God's Companions

We are pleased to annouce that God’s Companions by Samuel Wells has been shortlisted for the 2007 Michael Ramsey Prize for theological writing. www.michaelramseyprize.org.uk Grounded in Samuel Wells’ experience of ordinary lives in poorer neighborhoods, this book presents a striking and imaginative approach to Christian ethics. It argues that Christian ethics is founded on God, on the practices of human community, and on worship, and that ethics is fundamentally a reflection of God's abundance. Wells synthesizes dogmatic, liturgical, ethical, scriptural, and pastoral approaches to theology in order to make a bold claim for the centrality of the local church in theological reflection. He considers the abundance of gifts God gives through the practices of the Church, particularly the Eucharist. His central thesis, which governs his argument throughout, is that God gives his people everything they need to worship him, be his friends, and eat with him. Wells engages with serious scholarly material, yet sets out the issues lucidly for a student audience.

Preface. Introduction. Part I: The Body of Christ as Jesus. 1. Yesterday. 2. Forever. 3. Today. Part II: The Body of Christ as the Church. 4. Forming. 5. Incorporating. 6. Performing. 7. Restoring. Part III: The Body of Christ as the Eucharist. 8. Meeting. 9. Hearing. 10. Responding. 11. Sharing. 12. Going. Works Cited. Index