A student of Karl Rahner, Metz broke with Rahner's transcendental theology in a turn to a theology rooted in praxis. Metz was at the centre of a school of political theology that strongly influenced liberation theology. He is regarded as one of the most influential post–Vatican II German theologians. His thought turned around fundamental attention to the suffering of others. Key topics of his theology were memory, solidarity, and narrative. Works in English include: "The Emergent Church", "Faith in History and Society", "Poverty of Spirit", and "Hope Against Hope". Collected articles can be found in "A Passion for God: The Mystical-Political Dimension of Christianity", translated by Matthew Ashley and in John K. Downey, ed., "Love's Strategy: The Political Theology of Johann Baptist Metz".