The essay offers a sketch of the key theological themes that fueled Christoph Blumhardt's socialist commitments. After outlining Blumhardt's hope for the kingdom of God, Blumhardt's central theological commitment, I offer an assessment of his critique of capitalism as a demonie power that must be resisted in the name of God and for the sake of humanity. The essay then considers Blumhardt's turn to the "poor" or working classes which occurred in many ways as a response to the institutional and theological failure of the church in the face of capitalism. After a brief consideration of Blumhardt's universalism, which guided his commitment to socialist internationalism. As we move through each theme I endeavor to point out those places where connections to socialist conceptions and expectations can be found, but also to highlight those places where Blumhardt expresses a certain independence vis-a-vis the socialist party. What emerges is a complex and original political theology, whose aim is the flourishing of human community. By way of a conclusion, I offer some thoughts on how Blumhardt's commitment to solidarity with the oppressed can speak today with a brief consideration of the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States.

Enthalten in:
Zeitschrift für Evangelische Ethik; 2017/4 Kommentare, Studien, Berichte, Dokumentationen, Diskussionen, Rezensionen, Bibliographie (2017)

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Serie / Reihe: Zeitschrift für Evangelische Ethik

Personen: Collins Winn, Christian T.

Schlagwörter: Eschatologie Volkswirtschaft Blumhardt, Christoph