Christ and Covenant in Global Politics

A New Perspective for Biblical Justice in International Relations

Practicing a Christian vision of justice as a citizen in one’s own country is difficult enough. Add on the challenge of establishing and living out a Christian ethic among states, where there may be few established norms and shared values, and you have the gargantuan task of doing international relations.

Does Christianity have anything to say about global justice for modern nation-states? Can we look to the biblical vision for help with the complex problems of a globalized world? Robert Joustra answers with a resounding yes.

Christ and Covenant in Global Politics casts a compelling vision for a Christian approach to international relations that seeks to transform global politics from systems driven by fear to covenantal global community based in shared loves, drawing on Augustine’s understanding of rightly ordered loves and a contemporary Christian notion of covenantal pluralism. This groundbreaking textbook is designed for professors and students of international relations, offering a unique, faith-driven approach to global politics.

In Christ and Covenant in Global Politics, Joustra

• introduces international relations through a distinctly Christian lens;
• demonstrates how the Christian worldview can positively shape international politics;
• equips students to thoughtfully engage with pluralism and multiculturalism in international politics; and
• moves beyond discussions of biblical justice within states toward discussions of biblical justice between and among states.

Christ and Covenant in Global Politics is a first-of-its-kind work that provides a comprehensive introduction to the state of international relations theory today as well as a constructive account of a truly Christian vision for global politics. Joustra provides a systematic treatment of introductory political theology of world politics, then applies that foundation to key issues in the international system: diplomacy, war, political economy, and climate. Ideal for the undergraduate level, this book is a gift to those who to want to learn to love their neighbor on the global stage.