Public Theology, the Common Good, and Planetary Community

Abstract

A just, sustainable, participatory, and planetary community – that is a vision of earth’s future that pulls the public theologian forward, inspires the ecologist, and provides a norm for the ethicist. Post Vatican II Roman Catholics along with their Protestant confreres can learn from David Tracy’s delineation of three publics: church, academy, and culture. Accordingly, public theology is conceived in the church, reflected on critically in the academy, and addressed to the wider culture for the sake of the common good. In this explication of the tasks to be taken up by the public theologian, we will explore the necessity for envisioning a common good that is planetary in scope while attending to justice for individuals and communities at the local level.