MVC Associate Professor Releases New Book

Dr. Christopher Libby, associate professor of religion and philosophy, has published a book, “Truth, Community, and the Prophetic Voice: Michael Walzer, Stanley Hauerwas, and Cornel West on Justice and Peace” released by Lexington Books/Rowman and Littlefield Publishing Group.

The book seeks to provide a theoretical retrieval of the moral and theological vision of the biblical prophets, in light of contemporary philosophical and theological arguments. It situates a defense of the prophetic vision of justice and peace in the context of arguments holding that all truth claims are fallible and mediated in and through various communal contexts.  

The book pursues this inquiry primarily through the critical interrogation of three contemporary exponents of the prophetic voice: political theorist Michael Walzer, theologian Stanley Hauerwas and philosopher and social critic Cornel West. Critiquing but also building on these figures, Dr. Libby offers a contemporary retrieval and rethinking of the prophetic voice that is grounded in a non-foundationalist understanding of theological realism, finds primary expression through an understanding of the church as a differentiated community and solicits a solidaristic conception of justice and reconciling understanding of peace.

“We live in a time in which public discourse is unravelling, the lives of those on the margins of society are regularly under assault, and religion is all too frequently a source of division and discord,” Dr. Libby said. “This book is a modest response to these phenomena by giving expression to a theological ethic that is capable of constructive engagement with a diverse range of religious and secular voices, and that upholds a liberative and inclusive vision of justice and peace.”

The book is available for purchase online at https://rowman.com, as well as through academic book retailers.