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Document: Harry Antonides, Stones for Bread: The Social Gospel and its Contemporary Legacy (Jordan Station, ON.: Paideia Press, 1985).
Excerpt: Quite often we face in the Christian community the dilemma of having to choose between the privatism of those who do not see why they should apply their faith to social and political questions and the radical views of others who are certain they ought to apply faith to society in socialistic ways. Harry Antonides finds fault with both these perspectives. The main thrust of his fine book is to examine the roots of the liberal social gospel and expose the current fruit of it in the radical politics of the Catholic bishops and assorted mainline Protestant churchmen. He shows, I think successfully, that the social gospel is really a secularizing of the Christian church rather than a christianizing of Canadian society. Not wanting to retreat into privatized religion, and opposed to the ideologically entangled liberation theology approach, Harry Antonides gives us a good sketch of what a proper social theology would look like if it were scripturally sound and intelligently informed. The book ends by opening us up to an orthodox social gospel which really holds some promise. I believe this book may mark the beginning of a sound and effective stage in Canadian political theology. A wide range of Christian people ought to be able to endorse what Antonides is saying and get on with the task of exercising a godly influence in their beloved land.
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Stones for Bread – H. Antonides.pdf