Article
The Power of Hope in the Work of Justice: Christian Ethics after Despair
Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics
(2020)
Abstract
This essay engages Miguel De La Torre’s proposal to “embrace hopelessness” and argues that Christians should hold on to hope. The author places De La Torre’s argument in conversation with others who have written on hope and hopelessness and excavates two main weaknesses in his argument: first, a definition of hope that does not stand up to a review of the literature on the topic, especially as advocated by scholars from oppressed communities, and, second, a proposal for hopelessness that does not address how it can contribute to sustainable social transformation. The author then defends hope by drawing on the theological labor and lived experience of oppressed people who utilize hope to empower transformative social action.
Disciplines
Publication Date
Spring 2020
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5840/jsce202051823
Citation Information
James McCarty. "The Power of Hope in the Work of Justice: Christian Ethics after Despair" Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics Vol. 40 Iss. 1 (2020) p. 39 - 57 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/james-mccarty/1/