Donovan addresses many of the traditional topics of a
course in political theory: justice, equality, authority,
legitimacy, and so on. . . At every stage, O'Donovan offers
challenging conclusions."Gene Outka
-- Yale University
"In this sequel to his Desire of the Nations, Oliver O'Donovan
displays a wisdom we have come to expect from him. He throws light
on political conceptions from the final vantage point of Christian
convictions resident in the creeds. A powerful, carefully
considered work that unforgettably reconceives how we may live in
late-modern Western society."James V. Schall, S.J.
"Oliver O'Donovan presents us here with a thorough and reflective
book on the essence of politics and its institutions. This is not
merely another political science book, however, but an intellectual
history of the very theological and philosophical ideas out of
which our modern political rhetoric grew, including that system
that sought to understand itself without revelation. Chesterton
once remarked that the very purpose of the mind is ultimately "to
judge; in many ways, O'Donovan rightly says, politics is a
continual act of judgment, an effort to distinguish what is right
from what is wrong. O'Donovan carefully shows us what this means in
the realm of politics and what are its transcendent
implications."The Thomist
"An important and serious work by a mature scholar who asks
questions that are fundamental to any reflective Christian trying
to do right by love of Christ and country."Theological Book
Review
"O'Donovan's writing is elegant, eloquent, and subtle; it is
erudite, yet accessible. . . Every chapter is marked by wisdom,
where a concern for the truth and ideals is tempered by realism and
expression."Commonweal
"If you want to think seriously and hard as a Christian about what
politics is, and if you're exhausted and depressed by the harsh and
shrill station-identification that passes for political discourse
in the imperial America of this new millennium, you should read
this book."Rev. Lord Habgood in Church Times
"A weighty and demanding book that needs and deserves concentrated
attention. It is packed with controversial ideas and sharp
judgments concerning the nature of politics and government."
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