Public Theology is an indispensable dimension of the calling of the church. As minister, bishop and academic teacher Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, in this collection of articles in English language, draws on a multitude of experiences in theological reflection as well as in pastoral praxis. The contributions of this volume include fundamental reflections on the role of churches and religion in the public sphere. But they also deal with issues of material ethics such as human rights, economic justice, overcoming violence, ecology or interreligious dialogue. The volume shows how theology can give moral guidance not only for the church but also for society as a whole.

Heinrich Bedford-Strohm is Presiding Bishop of the Lutheran Church in Bavaria and Chairman of the Council of Evangelical Churches in Germany. He is Honorary Professor at the University of Bamberg/Germany and Extraordinary Professor at the Theological Faculty in Stellenbosch/South Africa.