The prophetic promise of the church that acts: An examination of the theology of Daniel Day Williams as a basis for an activist social ethics

The subject treated in this dissertation is an examination of the theological perspective of Daniel Day Williams as a basis for congregationally based community organizing as practiced by the affiliated organizations of the Industrial Areas Foundation (I.A.F.). Williams' theology begins in his desire to provide a new framework for Liberal theology. In this effort he employs a Process philosophy perspective in order to develop a reconstructed Liberal approach. This dissertation shows that the motivation for his theological work is an effort to provide a clear basis for engaging in Christian social action.; This study of Williams' theology first investigates his critique of the weaknesses of Liberal theology. His method of developing the foundation of philosophical theology is treated in order to explore the rational and empirical basis of his understanding. The dynamic relationship Williams posits to characterize the manner of God's interaction with the world is examined to provide a basis for investigating his theological ethics. An examination of Williams' treatment of the doctrine of sin is included to allow for a further understanding of his theological anthropology. Another chapter describes in detail the ethical implications of his position from the point of view of the relationship of love and power. The last chapter of this section investigates the case Williams' makes for faithful social action by the church, within the context of the “embattled reign of Christ,” and the prophetic promise it embodies.; The final chapter describes the model of congregationally based community organizing as its principles can be understood from the perspective of Williams' theological ethics. Through this investigation of the practical implications of Williams' perspective, the appropriate and adequate nature of his theological perspective is shown to be the means for understanding this form of Christian social action theologically.