After Charity: Theological Reflections on International Development

International development has risen dramatically up both the political agenda in recent years. As the utopian myth of a global free market underpinned by the relentless spread of liberal democracy perishes in Iraq or is submerged under the floods brought on by climate change, politicians and churches pin more and more of their hopes for the world on international development. Proceeding from the premise that the ‘work of political theology is to shed light from the Christian faith upon the intricate challenge of thinking about living in late-modern Western society’ (O'Donovan) this book aims to understand the aspirations, purposes and practices of international development from the perspective and commitments of Christian faith. It aims to educate Christians and citizens in the practical reasonableness required for international development, based upon a recovery of traditional practices of charity.