As Lord Habgood remarks in his Preface, Ronald Preston has been one of the few experts on social ethics with the skill to analyse contentious issues in sufficient depth to point the way towards effective action. He has fought a lifelong battle against the neglect of professional knowledge in formulation of Christian social policies.

As a former economist he has constantly complained of what he has called 'the churches' utopian naivety'. And he has warned against the temptation to contract out of the difficulties and ambiguities inherent in all realistic attempts to secure greater social justice.

All these qualities are abundantly evident in this book, which also contains an extended introduction to Ronald Preston's thought by John Elford. The five main sections are made up of Ronald Preston's ost significant writngs over te last two decades which have not before been available in permanent form.

The themes are: personal influences and development, Christian socialism, ecumenical social ethics, Roman Catholic social ethics, and Christianity and political and economic issues. The book ends with a chapter by Ian Markham on 'Ronald Preston and the Contemporary Ethical Scene' and a postscript by Ronald Preston himself.