Christian ethicists from a wide spectrum of methods and commitments come together in arguing for some kind of social conception of the self, noticing that convergence sheds new light on the current range of theoretical options in Christian ethics. But it also opens up an important conversation about political reform. Social visions of the self help ethicists comprehend and evaluate the moral work of institutions - comprehension that is especially important in a time of crisis for democratic participation. But not all visions of the social self are equal. Snarr's book explores and evaluates five different visions of the social self from five key ethicists (Rauschenbusch, Niebuhr, Hauerwas, Harrison, and Townes). It identifies insights and risks associated with each vision of the self and considers the adequacy of each vision for reforms that deepen democracy. The book concludes with a proposal for six core convictions about the social self that help form Christian political ethics able to respond to contemporary needs for democratic reform.

"Come to me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."Mathew 11:28 (AKJV)

In the early 1990s, a grassroots coalition of churches in Baltimore, Maryland helped launch what would become a national movement. Joining forces with labor and low-wage worker organizations, they passed the first municipal living wage ordinance. Since then, over 144 municipalities and counties as well as numerous universities and local businesses in the United States have enacted such ordinances.

Although religious persons and organizations have been important both in the origins of the living wage movement and in its continuing success, they are often ignored or under analyzed. Drawing on participant observation in multiple cities, All You That Labor analyzes and evaluates the contributions of religious activists to the movement. The book explores the ways religious organizations do this work in concert with low-wage workers, the challenges religious activists face, and how people of faith might better nurture moral agency in relation to the political economy. Ultimately, C. Melissa Snarr provides clarity on how to continue to cultivate, renew, and expand religious resources dedicated to the moral agency of low-wage workers and their allies.