God is Gradual – Reformist Urban Theology

Reformist urban theology is the oldest and most widely read model of urban theology. Whereas urban liberation theology and urban Black theology are rooted in an explicit affirmation of the divine bias to the oppressed, an articulation of the hermeneutical advantage of the oppressed and a clear liberative ethic, reformist urban theology steers a more gradualist course, representing a consensual progressive strand of urban theological reflection. Reformist urban theology exemplifies the Christian social thought tradition that finds its roots in the founding of the Christian Social Union in 1889, which John Atherton suggests sought to “promote the consequences of the incarnation for society using gradualist methods.” ¹ In the twentieth century Christian social thought was perhaps most famously illustrated by the work of William Temple ² and by the Faith in the City report ³ which stimulated a resurgence of reformist urban theology particularly within the Church of England following its publication in 1985. ⁴