Revd Dr John Reader has been both a parish priest and theological author and educator over the past 30 years. Recent books include: Blurred Encounters; Reconstructing Practical Theology; Entering the New Theological Space, co-edited with Christopher R. Baker; Christianity and the New Social Order, with John Atherton and Christopher Baker; Theological Reflection for Human Flourishing, written with Helen Cameron, Victoria Slater and Chris Rowland; and Heterotopia, written with Caroline Baillie and Jens Kabo. Thomas A. James is pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Southfield, Michigan. He holds a PhD from Union Presbyterian Seminary, and is author of In Face of Reality: The Constructive Theology of Gordon D. Kaufman and several articles in Political Theology, Zygon, The American Journal of Theology and Philosophy, and The Bulletin of the North American Paul Tillich Society. He served as Assistant Professor of Theology at Union Presbyterian Seminary from 2008 through 2012. Professor Christopher Baker is William Temple Professor of Religion and Public Life at the University of Chester and Director of Research for the William Temple Foundation. He has written and co-edited eight books and 30 book chapters and journal articles exploring the relationship between religion and urbanisation, the role of religion in public policy and social welfare, and the role of religion in civil society and the reshaping of church within the urban environment. Publications include: The Hybrid Church in the City; Postsecular Cities, edited with Justin Beaumont; and Christianity and the New Social Order, written with John Atherton and John Reader.

• Contents: Introduction: A philosophy of Christian materialism - entangled fidelities and the public good; Relational Christian realism - the what and the why; Philosophy and Material practice: Deleuze, Latour, Badiou; Engaging the theological I: God; Engaging the theological II: creation, the human, and redemption; Practices in Christian materialism and relational Christian realism: urban community empowerment; Education and relational Christian realism; Entangled fidelities and environmental issues; Christian materialism and the contours of a new political imagination; Bibliography; Index.

’The last decade has seen the emergence of new theological and political space within the public sphere for those who look for it. Possibilities for a positive politics for the good of the multitude within the fullness of the cosmos are now appearing. But these urgently require tools for deep philosophical excavation via which genuinely new ways of being beyond the barren confines of secularism can be uncovered and made available for daily life. Recognising the limitations of other complementary approaches, such as the post-materialism of radical orthodoxy, the authors of this challenging book draw on new directions in continental philosophy to reforge a contemporary Christian materialism. In so doing they provide significant new theoretical tools to add to our capacity to meet the post-secular opportunity.’ Roger Haydon Mitchell, Lancaster University, UK ’A Philosophy of Christian Materialism is a fresh approach to Christian theology, freed from the confining strictures of Radical Orthodoxy. The materialism of Relational Christian Realism integrates the most cutting-edge theory with concrete religious practices in a transformative way. Baker, James, and Reader open up new vistas for religion, politics and ecology in our entangled world today. Read and be regenerated.’ Clayton Crockett, University of Central Arkansas, USA ’... [A] timely and thought-provoking [volume of] essays.’ Church Times

Revd Dr John Reader has been both a parish priest and theological author and educator over the past 30 years. Recent books include: Blurred Encounters; Reconstructing Practical Theology; Entering the New Theological Space, co-edited with Christopher R. Baker; Christianity and the New Social Order, with John Atherton and Christopher Baker; Theological Reflection for Human Flourishing, written with Helen Cameron, Victoria Slater and Chris Rowland; and Heterotopia, written with Caroline Baillie and Jens Kabo. Thomas A. James is pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Southfield, Michigan. He holds a PhD from Union Presbyterian Seminary, and is author of In Face of Reality: The Constructive Theology of Gordon D. Kaufman and several articles in Political Theology, Zygon, The American Journal of Theology and Philosophy, and The Bulletin of the North American Paul Tillich Society. He served as Assistant Professor of Theology at Union Presbyterian Seminary from 2008 through 2012. Professor Christopher Baker is William Temple Professor of Religion and Public Life at the University of Chester and Director of Research for the William Temple Foundation. He has written and co-edited eight books and 30 book chapters and journal articles exploring the relationship between religion and urbanisation, the role of religion in public policy and social welfare, and the role of religion in civil society and the reshaping of church within the urban environment. Publications include: The Hybrid Church in the City; Postsecular Cities, edited with Justin Beaumont; and Christianity and the New Social Order, written with John Atherton and John Reader.

• Contents: Introduction: A philosophy of Christian materialism - entangled fidelities and the public good; Relational Christian realism - the what and the why; Philosophy and Material practice: Deleuze, Latour, Badiou; Engaging the theological I: God; Engaging the theological II: creation, the human, and redemption; Practices in Christian materialism and relational Christian realism: urban community empowerment; Education and relational Christian realism; Entangled fidelities and environmental issues; Christian materialism and the contours of a new political imagination; Bibliography; Index.

’The last decade has seen the emergence of new theological and political space within the public sphere for those who look for it. Possibilities for a positive politics for the good of the multitude within the fullness of the cosmos are now appearing. But these urgently require tools for deep philosophical excavation via which genuinely new ways of being beyond the barren confines of secularism can be uncovered and made available for daily life. Recognising the limitations of other complementary approaches, such as the post-materialism of radical orthodoxy, the authors of this challenging book draw on new directions in continental philosophy to reforge a contemporary Christian materialism. In so doing they provide significant new theoretical tools to add to our capacity to meet the post-secular opportunity.’ Roger Haydon Mitchell, Lancaster University, UK ’A Philosophy of Christian Materialism is a fresh approach to Christian theology, freed from the confining strictures of Radical Orthodoxy. The materialism of Relational Christian Realism integrates the most cutting-edge theory with concrete religious practices in a transformative way. Baker, James, and Reader open up new vistas for religion, politics and ecology in our entangled world today. Read and be regenerated.’ Clayton Crockett, University of Central Arkansas, USA ’... [A] timely and thought-provoking [volume of] essays.’ Church Times

Revd Dr John Reader has been both a parish priest and theological author and educator over the past 30 years. Recent books include: Blurred Encounters; Reconstructing Practical Theology; Entering the New Theological Space, co-edited with Christopher R. Baker; Christianity and the New Social Order, with John Atherton and Christopher Baker; Theological Reflection for Human Flourishing, written with Helen Cameron, Victoria Slater and Chris Rowland; and Heterotopia, written with Caroline Baillie and Jens Kabo. Thomas A. James is pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Southfield, Michigan. He holds a PhD from Union Presbyterian Seminary, and is author of In Face of Reality: The Constructive Theology of Gordon D. Kaufman and several articles in Political Theology, Zygon, The American Journal of Theology and Philosophy, and The Bulletin of the North American Paul Tillich Society. He served as Assistant Professor of Theology at Union Presbyterian Seminary from 2008 through 2012. Professor Christopher Baker is William Temple Professor of Religion and Public Life at the University of Chester and Director of Research for the William Temple Foundation. He has written and co-edited eight books and 30 book chapters and journal articles exploring the relationship between religion and urbanisation, the role of religion in public policy and social welfare, and the role of religion in civil society and the reshaping of church within the urban environment. Publications include: The Hybrid Church in the City; Postsecular Cities, edited with Justin Beaumont; and Christianity and the New Social Order, written with John Atherton and John Reader.

• Contents: Introduction: A philosophy of Christian materialism - entangled fidelities and the public good; Relational Christian realism - the what and the why; Philosophy and Material practice: Deleuze, Latour, Badiou; Engaging the theological I: God; Engaging the theological II: creation, the human, and redemption; Practices in Christian materialism and relational Christian realism: urban community empowerment; Education and relational Christian realism; Entangled fidelities and environmental issues; Christian materialism and the contours of a new political imagination; Bibliography; Index.

’The last decade has seen the emergence of new theological and political space within the public sphere for those who look for it. Possibilities for a positive politics for the good of the multitude within the fullness of the cosmos are now appearing. But these urgently require tools for deep philosophical excavation via which genuinely new ways of being beyond the barren confines of secularism can be uncovered and made available for daily life. Recognising the limitations of other complementary approaches, such as the post-materialism of radical orthodoxy, the authors of this challenging book draw on new directions in continental philosophy to reforge a contemporary Christian materialism. In so doing they provide significant new theoretical tools to add to our capacity to meet the post-secular opportunity.’ Roger Haydon Mitchell, Lancaster University, UK ’A Philosophy of Christian Materialism is a fresh approach to Christian theology, freed from the confining strictures of Radical Orthodoxy. The materialism of Relational Christian Realism integrates the most cutting-edge theory with concrete religious practices in a transformative way. Baker, James, and Reader open up new vistas for religion, politics and ecology in our entangled world today. Read and be regenerated.’ Clayton Crockett, University of Central Arkansas, USA ’... [A] timely and thought-provoking [volume of] essays.’ Church Times