The “secular age” is not a smooth, untroubled process of accumulation and advance but an uneven and unpredictable series of clashes of interest. Charles Taylor’s “immanent frame” cannot be construed merely as a phenomenon within religion and culture but urgently needs to be understood in political and economic terms–i.e., as a class project. The failure of the secular, vividly displayed in the crumbling legitimacy of global institutions and in the spectacle of police violence, both calls for and makes possible a renewal of political agency. Tom James and David True argue that a theology of the cross has a distinctive potential today: it can pierce the sacred aura of normalcy around the consensual anti-politics of the neoliberal order so that a vision of a world beyond today’s racialized capitalism can emerge. But they contend that we don’t need to forsake the emancipatory aims of modernity nor retreat to local communities. As an alternative to these weak strategies, theyoffer a constructive and cruciform account of political agency that includes both prophetic resistance and practical wisdom, each embedded in contemporary struggles for freedom that, they argue, embody divine desire for a common world. “This book is the call, amid the current impasse, for a new revolutionary movement aligned with God’s will. It reads like a theological manifesto, breathing life and spirit into the upheaval and turmoil. … This thought-provoking book provides valuable insights for awakening scholars and activists alike in this Kairos moment.” (Seung Woo Lee, Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics, Vol. 44 (1), 2024) “Is there a political theology that gets real, sees plainly the carnage of neoliberalism, respects but avoids the apocalyptic temptation, and enables a renewal of effective political agency? Tom James and David True make a splendid case for "yes" in this astute, compelling, and challenging book explicating the unexpected politics of a theology of the cross.” (Gary Dorrien, Author, American Democratic Socialism: History, Politics, Religion and Theory) “This book draws upon a divergent group of thinkers in order to formulate a theological vision of political agency amidst the overwhelming power of modern capitalism. In a refreshing move, James and True retrieve the concept of eros as the foundation of the prophetic spirit and moral discernment that constitutes political agency. A must-have for anyone interested in political and public theology.” (Rachel Sophia Baard, Director of Public Theology Center, Union Presbyterian Seminary) “James and True’s book will remind secularand/or non-Christian political theorists of just how much transformative power remains coiled up in Christian theology.” (Aakash Singh, Professor of Politics, Philosophy and Law, Jindal Global University, and Ashoka University, Delhi, India) “In an age of broken politics, Tom James and David True present a bold and innovative response to a world trapped by the iron cage of racial capitalism. This is an insightful, much-needed, groundbreaking work in the field of political theology.” (Ilsup Ahn, Author, Just Debt: Theology, Ethics, and Neoliberalism) “The Transcendence of Desire is both a sophisticated work of political theology and a bracingly concrete call to action. It offers a Christian realism that transcends capitalist realism. And it calls churches to give up pretenses of solvency and lean into their precarity in order to discover new solidarities with their neighbors and connect with the deep desire that has the power to transform politics. This remarkable book performs the prophecy for which it calls.” (Ted A. Smith, Associate Dean of Faculty; Charles Howard Candler Professor of Divinity, Emory University) “The authors unveil a robust theological proposal for transcending the constraints of neoliberalism's scions. With its clear-eyed appraisal of the contemporary North Atlantic political landscape, perhaps the most impressive aspect of this project is its refusal to withdraw into resignation or quietism, opting instead to discern the work of the Spirit in emancipatory communities of prophetic resistance. This is a vital new contribution to the often tedious genre of public theology.” (Franklin Tanner Capps, Director of the Miller Youth Institute, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary) “James and True move us beyond the worn-out debate between the new traditionalists and naive liberals fighting over imagined histories and impossible futures. Offering a penetrating analysis of the malaises of secular modernity, they look beyond standard solutions. This is innovative political theology–not for the faint of heart, but for those willing to engage with the real problems of our world.” (Kevin Carnahan, Professor of Philosophy and Religion, Central Methodist University) “Amid the ‘ruins of neoliberalism,’ Tom James and David True provide us with a way forward. This book imagines a compelling theological vision of human collecti