Christian Faith, Justice, and a Politics of Mercy: The Benevolent Community [Hardcover]

Christian Faith, Justice, and a Politics of Mercy: The Benevolent Community assumes that the most profound moral conflict today is between two virtuesjustice and mercy. Gilman argues that the two are organically linked through the common experience of compassion. In an unjust world, justice cannot establish itself, but requires, in public as well as private life, projects of merciful benevolence. Mercy alone has the power to subvert patterns of injustice, and mercy and projects of benevolence are tailored to establish and sustain patterns of justice, especially fair economic outcomes. To show this, against Rawls Difference Principle, Gilman argues for a Distribution Principle, which states that social and economic inequalities should be addressed by policies that directly and primarily benefit the least advantaged members of society, while at the same time minimizing burdens and/or maximizing benefits for the most advantaged. Along the way he shows how in the United States benevolence as a public virtue was disestablished along with religion; how it might and should be re-established without re-establishing religion; and how the Christian tradition provides resources for evolving morally from a liberal, procedural practice of justice to one that embraces egalitarian, economic justice as well. Finally, he demonstrates how in the global community today, Christianity and other traditions can and should make benevolent community a reality.James E. Gilman is professor emeritus of philosophy and religion at Mary Baldwin College. He is the author of Fidelity of Heart: An Ethic of Christian Virtue and Faith, Reason and Compassion: A Philosophy of the Christian Faith.

Gilmans argument is impressive in both its breadth and detail. Journal of Church and State

Clear, careful, and balanced. I know of no other book which so well integrates theories of justice with a treatment of mercy, compassion, and benevolence as actually necessary to achieve justice. lCI