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Mortal Goods: Reimagining Christian Political Duty
This book by one of today's leading theologians examines how Christians might more faithfully and realistically imagine their political vocation.
Ephraim Radner explains that our Christian calling is to limit our political concerns to the boundaries of our created our birth, parents, siblings, families, brief persistence in life, raising of children, relations, decline, and death. He shows that a Christian approach to politics is aimed at tending and protecting these "mortal goods" and argues for a more constrained view of our mortal life and our political duty than is common in both progressive and conservative Christian perspectives.
Radner encourages us to take seriously what is most valuable in our lives and allow this to shape our social posture. Our vocation is to offer our limited life to God, give thanks for it, and glorify God by living our lives as a gift. Radner also shows how "catastrophe" reveals our time to be fragile, bounded, and easily overturned. And he exposes "betterment," which lies behind most modern politics, as a false motive for human life. The book concludes with a vision of the good life articulated in the form of a letter to his adult children.
Ephraim Radner explains that our Christian calling is to limit our political concerns to the boundaries of our created our birth, parents, siblings, families, brief persistence in life, raising of children, relations, decline, and death. He shows that a Christian approach to politics is aimed at tending and protecting these "mortal goods" and argues for a more constrained view of our mortal life and our political duty than is common in both progressive and conservative Christian perspectives.
Radner encourages us to take seriously what is most valuable in our lives and allow this to shape our social posture. Our vocation is to offer our limited life to God, give thanks for it, and glorify God by living our lives as a gift. Radner also shows how "catastrophe" reveals our time to be fragile, bounded, and easily overturned. And he exposes "betterment," which lies behind most modern politics, as a false motive for human life. The book concludes with a vision of the good life articulated in the form of a letter to his adult children.
280 pages, Paperback
Published March 19, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 17, 2024
The truth is that for the most part when I pick up a theological text I have a pretty good idea what I'm getting myself into. In the case of Ephraim Radner's "Mortal Goods: Reimagining Christian Political Duty," this wasn't the case.
I read the description of "Mortal Goods" and thought to myself "This sounds interesting." I then realized that the book was from Baker Academic & Brazos Press, one of my most preferred publishing outfits, and I decided to, pun intended, take the leap of faith.
The truth is that "Mortal Goods" won't be for everyone. Radner is a respected theologian, a priest in the Episcopal Church and professor of historical theology at Wycliffe College, an Anglican seminary affiliated with the University of Toronto.
I say this because a good number of Brazos Press titles stake a claim more in the realm of Christian living than what I would consider to be hardcore academic theology. "Mortal Goods" is undeniably on the more academic end of Baker Academic & Brazos Press and those without a theological background may struggle, at least at times, with Radner's utilization of more traditional language throughout "Mortal Goods." As a seminary graduate, I was for the most part fine with this but I will also confess it wasn't what I expected and I struggled early on to give myself to it. As I began to surrender myself more fully to Radner's literary vision, I began to more fully appreciate this engaging and intellectually satisfying exploration of reimagining Christian political duty.
I have always struggled with the political world as a Christian. Having been raised a Jehovah's Witness, voting was heavily frowned upon and deep engagement with politics was out of the question. There was no devotion to any kingdom outside of God's.
Years later, I've no trouble acknowledging the JW's as a bit bonkers but I've truthfully always kind of resonated with the idea that our cultural obsession with politics as some sort of salvation is woefully out of place.
It would seem that Radner agrees, though he expresses it far better than I ever could and explains himself quite beautifully from a theological standpoint.
With "Mortal Goods," Radner examines how Christians might more faithfully and realistically reimagine our political vocation. He explains that our Christian calling is to limit our political concerns to the boundaries of our created lives - birth, immediate families, parenting, relations, health, death, and so on. Expressing neither a conservative or progressive perspective (Yes, it's possible.), Radner argues for a more constrained view of our mortal life than is common across what would be called the political spectrum. He encourages us to take seriously what is most valuable in our lives and to allow this to shape our "social posture." In essence, Radner contends that our job is to offer our limited life to God, give thanks for it, and glorify God by living our lives as a gift.
Radner examines how "catastrophe" reveals our time to be fragile and easily overturned. He exposes how "betterment" is a false motive for our human life.
In what has become a common literary tool, Radner ends his journey with us by writing a letter to his now adult children about the "good life," a phrase I use often in my daily life and a phrase that is even used frequently in my workplace. Radner challenges us to reconsider what we mean by "the good life" and takes us through a journey to understand what he means.
In times such as we live right now, "Mortal Goods" is both challenging and an expression of gratitude. It is an invitation, really a call, to another way. It is neither Trump nor Biden. It is God-centered in surprisingly simple yet profound ways.
As I noted early in this review, "Mortal Goods" is most certainly an academic text. Yet, it is an academic text that is deeply felt and grounded in realism. It is the kind of theological writing seldom offered these days and it's the kind of text that encourages me to explore Radner's other literary offerings.
I'm not quite sure I completely agree with Radner's positions, however, I'm deeply moved by them and better informed for having read them. "Mortal Goods" was definitely a step outside my usual literary comfort zone and yet, again I must say, I'm quite glad I took the leap of faith.
I read the description of "Mortal Goods" and thought to myself "This sounds interesting." I then realized that the book was from Baker Academic & Brazos Press, one of my most preferred publishing outfits, and I decided to, pun intended, take the leap of faith.
The truth is that "Mortal Goods" won't be for everyone. Radner is a respected theologian, a priest in the Episcopal Church and professor of historical theology at Wycliffe College, an Anglican seminary affiliated with the University of Toronto.
I say this because a good number of Brazos Press titles stake a claim more in the realm of Christian living than what I would consider to be hardcore academic theology. "Mortal Goods" is undeniably on the more academic end of Baker Academic & Brazos Press and those without a theological background may struggle, at least at times, with Radner's utilization of more traditional language throughout "Mortal Goods." As a seminary graduate, I was for the most part fine with this but I will also confess it wasn't what I expected and I struggled early on to give myself to it. As I began to surrender myself more fully to Radner's literary vision, I began to more fully appreciate this engaging and intellectually satisfying exploration of reimagining Christian political duty.
I have always struggled with the political world as a Christian. Having been raised a Jehovah's Witness, voting was heavily frowned upon and deep engagement with politics was out of the question. There was no devotion to any kingdom outside of God's.
Years later, I've no trouble acknowledging the JW's as a bit bonkers but I've truthfully always kind of resonated with the idea that our cultural obsession with politics as some sort of salvation is woefully out of place.
It would seem that Radner agrees, though he expresses it far better than I ever could and explains himself quite beautifully from a theological standpoint.
With "Mortal Goods," Radner examines how Christians might more faithfully and realistically reimagine our political vocation. He explains that our Christian calling is to limit our political concerns to the boundaries of our created lives - birth, immediate families, parenting, relations, health, death, and so on. Expressing neither a conservative or progressive perspective (Yes, it's possible.), Radner argues for a more constrained view of our mortal life than is common across what would be called the political spectrum. He encourages us to take seriously what is most valuable in our lives and to allow this to shape our "social posture." In essence, Radner contends that our job is to offer our limited life to God, give thanks for it, and glorify God by living our lives as a gift.
Radner examines how "catastrophe" reveals our time to be fragile and easily overturned. He exposes how "betterment" is a false motive for our human life.
In what has become a common literary tool, Radner ends his journey with us by writing a letter to his now adult children about the "good life," a phrase I use often in my daily life and a phrase that is even used frequently in my workplace. Radner challenges us to reconsider what we mean by "the good life" and takes us through a journey to understand what he means.
In times such as we live right now, "Mortal Goods" is both challenging and an expression of gratitude. It is an invitation, really a call, to another way. It is neither Trump nor Biden. It is God-centered in surprisingly simple yet profound ways.
As I noted early in this review, "Mortal Goods" is most certainly an academic text. Yet, it is an academic text that is deeply felt and grounded in realism. It is the kind of theological writing seldom offered these days and it's the kind of text that encourages me to explore Radner's other literary offerings.
I'm not quite sure I completely agree with Radner's positions, however, I'm deeply moved by them and better informed for having read them. "Mortal Goods" was definitely a step outside my usual literary comfort zone and yet, again I must say, I'm quite glad I took the leap of faith.
May 19, 2024
Preliminary thoughts: This is a fantastic exploration and reflection upon the limits of humanity's creaturehood and the corresponding limits upon the political—in a Christian framework—which encompasses the "mortal goods" of the ordinary, gifted life which is at its core in service to God. While I may not agree with everything Radner has to say here, particularly in the distinctions between normal and abnormal politics and especially the Christian's relation to the abnormal, this is a wonderful volume that I am happy to recommend.
My full review of this book is forthcoming in Faith Today magazine.
My full review of this book is forthcoming in Faith Today magazine.
March 12, 2025
A beautiful book and exactly what I needed, as I ponder the course of my life, chronic suffering, and mortality. Reading this in concert with Ecclesiastes has reshaped how I see the world and my duties and joys within it. Its vision of smallness, gratitude, and a life given in service to God through tending our mortal goods brings relief, especially given the past few years.
I docked a star simply because Radner’s beautiful prose often ends up being vague or impenetrable, and some chapters dragged at times. But the content and conclusion especially are wonderful
I docked a star simply because Radner’s beautiful prose often ends up being vague or impenetrable, and some chapters dragged at times. But the content and conclusion especially are wonderful
July 28, 2025
Radner offers a probing philosophical and theological assessment of the Christian's relationship to politics and the "good life." It seems like it veers too much into a pietistic retreat from the rough and tumble of the public square, but it is well worth reading and mediating on what it means to be of a mortal, limited frame and the things we can accordingly really hope to accomplish.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews