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Social Principles of The United Methodist Church 2017-2020
This 64-page booklet is a tool designed to help individuals and small groups study The Social Principles of The United Methodist Church. It contains the official text of The Social Principles from The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church 2016 along with exercises for individuals or small groups, a topical index, and Social Creed.
The Social Principles of The United Methodist Church are the product of over one hundred years of legislative decisions made by lay and clergy members of The United Methodist Church and its predecessor denominations. The Social Principles are prayerful and thoughtful efforts on the part of many General Conferences to speak to complex and controversial issues in the global community.
Studying The Social Principles provides opportunities to examine your own theology and ethics and to practice discipleship.
The Social Principles of The United Methodist Church are the product of over one hundred years of legislative decisions made by lay and clergy members of The United Methodist Church and its predecessor denominations. The Social Principles are prayerful and thoughtful efforts on the part of many General Conferences to speak to complex and controversial issues in the global community.
Studying The Social Principles provides opportunities to examine your own theology and ethics and to practice discipleship.
118 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 15, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 16, 2024
It is a great misfortune that the number of United Methodist Churches and United Methodist Christians who are unaware or have little knowledge of their denomination's Social Principles is rather large. Having phrased it that way, it is surely better to phrase it as there is a great opportunity to spread the word about these prayerful and insightful Principles. The Principles represent the General Conference's work to apply the life and teaching of Christ Jesus to today's world, including its social, economic, and political aspects. They are not church law but rather a call to prayerful consideration. As such, they contain a few defects. However, these defects are set to be corrected when General Conference 2020 (yes, really, due to the pandemic in 2020) meets April 23 through May 3, 2024. The plan is that the United Methodist Revised Social Principles be adopted. (I have read that document, too.)
Still, this book contains the Principles that have already been approved (in 2016). Highlights include: "[W]e recognize the responsibility of governments to develop and implement sound fiscal and monetary policies that provide for the economic life of individuals and corporate entities and that ensure full employment and adequate incomes with a minimum of inflation." "We further support efforts to revise tax structures and to eliminate governmental support programs that now benefit the wealthy at the expense of other persons." The latter two quotes are in the "The Economic Community" section.
In the section "The Political Community", we find: "The form and the leaders of all governments should be determined by exercise of the right to vote guaranteed to all adult citizens. We also strongly reject domestic surveillance and intimidation of political opponents by governments in power and all other misuses of elective or appointive offices. The use of detention and imprisonment for the harassment and elimination of political opponents or other dissidents violates fundamental human rights."
In the section "The World Community" we have: "Believing that international justice requires the participation of all peoples and nations, we endorse the United Nations, its related bodies, the International Court of Justice, and the International Criminal Court as the best instruments now in existence to achieve a world of justice and law."
Still, this book contains the Principles that have already been approved (in 2016). Highlights include: "[W]e recognize the responsibility of governments to develop and implement sound fiscal and monetary policies that provide for the economic life of individuals and corporate entities and that ensure full employment and adequate incomes with a minimum of inflation." "We further support efforts to revise tax structures and to eliminate governmental support programs that now benefit the wealthy at the expense of other persons." The latter two quotes are in the "The Economic Community" section.
In the section "The Political Community", we find: "The form and the leaders of all governments should be determined by exercise of the right to vote guaranteed to all adult citizens. We also strongly reject domestic surveillance and intimidation of political opponents by governments in power and all other misuses of elective or appointive offices. The use of detention and imprisonment for the harassment and elimination of political opponents or other dissidents violates fundamental human rights."
In the section "The World Community" we have: "Believing that international justice requires the participation of all peoples and nations, we endorse the United Nations, its related bodies, the International Court of Justice, and the International Criminal Court as the best instruments now in existence to achieve a world of justice and law."
October 24, 2022
As a Bible-believing Christian, the Social Principles make a lot of sense to me. They offer a better way to live than the rampant greed and deception I see in society today. It was well worth reading.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews