Ethics and moral philosophy Books

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Book Synopsis This book on interior housekeeping illuminates the true measure of a life lived in terms of usefulness and integrity rather than accomplishment or possessions. With subtle wit, wonderfully evocative language, and clear-eyed wisdom gleaned from her own experience, Toinette Lippe teaches us how to discern what is essential and let go of what is not. Toinette Lippe had a long and distinguished career at Alfred A. Knopf. In 1989, she founded Bell Tower, where she published seventy books that nourished the soul and spoke directly to the heart. After fifty years in publishing, Toinette abandoned editorial work and devotes herself to East Asian brush painting. She lives in New York City.

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Book SynopsisIn this collage of critical reflections, written in the tradition of the short essay running through Francis Bacon and Roland Barthes, the novelist, philosopher, and former New York Times Opinion staffer Mark de Silva looks into matters of both common curiosity and special concern in America today: technological evolution, virtuality, terrorism, the future of the self, the individual's place in a globalized society, the species' place in the natural world, the state of the arts, and the animadversions of the sciences. Above all, Points of Attack is a handbook of the ways of the good life in bad times, and an inoculation against presumption in an era when the axioms of liberal democratic life have come undone and the end of history once again appears a long way off.Trade Review"These rich, epigrammatic essays cover the waterfront of contemporary life, culture, and the self, flashing with insight and making us think in ways that bring home how little we ordinarily do so. By turns inducing perplexity and strengthening conviction, they aim not to tear us down but to build us up. De Silva admirably models the wakeful, agile intelligence we need if we are to make it through the dark alleys of the future morally intact and sound of mind and body." -Jacob Howland, author of Glaucon's Fate: History, Myth, and Character in Plato's Republic "A sexy philosopher's almanac, a comet tail of ideas and personal truths, Points of Attack is that rare tonic that will dazzle you with its intellectual spectrum, and all the attention it pays to our burning world." -Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi, author of Loss

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Book SynopsisFrom the star of the YouTube sensation Jason Drives, the senior editor of the acclaimed website Jalopnik, and a producer of Jay Leno’s Garage comes the wittiest and most insightful guide yet to self-driving cars and the road ahead. Self-driving cars sound fantastical and futuristic and yet they’ll soon be on every street in America. Whether it’s Tesla’s Autopilot, Google’s Waymo, Mercedes’s Distronic, or Uber’s modified Volvos, companies around the world are developing autonomous cars. But why? And what will they mean for the auto industry and humanity at large? In Robot, Take the Wheel, famed automotive expert Jason Torchinsky gives a colorful account of the development of autonomous vehicles and their likely implications. Torchinsky encourages us to think of self-driving cars as an entirely new machine, something beyond cars as we understand them today. He considers how humans will get along with these robots that will take over our cars’ jobs, what they will look like, what sorts of jobs they may do, what we can expect of them, how they should act, ethically, how we can trick them and have fun with them, and how we can make sure there’s still a place for those of us who love to drive, especially with a manual transmission. This vibrant volume brims with insider information. It explores what’s ahead and considers what we can do now to shape the automated future.Trade Review“One of my favorite guests on the Tonight Show was an astronaut named Story Musgrave. Although not as famous as Neil Armstrong or Buzz Aldrin, Story was not only an astronaut, he was also a physicist, an academic, and a philosopher. He could translate space travel into words and pictures that people could really understand. I like to think of Jason as my automotive astronaut, able to take his experiences and really make the reader feel like they are riding along with him. Jason is a unique blend of dork, car guy, and intellectual all rolled into one.” —Jay Leno, host of Jay Leno’s Garage and former host of the Tonight Show with Jay Leno “Everything you wanted to know about autonomous vehicles but were afraid to ask. This delightfully written book by the longtime Jalopnik contributor is an essential guide to how driverless vehicles work—and how they have the potential to dramatically reshape society.” —Curbed “An interesting and light hearted look at what the future of autonomous vehicles might be like.” —The Gearhead Project “As car manufacturers and other companies race to develop autonomous vehicles, the need for a sherpa in the potential robot uprising is more pressing than ever. Torchinsky is that sherpa.” —Book & Film Globe “Robot, Take The Wheel is an entertaining yet serious examination of what automation is and how it applies to our favorite pastime: driving.” —Automoblog “It’s a great book. I encourage you to check it out.” —In Wheel Time “Jason Torchinsky’s Robot, Take the Wheel tops our list of must-read books for anyone interested in autonomous vehicles.” —Ground Truth podcastTable of ContentsIntroductionChapter 1: We’ve Been Here Before Chapter 2: How Did We Get Here Chapter 3: How Do They Work, Anyway? Chapter 4: Semi-Autonomy is Stupid Chapter 5: They’re Robots, Not Cars Chapter 6: Ethics, Behaviors, and Being Better Humans than People Are Chapter 7: They Shouldn’t Look Like Cars Chapter 8: The Death of the Journey Chapter 9: Will They Be Like Your Dog Chapter 10: Save the Gearheads

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Book SynopsisNo Nice Girl Swears is the original, trailblazing guide to the “new etiquette,” brimming with timeless advice on style, romance, and grace, and finally back in print 90 years after its original release. Forewords by today’s editor in chief of Town & Country and the editor in chief of Vogue from 1914–1952.Heralded as the go-to guide for soon-to-be debutantes and ladies who’d recently made their debut, No Nice Girl Swears ushered in a “new etiquette” on its release in 1933, much to the shock—and delight—of the high-society crowd of jazz-age America. Today it is equal parts time capsule (how to dress for dinner on your transatlantic voyage) and timeless missive (how to ditch a date who’s had a few too many).Worldly-wise socialite Alice-Leone Moats advises on everything from style and dating to travel and party throwing, and weeds through the dos and don’ts of weddings, weekend trips, and the workplace. Her wisdom, though steeped in the charm of her time, endures: treat others—and yourself—with respect, always put your best foot forward, and don’t throw a party without champagne. It’s just good manners.This keepsake volume includes a new foreword from Stellene Volandes, the editor in chief of Town & Country, the original foreword from Edna Woolman Chase, Vogue’s editor in chief from 1914–1952, and a contextualizing preface. It encourages consideration of what etiquette rules we’d like instilled today, and shows how Moats helped usher in a world where women could speak—and act—freely.Trade Review"A book of modern etiquette for the modern debutante and sub deb, with an eye on her mother. Definitely keyed to the city and suburban communities, rather than the small town. Humor and commonsense combined in due proportion in answering such questions as: Shall I ask him in? May I call you up some time? What is the technique of being picked up? What should be done if my escort passes out on me? And so on. In addition, the author gives the latest usage in the matter of debutante parties, chaperonage (you'd be surprised!), engagements, weddings, clothes, week-end parties, and other contingencies. In good taste, and yet distinctly smart. The book itself is another experiment in colored stock—yellow this time—but since the books are to be sealed with cellophane wrappers, the prospective buyer wont know what she is getting until the purchase is made."—Kirkus Review“In spite of such reminiscent titles of 'Shall She Ask Him In?' and 'Never Speak To Strangers Unless They Speak to You,' these chapters contain serious advice—the pragmatism of it all cloaked in a flippant and humor-flecked style.”—New York TimesTable of ContentsI: No Nice Girl Swears II: Should She Ask Him In?III: You're the First Man I've Ever KissedIV: Keeping an Amateur StandingV: This Casual EraVI: May I Call You Up Sometime? VII: Out for No GoodVIII: Joining InXX: Launching a BelleX: Chaperons Do Exist XI. Between Courses XII. The Inevitable DetailsXIII. Lunches and Teas; Or, Scarcely Worth the TroubleXIV. Coming Out to MusicXV. Cutting In or Sitting OutXVI. That Certain Someone XVII. The Great StepXVIII. In a Cloud of TulleXIX. Twice Shy—?XX. Travel Broadens the MindXXI. Never Speak to Strangers Unless They Speak to YouXXII. Out of Town XXIII. Summer, Winter, SpringXXIV. An Old English CustomXXV. In a Strange BedXXVI. Pity the Poor Working GirlXXVII. Serious BusinessXXVIII. Hot FootlightsXXIX. The Hiccuping FiftiesXXX. Our Plastered Friends

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Book SynopsisTwo questions fundamental to human existence have always been the metaphysical “where do I fit in the grand scheme of things?” and the ethical “how should I behave?” Religion is no longer a source of answers for many people, and nothing has replaced it. Moore uses his signature framework-based approach to answer these questions, taking us on an intellectual roller coaster ride through physics, chemistry, biology, the social sciences and the humanities. Along the way, he builds a metaphorical ladder that leads from the big bang to the need for ethical action in our daily lives. Combining an extraordinary range of scholarship with an accessible and entertaining writing style, The Infinite Staircase: What the Universe Tells Us About Life, Ethics, and Mortality provides a coherent and unified platform for a full human life.Table of ContentsContentsPrefacePart One: Metaphysics Chapter 1: The Purpose of MetaphysicsThe Infinite StaircaseChapter 2: The Metaphysics of Entropy What Is Entropy? Stair 1: Physics: Entropy and the Aftermath of the Big Bang Stair 2: Chemistry: The Emergence of Emergence Stair 3: Biology: “. . . Then a Miracle Occurs” Chapter 3: The Metaphysics of Darwinism What Is Darwinism?Stair 4: Desire: The Darwinian Mean Stair 5: Consciousness: A Darwinian Theory of Forms Stair 6: Values: A Darwinian Social Contract Stair 7: Culture: The Transformation of Evolution: From Genes to Memes Chapter 4: The Metaphysics of Memes What Are Memes? Stair 8: Language: The Fabric and Fabricator of Memes Stair 9: Narrative: Inventing Strategies for Living Stair 10: Analytics: Testing and Refining Strategies for Living Stair 11: Theory: One Meme to Rule Them AllChapter 5: Being: A Bridge to EthicsPart Two: Ethics Chapter 6: Making the TurnChapter 7: Understanding GoodnessChapter 8: Honoring the Ego Chapter 9: Doing Good Chapter 10: Being MortalConclusionAcknowledgmentsBibliographyIndex 

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Book SynopsisChristianity, Politics, and the Predicament of Evil overcomes a defining divide in contemporary Protestant political ethics created by two contrasting conceptions of politics. The first, exemplified in the work of Reinhold Niebuhr, construes politics as a matter of statecraft that utilizes the power of government to secure the greatest possible order and justice for society as a whole. The second, most prominently articulated by Stanley Hauerwas, maintains that politics concerns itself with the cultivation of virtue; consequently, it finds not the “well-ordered state” but the church to be the exemplar of politics. Not only illuminating the divide between politics-as-statecraft and politics-as-soulcraft but also redeveloping the conceptual space between them, this book reconceives politics within a theological framework in which the eschatological City of God, rather than the well-ordered state or the faithful church, functions as the paradigm of political life. At the same time, it simultaneously recognizes that the existence of evil, which corrupts individual wills and social structures, inhibits human beings from building the City of God in this world. Analyzing, criticizing, and drawing resources from Niebuhr and Hauerwas, as well as looking beyond to Augustine, Martin Luther King, Jr., and others, this book specifies the respective roles of soulcraft and statecraft in a political ethic capable of guiding Christians as they witness to God’s eschatological intention to establish the City of God in a world currently mired in the predicament of evil.Trade ReviewThis book is a brilliant construction of political ethics at the borderlines of theology and political theory. The book offers a valuable approach to political theology and deftly maps the terrain of the ideological debates between liberal and conservative Christians on the important question of state and society relations in the United States. This is an essential book for Christian social ethics and America’s political thought. -- Nimi Wariboko, Boston UniversityTable of ContentsIntroduction: Politics, the City of God, the State, and the Soul Part I: Surveying 1. The City of God: A Political Eschatology 2. The Predicament of Evil Part II: Gathering Resources 3. Politics-as-Statecraft: Reinhold Niebuhr and the Governing of Society 4. Politics-as-Soulcraft: Stanley Hauerwas and the Church as Polis Part III: Constructing 5. Soulcraft, Statecraft, and Christian Discipleship

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Book SynopsisBonhoeffer’s New Beginning investigates the ethics of making new beginnings after devastating moral rupture. The work argues that new beginnings must be made in order to sustain the fundamental convictions that it is good to exist and that life in the world with others should be loved without exclusion. Bonhoeffer’s ethics of new beginning is set in conversation with the thought of four moral philosophers, Friedrich Nietzsche, Hannah Arendt, Jonathan Glover, and Jonathan Lear. DeCort argues that Bonhoeffer’s ethics of new beginning opens and energizes a more promising, world-affirming moral vision with radical hope for new beginnings vis-à-vis the perceived absence of God in the face of devastation. Trade ReviewIn mid-century Europe, totalitarians on both the left and the right sought to remake humanity, society, politics, morality, geography, and population. The scope of their hubris was astonishing, as was the body count they left behind. To accomplish their idolatrous, disastrous goals, everything was permissible. In his important new book, Andrew DeCort demonstrates that Dietrich Bonhoeffer responded theologically in Nazi Germany to this mania for remaking the world through projects of political salvation at the point of a gun. DeCort shows that Bonhoeffer's biblical theology of creation, Christ, and resurrection precluded any human project to serve as our own creators and saviors by engineering a new beginning in human life. Instead, Christians at least, know (or should know) that we are called to respond to God's creative and reconciling action, and that we must do so in love of God and others. This is a groundbreaking work, ranging exhaustively over the Bonhoeffer corpus and the secondary literature. It reveals a new dimension of Bonhoeffer's thought, and demonstrates once again that Bonhoeffer was always responding to the dangerous political and moral ideas around him with a disciplined theological and ethical response -- a response that took him to his death. Highly recommended! -- David P. Gushee, Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics, Mercer UniversityHere we have a fresh – indeed groundbreaking – reading of Bonhoeffer’s entire corpus. As he reconstructs Bonhoeffer’s theological ethics of new beginnings, DeCort shows how Bonhoeffer’s final words, “This is for me the end, but also the beginning,” encapsulates a consistent, central theme unifying his life and work: the nature and practice of new beginnings during and after social, political, and moral devastation. This book is rigorously researched, theologically and philosophically astute, and spiritually and practically relevant. In short, it is learned and wise. -- Jennifer M. McBride, McCormick Theological SeminaryBonhoeffer’s New Beginning addresses one of the deepest challenges of Christian life: how to keep and live our faith in a world of deep suffering and moral trauma, a world that for many people has shattered the notion that faith in God is even possible. After exploring this question through the work of four major philosophers, Andrew DeCort unpacks how Bonhoeffer’s ethical writings offer such a “new beginning,” opening the way for “a radically inclusive, universal vision of moral consciousness." DeCort makes a convincing case that this search for such new beginnings is an undercurrent throughout Bonhoeffer’s work. This is a very fine book: a creative, eloquent, and often moving study of Bonhoeffer’s theology and its continuing relevance. -- Victoria J. Barnett, General Editor, Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works English EditionAndrew DeCort’s Bonhoeffer’s New Beginning takes on the profound and utterly inescapable problem of the “new beginning,” the "beginning again," in the wake of devastation and catastrophe, and suggests that, and then shows how, Bonhoeffer engages in Christian theology in light of this problem. This book is a terrific vision, in my mind especially illuminating on some of the Christocentric elements in Bonhoeffer’s work, and drawing on work in philosophy and political theory as well as Christian theology; it casts new light on our predicaments and the ways that Bonhoeffer may help us identify, understand, and confront them. -- Charles T. Mathewes, University of VirginiaDeCort’s treatment of Bonhoeffer is creative. This study of Bonhoeffer, which includes analysis of other major figures like Friedrich Nietzsche and Hannah Arendt, takes an innovative turn to look at the concept of an ethics of beginning again. -- Reggie L. Williams, McCormick Theological SeminaryTable of ContentsBeginning Introduction – Our Over-All Take on Human Life: The Problem of Morality and the Ethics of New Beginning Chapter 1 – The Trial: Universal Entry and The Problem of Morality Chapter 2 – Four Options: The Problem of Morality and the Ethics of New Beginning in Nietzsche, Arendt, Glover, and Lear Chapter 3 – “A Rift Irreparable Through Human Initiative”: Devastation and the Human (In)Capacity to Make a New Beginning in Bonhoeffer’s Thought Chapter 4 – “Only with God Is There A New Way, A New Beginning”: Justification and Guidance For New Beginning In Bonhoeffer’s Thought Chapter 5 – “The Dawning of The New World, The New Order”: Practices of New Beginning In Bonhoeffer’s Thought Conclusion – After the Beginning: The Problem of Morality, Divine Absence, and the Ethics of New Beginning after Devastation Beginning Anew Appendix – Bonhoeffer’s Last Words: A Personal Testament and Theological Summary?

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Book SynopsisBonhoeffer’s New Beginning investigates the ethics of making new beginnings after devastating moral rupture. The work argues that new beginnings must be made in order to sustain the fundamental convictions that it is good to exist and that life in the world with others should be loved without exclusion. Bonhoeffer’s ethics of new beginning is set in conversation with the thought of four moral philosophers, Friedrich Nietzsche, Hannah Arendt, Jonathan Glover, and Jonathan Lear. DeCort argues that Bonhoeffer’s ethics of new beginning opens and energizes a more promising, world-affirming moral vision with radical hope for new beginnings vis-à-vis the perceived absence of God in the face of devastation.Trade ReviewIn mid-century Europe, totalitarians on both the left and the right sought to remake humanity, society, politics, morality, geography, and population. The scope of their hubris was astonishing, as was the body count they left behind. To accomplish their idolatrous, disastrous goals, everything was permissible.In his important new book, Andrew DeCort demonstrates that Dietrich Bonhoeffer responded theologically in Nazi Germany to this mania for remaking the world through projects of political salvation at the point of a gun. DeCort shows that Bonhoeffer's biblical theology of creation, Christ, and resurrection precluded any human project to serve as our own creators and saviors by engineering a new beginning in human life. Instead, Christians at least, know (or should know) that we are called to respond to God's creative and reconciling action, and that we must do so in love of God and others. This is a groundbreaking work, ranging exhaustively over the Bonhoeffer corpus and the secondary literature. It reveals a new dimension of Bonhoeffer's thought, and demonstrates once again that Bonhoeffer was always responding to the dangerous political and moral ideas around him with a disciplined theological and ethical response -- a response that took him to his death.Highly recommended! -- David P. Gushee, Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics, Mercer UniversityHere we have a fresh – indeed groundbreaking – reading of Bonhoeffer’s entire corpus. As he reconstructs Bonhoeffer’s theological ethics of new beginnings, DeCort shows how Bonhoeffer’s final words, “This is for me the end, but also the beginning,” encapsulates a consistent, central theme unifying his life and work: the nature and practice of new beginnings during and after social, political, and moral devastation. This book is rigorously researched, theologically and philosophically astute, and spiritually and practically relevant. In short, it is learned and wise. -- Jennifer M. McBride, McCormick Theological Seminary and President, International Bonhoeffer Society, English Language SectionBonhoeffer’s New Beginning addresses one of the deepest challenges of Christian life: how to keep and live our faith in a world of deep suffering and moral trauma, a world that for many people has shattered the notion that faith in God is even possible. After exploring this question through the work of four major philosophers, Andrew DeCort unpacks how Bonhoeffer’s ethical writings offer such a “new beginning,” opening the way for “a radically inclusive, universal vision of moral consciousness." DeCort makes a convincing case that this search for such new beginnings is an undercurrent throughout Bonhoeffer’s work. This book is a creative, eloquent, and often moving study of Bonhoeffer’s theology and its continuing relevance. -- Victoria J. Barnett, General Editor, Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works English EditionAndrew DeCort’s Bonhoeffer’s New Beginning takes on the profound and utterly inescapable problem of the “new beginning,” the "beginning again," in the wake of devastation and catastrophe, and suggests that, and then shows how, Bonhoeffer engages in Christian theology in light of this problem. This book is a terrific vision, in my mind especially illuminating on some of the Christocentric elements in Bonhoeffer’s work, and drawing on work in philosophy and political theory as well as Christian theology; it casts new light on our predicaments and the ways that Bonhoeffer may help us identify, understand, and confront them. -- Charles T. Mathewes, University of VirginiaDeCort’s treatment of Bonhoeffer is creative. This study of Bonhoeffer, which includes analysis of other major figures like Friedrich Nietzsche and Hannah Arendt, takes an innovative turn to look at the concept of an ethics of beginning again. -- Reggie L. Williams, McCormick Theological SeminaryTable of ContentsBeginningIntroduction – Our Over-All Take on Human Life: The Problem of Morality and the Ethics of New BeginningChapter 1 – The Trial: Universal Entry and The Problem of MoralityChapter 2 – Four Options: The Problem of Morality and the Ethics of New Beginning in Nietzsche, Arendt, Glover, and LearChapter 3 – “A Rift Irreparable Through Human Initiative”: Devastation and the Human (In)Capacity to Make a New Beginning in Bonhoeffer’s ThoughtChapter 4 – “Only with God Is There A New Way, A New Beginning”: Justification and Guidance For New Beginning In Bonhoeffer’s ThoughtChapter 5 – “The Dawning of The New World, The New Order”: Practices of New Beginning In Bonhoeffer’s ThoughtConclusion – After the Beginning: The Problem of Morality, Divine Absence, and the Ethics of New Beginning after DevastationBeginning Anew Appendix – Bonhoeffer’s Last Words: A Personal Testament and Theological Summary?

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Book SynopsisOne of the most sweeping, categorical, and absolute phrases that has ever been employed by the hierarchical teaching authority of the Roman Catholic Church refers to a concept called ‘intrinsic evil’. In short, intrinsic evil is invoked to describe certain kinds of human acts that can never be morally justified or permitted, regardless of the intention of the person who performs them or any circumstances within which they take place. The most common examples of things that people recognize as being classified as intrinsically evil are, suicide, euthanasia, abortion, and the use of contraception. The ease with which the term ‘intrinsic evil’ gets right to the point, thereby making the fairly complex field of ethical reflection seem manageable and widely accessible, is one of the reasons for its attractiveness within Roman Catholic ethical teaching. However, this kind of simplification risks or even encourages avoidance of critical questions such as, "Where does this concept come from and what meanings are associated with it?", "Is it supposed to express an ethical judgment or to form it?", and "Is there a substantial difference between intrinsically evil acts and morally wrong acts?". The contributors to this volume engage with these and similar issues surrounding the formation and use of the concept, and in the process dispel the naïve belief that the concept can somehow escape the complexity of ethical discourse or establish certainty of ethical judgments that is otherwise unattainable. In light of this realization, the most important issue becomes whether the concept can still be useful for Catholic theological ethics. Although the contributors to this volume do not completely agree on this issue, they have shown that a critical scrutiny of the concept must necessarily precede settling this issue and that the concept might not be able to withstand such critical judgment. The book provides a description of the origin and meanings of the concept of intrinsic evil. While the term itself tends to create confusion rather than clarity, eliminating its use does not imply that we cannot still have a meaningful discussion about ‘things that should never be done’.Trade ReviewThe contributors to this book have provided a truly deep analysis of a subject that has played a central role in Catholic ethics for a long time. By examining the language of intrinsic evil from various points of view, they have produced important insights into numerous matters, including the inconsistency in the use of the term, problems resulting from its usage, and the need for a dynamic, personalist approach to ethics, rather than a static one. Whether they agree or disagree with individual contributors to this volume, scholars wishing to join in debate about intrinsic evil will do well to make this book a significant part of their research. -- Bernard Hoose, Heythrop College, University of LondonThis book offers an accurate and in-depth analysis of the concept of intrinsic evil. It considers historical instances, systematic articulations and applications to moral fields, such as sexual ethics. The theme of the moral negativity of an action is put in relation to the notion of the agent as subject of her/his choices. This turn toward the subject does not weaken the question of moral evil and does not weaken the structure of ethical discourse, degrading it to something subjectivist and relativistic. On the contrary, it emphasizes with vigor and effectiveness, the responsibility of moral action, both in personal and collective agency. For such a perspective it is necessary to have a sensitivity first of all for the human good as a whole and to develop a moral passion that helps to make it concrete in the paths of history. That takes us in a different direction than intrinsic evil, and this book is a powerful help for developing that newer pathway. -- Antonio Autiero, University of MünsterAt the end of January 2018 an international, expert seminar was hosted in Vienna to discuss a much used concept in twentieth century Catholic theological ethics, intrinsic evil. Over the past forty years, the concept, used especially in sexual teachings, has prompted philosophical and theological ethicists to raise occasional critiques about its meaning and use. Now due to the dedicated work of Nenad Polgar, Sigrid Müller, and Joseph Selling we have the seminar's results that thoroughly, objectively, professionally, and critically analyze the concept from a variety of perspectives. Suffice it to say, those earlier doubts are now clearer. This collection effectively suggests, I think, that the credible utility of the concept has run its course. An important, long-needed, rich investigation, beautifully edited in this collection. -- James F. Keenan, S.J., Boston CollegeRecent Catholic teaching, especially in Veritatis Splendor, has too often used the technical moral theological concept, `intrinsic evil’, as an authoritarian bludgeon to aggressively suppress theological conversation on, and discernment about, controversial ethical issues, especially in sexual ethics. This invaluable collection of essays by noted scholars critically engages the tradition, and one another, to deconstruct the concept by exploring its historical, philosophical, theological, and ideological roots, and to move the tradition forward with a comprehensive and comprehensible framework for constructing foundational ethical concepts. -- Todd A. Salzman, Amelia and Emil Graff Professor of Theology, Creighton UniversityTable of ContentsThe Proliferation of ‘Intrinsic Evil’ Nenad Polgar and Joseph A. Selling Part One The Origin and Meaning(s) of the Concept of Intrinsic Evi 1.Aristotle on Intrinsically Bad Actions Stephan Herzberg 2.The Concept of Intrinsic Evil: An Exploration of Some Theological Sources Nenad Polgar Part Two The Concept of Intrinsic Evil in Sexual Ethics 3.Intrinsic Evil in Catholic Sexual Ethics: Time to Move On Stephen J. Pope 4.Intrinsic Evil in Catholic Sexual Ethics: New Insights, New Approaches, New Logic Gunter Prüller-Jagenteufel Part Three The Concept of Intrinsic Evil and Veritatis Splendor 5.Intrinsic Evil in Veritatis Splendor and Two Contemporary Debates James T. Bretzke, S.J. 6.What Are Intrinsically Evil Acts? Sigrid Müller Part Four The Concept of Intrinsic Evil in Fundamental Theological Ethics 7.The Naming of Evil in Fundamental Theological Ethics Joseph A. Selling 8.Intrinsic Evil and the Sources of Morality Werner Wolbert Part Five The Future of the Concept of Intrinsic Evil 9.Intrinsic Evil in Different Ethical Perspectives Andreas M. Weiß 10.Pope Francis’ Heresy? Edward C. Vacek, S.J. What is Intrinsic Evil? Nenad Polgar and Joseph A. Selling

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Book SynopsisOne of the most sweeping, categorical, and absolute phrases that has ever been employed by the hierarchical teaching authority of the Roman Catholic Church refers to a concept called ‘intrinsic evil’. In short, intrinsic evil is invoked to describe certain kinds of human acts that can never be morally justified or permitted, regardless of the intention of the person who performs them or any circumstances within which they take place. The most common examples of things that people recognize as being classified as intrinsically evil are, suicide, euthanasia, abortion, and the use of contraception. The ease with which the term ‘intrinsic evil’ gets right to the point, thereby making the fairly complex field of ethical reflection seem manageable and widely accessible, is one of the reasons for its attractiveness within Roman Catholic ethical teaching. However, this kind of simplification risks or even encourages avoidance of critical questions such as, "Where does this concept come from and what meanings are associated with it?", "Is it supposed to express an ethical judgment or to form it?", and "Is there a substantial difference between intrinsically evil acts and morally wrong acts?". The contributors to this volume engage with these and similar issues surrounding the formation and use of the concept, and in the process dispel the naïve belief that the concept can somehow escape the complexity of ethical discourse or establish certainty of ethical judgments that is otherwise unattainable. In light of this realization, the most important issue becomes whether the concept can still be useful for Catholic theological ethics. Although the contributors to this volume do not completely agree on this issue, they have shown that a critical scrutiny of the concept must necessarily precede settling this issue and that the concept might not be able to withstand such critical judgment.The book provides a description of the origin and meanings of the concept of intrinsic evil. While the term itself tends to create confusion rather than clarity, eliminating its use does not imply that we cannot still have a meaningful discussion about ‘things that should never be done’.Trade ReviewThe contributors to this book have provided a truly deep analysis of a subject that has played a central role in Catholic ethics for a long time. By examining the language of intrinsic evil from various points of view, they have produced important insights into numerous matters, including the inconsistency in the use of the term, problems resulting from its usage, and the need for a dynamic, personalist approach to ethics, rather than a static one. Whether they agree or disagree with individual contributors to this volume, scholars wishing to join in debate about intrinsic evil will do well to make this book a significant part of their research. -- Bernard Hoose, Heythrop College, University of LondonThis book offers an accurate and in-depth analysis of the concept of intrinsic evil. It considers historical instances, systematic articulations and applications to moral fields, such as sexual ethics. The theme of the moral negativity of an action is put in relation to the notion of the agent as subject of her/his choices.This turn toward the subject does not weaken the question of moral evil and does not weaken the structure of ethical discourse, degrading it to something subjectivist and relativistic. On the contrary, it emphasizes with vigor and effectiveness, the responsibility of moral action, both in personal and collective agency. For such a perspective it is necessary to have a sensitivity first of all for the human good as a whole and to develop a moral passion that helps to make it concrete in the paths of history. That takes us in a different direction than intrinsic evil, and this book is a powerful help for developing that newer pathway. -- Antonio Autiero, University of MünsterAt the end of January 2018 an international, expert seminar was hosted in Vienna to discuss a much used concept in twentieth century Catholic theological ethics, intrinsic evil. Over the past forty years, the concept, used especially in sexual teachings, has prompted philosophical and theological ethicists to raise occasional critiques about its meaning and use. Now due to the dedicated work of Nenad Polgar, Sigrid Müller, and Joseph Selling we have the seminar's results that thoroughly, objectively, professionally, and critically analyze the concept from a variety of perspectives. Suffice it to say, those earlier doubts are now clearer. This collection effectively suggests, I think, that the credible utility of the concept has run its course. An important, long-needed, rich investigation, beautifully edited in this collection. -- James F. Keenan, SJ, Boston CollegeRecent Catholic teaching, especially in Veritatis Splendor, has too often used the technical moral theological concept, ‘intrinsic evil’, as an authoritarian bludgeon to aggressively suppress theological conversation on, and discernment about, controversial ethical issues, especially in sexual ethics. This invaluable collection of essays by noted scholars critically engages the tradition, and one another, to deconstruct the concept by exploring its historical, philosophical, theological, and ideological roots, and to move the tradition forward with a comprehensive and comprehensible framework for constructing foundational ethical concepts. -- Todd A. Salzman, Amelia and Emil Graff Professor of Theology, Creighton UniversityTable of ContentsThe Proliferation of "Intrinsic Evil"Nenad Polgar and Joseph A. SellingPart OneThe Origin and Meaning(s) of the Concept of Intrinsic Evil1.Aristotle on Intrinsically Bad ActionsStephan Herzberg2.The Concept of Intrinsic Evil: An Exploration of Some Theological SourcesNenad PolgarPart Two The Concept of Intrinsic Evil in Sexual Ethics3.Intrinsic Evil in Catholic Sexual Ethics: Time to Move OnStephen J. Pope4.Intrinsic Evil in Catholic Sexual Ethics: New Insights, New Approaches, New LogicGunter Prüller-JagenteufelPart ThreeThe Concept of Intrinsic Evil and Veritatis Splendor5.Intrinsic Evil in Veritatis Splendor and Two Contemporary DebatesJames T. Bretzke, S.J.6.What Are Intrinsically Evil Acts?Sigrid MüllerPart FourThe Concept of Intrinsic Evil in Fundamental Theological Ethics7.The Naming of Evil in Fundamental Theological Ethics Joseph A. Selling8.Intrinsic Evil and the Sources of MoralityWerner WolbertPart FiveThe Future of the Concept of Intrinsic Evil9.Intrinsic Evil in Different Ethical Perspectives Andreas M. Weiß10.Pope Francis’ Heresy?Edward C. Vacek, S.J.What is Intrinsic Evil? Nenad Polgar and Joseph A. Selling

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Book SynopsisThe goal of the present study unfolds in the following four ways. First, in analyzing Pauline writings (primarily Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians) it can be demonstrated that the Apostle can be described as an ethicist. The hypothesis operative here is that in the sources, despite their occasional and situational character and their epistolary form, one can recognize a coherent system of grounds for behavior (i.e., ethics). I call this recognizable ethics “implicit ethics.” Secondly, this work pursues an explicit ethical interpretation of Paul’s writings. What does it mean to read these texts through an ethical lens? I here offer an approach with which one can decipher the ethical content of a historical text. This methodology for ethical analysis (so called ‘organon’) is not only applicable to Paul’s writings, but can also provide an impetus for the ethical interpretation of other NT texts and even for the literature of early Christianity and the Bible more generally. The variety of forms and the complexity of the reflection in Paul’s letters can, in a third point, enrich the discourse of theological ethics. It will be seen, that the rationale for his ethics is pluralistic and simply cannot be described in a one-sided manner as simply being a “deontological ethics of norms.” Along these lines, a fourth element is found in stimulating interdisciplinary debates concerning ethics. If one is able to examine and describe the norms and grounds of justification in Biblical ethics using the language and forms of description utilized in modern ethical theory, biblical ethics could once again gain a voice that can be taken seriously in the modern discussion of values. The point is not to have Scripture per se join the discussion but for these texts to function as a “laboratory” (Paul Ricoeur) in which ethical speech and thought relevant for contemporary concerns can be inspired and encouraged. In a concluding chapter this dialogue is already started by describing specific aspects of Pauline ethics against the background or moral philosophical debate, e.g. “bodily ethics – beyond hedonism”, “ethics of relinquishing – beyond contractual ethics” or “ethics of love beyond Eudaimonian ethics”.Trade ReviewThis translation makes a once-in-a generation benchmark in New Testament ethics available for Anglophones. Zimmermann’s innovative “implicit ethics” transcends established methods and approaches. His analysis by means of a vast array of multi-disciplinary resources, ancient and modern, discloses Pauline approaches that are rarely absolute, but demonstrate coherent systems of hierarchical values (with love at the apex) and relationships (especially with God, Christ, and congregation) that allow for flexible, concrete behaviors principally for the benefit of others. -- Robert L. Brawley, McCormick Theological SeminaryIn this richly documented and detailed work, Ruben Zimmermann presents an original model for analyzing the “implicit ethics” of a text, and applies it in detail to 1 Corinthians. The results enable us to grasp the various kinds of logic by which Paul’s ethics operate, and do so in a way that facilitates engagement not only within the fields of biblical studies and theological ethics, but also, importantly, beyond – into any area concerned with the analysis of ethics. -- David G. Horrell, Reader in New Testament Studies, University of Exeter, UK.In Logic of Love, the renowned German New Testament scholar Ruben Zimmermann sets forth St. Paul’s “implicit ethics” as a coherent and meta-ethically defensible account of the Christian life. Given the long debate about ethics in the bible and the use of the bible in ethics, this work makes a profound contribution that will interest anyone who pounders the point and purpose of Paul’s thought. -- William Schweiker, The University of ChicagoTable of Contents1. Ethics as the Basis for and Evaluation of How One Lives 2. On Methodology: How to Read Biblical Texts Ethically 3. A Test Study: “Implicit Ethics” in 1 Corinthians 4. Pauline Ethics in Current Ethical Debate Appendix I: List of the Imperatives in 1 Corinthians Appendix II: Overview of Select Norms of Conduct in 1 Corinthians Appendix III: Examples of Metaphorical Ethics in 1 Corinthians

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Book SynopsisThese essays reflect on the future of Christian theology in light of the contributions Jürgen Moltmann has made in his prolific career as one of the world’s foremost theologians. They are not a prediction of what is coming in the future of theology, since God’s own actions, and human history, for that matter, are not predictable. Expressed here is hope for what future theology should take seriously from Moltmann’s work. Moltmann broke the mold of 19th and 20th century theology by focusing consistently on God’s promises of a new heaven and a new earth. The result was a theological imagination that is utterly realistic, delighting in the creative tension of theology that lives in an unfinished, open field of negations and possibilities. Hope for the promised future of God casts its light on present sufferings that contradict that future. The prominent themes here focus on the contradictions of God’s promises and God’s justice. The essays see clearly the human domination that leads to the oppression of nature, the hatred of the poor, the dominance of one gender over the other, the migration of those who find no home in their homeland, and the wounds of neocolonialism. For Moltmann, these sufferings do not belong simply to ethics but to the heart of theology. The doctrines of creation, redemption, and new creation are fully engaged in the political, economic, ecological, and social problems of this time. Here lies the way ecumenism will be reborn in the future. The essays argue that theology should not turn aside from Moltmann’s main theme of the resurrection of the Crucified One and of the presence of God’s future in the present. Hope opens our eyes to the work of God’s Spirit of Life and the affirmation of eternal life in the present. The future of Christian theology should not miss the theme of joy in the face of sin, death, and evil and the celebration of God’s cosmic, all-inclusive future in which God will be at home in God’s creation.Trade ReviewThis collection of essays on the impact of J. Moltmann on the future direction of theology is more than timely. As Christian theology is struggling to engage with disciplines other than philosophy—its traditional partner-in-dialogue—to respond to the needs of our time, Jürgen Moltmann and the Work of Hope shows us where Christian hope lies and how to find inspiration and sustenance from it in doing theology. I most enthusiastically recommend it to readers in and outside the church. -- Peter C. Phan, Georgetown UniversityThese essays beautifully demonstrate what it means to do theology in the wake of Jürgen Moltmann’s influence. At the heart of Moltmann’s theology is "the new thing" — the anticipated, hoped for reality that births new beginnings here and now. Written by leading theologians, the essays in this volume have this character. They are themselves new beginnings of theological reflection attentive to the pressing concerns of our time. They will make you want to read more extensively, think more courageously, and most importantly, live God’s future now. Jennifer M. McBride, author of Radical Discipleship: A Liturgical Politics of the Gospel (2017) -- Jennifer M. McBride, McCormick Theological SeminaryAs the list of contributors would suggest, this collection testifies to the scope, vitality, and fruitfulness of Jürgen Moltmann’s influence on contemporary Christian theology. These are lively and provocative reflections, offering new possibilities for theological exploration. -- Charles M. Wood, Southern Methodist UniversityTable of ContentsPreface —M. Douglas Meeks 1. Accounting for the Hope: How Moltmann’s Theology Provokes a Rehearing of the Gospel, the Adventus/Futurum Distinction a Half Century Later — Christopher Morse 2. Expectation — Nancy Elizabeth Bedford 3. Christus Semper Maior: Reflections on Cosmic Christology — Daniel Migliore 4. Time, Eternity, and the Prospects for Care — Miroslav Volf 5. The Coming Spirit of Theology: Moltmann, Pneumatology, and Trinitarian Eschatology for the Third Millennium — Amos Yong 6. Real Possibilities: Moltmann’s Hope, Now — Catherine Keller 7. Jürgen Moltmann and the Quest for a Listening Subject — Willie James Jennings 8. Economy and the Future of Christian Theology — M. Douglas Meeks 9. An Inter-religious Kairos Moment: Christian-Muslim Relations in an Age of Migration — Joshua Ralston

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Book SynopsisEmploying “self-sharpening tools” found in the work of theologian and philosopher Bernard Lonergan, Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato si’, and international law, William P. George brings mining to personal and collective moral awareness by “prospecting for ethics” at selected sites: (1) Butte, Montana, “the Richest Hill on Earth,” once bound to Chuquicamata, Chile, by a company that spanned two continents and nearly owned a state; (2) the tiny island nation of Nauru, called Pleasant Island until it was devastated by phosphate mining and the breaking of a sacred trust by foreign powers; (3) the deep seabed, governed by the United Nations Law of the Sea, a “constitution for the oceans” that regards much of the resource-rich seabed as humankind’s “common heritage”; (4) Africa, with its uranium mines but also its conflicts over what “being nuclear” means in the wake of colonialism, apartheid, and Hiroshima; and (5) mineral-rich asteroids, speeding through space, where mining rights are contested, even as space entrepreneurs look to become the world’s first trillionaires. George introduces readers to remarkable moral miners––the women of Butte and Chuquicamata, a World Court judge from Sri Lanka, the Rocket Boys of Coalwood, West Virginia, to name a few––and leads them to consider not only the morality of mining––what’s good and not so good about resource extraction––but also the mining of morality, a venture that Socrates called “the examined life.”Trade ReviewWilliam P. George has written a wise and penetrating book on the ethics of mining – underground, underwater, and in outer space. Deeply concerned about injustice and the ecological threat, he is not driven by ideology or pre-conceived solutions but invites the reader into careful reflection on an industry that has received too little attention in Christian ethics. -- Daniel K. Finn, St. John’s University & The College of St. BenedictMining Morality is a remarkable and necessary book, yet an unexpected one. Remarkable, because it scrutinizes the ethics of five international mining cases within a unifying Christian vision; necessary because mining trails great international evils such as armed violence, trafficking, government corruption, and vast poverty; and unexpected because mining, as the author rightly notes, is daunting territory, to date left virtually untouched by theologians and philosophers. George’s analyses flash brilliance and expand horizons. Mining Morality should not be missed by any Christian social ethicist. Its concreteness and often personal tone will be a gift to students in undergraduate, graduate and seminary classroom. -- Lisa Cahill, Boston CollegeTable of ContentsPart I: Getting Ready Chapter 1: Introduction: Mining and Moral Consciousness Chapter 2: Assembling the Prospector’s Tools Part II: Prospecting for Ethics on Earth and in Outer Space Chapter 3: Butte, Montana: “The Richest Hill on Earth” and a Moral Morass Chapter 4: Nauru: From Pleasant Island to Phosphate Plunder Chapter 5: Seabed Mining: From Insight to International Law Chapter 6: Uranium Mining and Its Ends: A Matter of Being and Time Chapter 7: Asteroid Mining: Ethics for Aliens or for Us? Part III. A Prospector’s Report Chapter 8: A Brief Ethical Prospector’s Report

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Book SynopsisThe proximity of many different religions, each with its own unique metaphysics and ethics, did not exist in the ancient world when those religions came into existence. Many went uncontested for centuries, and many merged with governments to shape the laws for the entire people of a culture or nation. Theocracies can exist only where there is no plurality of religions or where the minor religions do not mind the dominant one dictating policy for all citizens. In the word’s two greatest democracies, the U.S. and India, despite the diversity that a democratic society presupposes, a majoritarian religion continues to assert an advantage over others to shape the social contract.An Ethic of Trust: Mutual Autonomy and the Common Will-to-Live addresses this problem, moving beyond sheer utilitarianism. W. Royce Clark argues that because of religious pluralism, a nation’s ethic must be grounded on “freestanding” principles. This means that its base must be universally obvious, and its principles must be agreeable to all citizens. The base is instinctual, the “will-to-live” which is present in all living creatures, and the recognition of that can influence people to agree to a voluntary unity and a couple of other basic principles to which all would agree, principles which embrace differences within relationships, whether in a marriage or a constitutional republic. But to voluntarily agree to these requires a genuine mutual trust and mutual autonomy which can maximize unity while allowing individual liberties.To arrive at this point, Clark blends scholars who are often cast as opposites—Albert Schweitzer, Friedrich Nietzsche, and John Rawls—to forge a new path for an inclusive ethic for a nation, within which both the religious and non-religious will have equal freedom and stability. Trade ReviewA passionate and learned call for a shared ethic suitable for our global age. Clark argues that religions, with their absolutism, exclusivism, and antiquated metaphysics, are now part of the problem not the solution for forging a more universal global ethic. Drawing upon an array of western religious and philosophical thinkers, including Schweitzer, Nietzsche, Rorty, and Rawls, he proposes a natural ethic built upon trust, mutual autonomy, and equality as an alternative. It's a bold and welcome contribution to the conversation. -- Linell E. Cady, Arizona State University, emeritaTable of ContentsChapter 1: For What Will You Vote?Chapter 2: Adjusting to the New Millennium in Search of a Common EthicChapter 3: The Relief of Recognizing Different Ethical Grounds or SetsChapter 4: Ethics of the “End”: Myth/Mysticism, “Will to Live,” or Total Presence?Chapter 5: The Instinctual End or Purpose as Life-ProcessChapter 6: The “Best (or “Worst”) of All Possible Worlds”—Perspective or Attitude?Chapter 7: Theoretical Trust in Unity Despite DifferencesChapter 8: Concluding Challenge: to Become Responsible in the Present

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Book SynopsisThis book is a detailed study of how, according to Thomas Aquinas, God’s Holy Spirit is continuously at work in and through humanity’s moral activity. Jack Mahoney, SJ, documents from Aquinas’s interpretation of scripture his portrait of the Holy Spirit in action, showing that for Aquinas, “the grace of the Holy Spirit” was a matter of the “prompting” or instigation (instinctus) of the Holy Spirit, who “drives” God’s children in their decisions (Romans 8:14) and enlightens their minds through the “law of the Spirit of life” (Romans 8:2). Mahoney examines Aquinas’s descriptions of various biblical characters responded in the Spirit to personal moral choices and dilemmas, sometimes in unexpected ways, and how the same can happen today, especially in the light of biblical and Aristotelian teaching on the flexible application of general moral rules in varying circumstances. He elaborates the three “constants” that serve for Aquinas as criteria for authenticating the Spirit’s dynamic presence in people’s moral activity. Finally, Mahoney shows that the overarching structure of Aquinas’s thought on the Holy Spirit’s role is the deployment in history of God’s all-embracing wisdom, “ordering all things well” (Wisdom 8:1). Table of Contents1.Understanding the Holy Spirit2.The “Prompting” of the Holy Spirit3.“The Law of the Spirit of Life” (Rom. 8.2)4.Moral Decision-Making in the Spirit5.Constants of the Holy Spirit6.All-Embracing Wisdom

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Book SynopsisThe Holy Spirit and Moral Action in Thomas Aquinas is a detailed study of how, according to one of Christianity’s greatest visionary thinkers, God’s Holy Spirit is continuously at work in and through humanity’s moral activity. Jack Mahoney, SJ, documents, notably from Aquinas’s commentaries on scripture, how “the grace of the Holy Spirit” prompts and influences people’s minds, as well as their decisions to act, occasionally in unexpected ways. Through the gift of connatural wisdom, the Spirit empowers humans to appreciate God’s own wise and loving design for the whole of creation, and enables them to cooperate freely in fulfilling their unique part in it. Trade ReviewIt is commonplace that the Holy Spirit is a neglected theological topic – perhaps nowhere more grievously than in Catholic moral theology. Jack Mahoney remedies the situation in a study of Aquinas that is focused yet expansive, technical yet spiritual, rigorous yet inspirational. The Holy Spirit comes into its own as the center, power, and joy of the Christian moral life. This is another stunning achievement from a renowned theologian whose prestige is once again resoundingly validated. -- Lisa Cahill, Boston CollegeIn this magisterial account, Jack Mahoney reveals to us the ‘drive’ by which the Holy Spirit prompts and guides Thomas Aquinas’s theological inquiries in the Summa Theologiae and the long-overlooked Commentaries on the Scriptures. Mahoney ably trains us to discern the synthesis of wisdom that pervades the corpus of Aquinas’s thought. This ground-breaking work, thoughtfully and beautifully conveyed by a theologian long known for his impeccable judgment, clarity of expression, and profundity of reflection, is certain to become a classic. -- James F. Keenan, SJ, Boston CollegeThe long-established uncontroversial conception of Thomas Aquinas’s natural law ethics as baptized Aristotle, based on study of the relevant questions in the Summa and related scholastic disputations, finally crashes in this great work of theological scholarship: rather, grounded on reading his biblical commentaries, his ethics turns out to be an account of how the behaviour of Christian people is driven by the Holy Spirit. After all, expounding Scripture was Thomas’s everyday job: here Mahoney makes a wonderful contribution to what is still only a trickle of studies that engage deeply with the biblical commentaries. Then, while plainly at ease in recent philosophical work on Aquinas, Mahoney joins the increasing number of exponents of Thomas as theologian of the Trinity and spiritual master. This is a great book. -- Fergus Kerr, OP, Blackfriars Hall, Oxford UniversityMahoney must have done an immense amount of reading…. It is lovely to watch him ranging round Aquinas' scripture commentaries. He succeeds in showing that Aquinas is primarily a scriptural commentator, and that in this he was constantly being enriched by his attention to Augustine and Aristotle. It is a joy to see the depth of knowledge and breadth of reading [in his scripture commentaries] which lies behind the succinct arguments of the Summa of Aquinas’ teaching. It was also refreshing to see his use of imagery from the natural world, to illustrate the paradoxes of the workings of grace: the rushing waters of the Spirit move the human will ‘as a river moves sand and pebbles'.… The book is a noble illustration of the rich tradition of medieval thought. -- Henry Wansbrough, OSB, Ampleforth AbbeyTable of Contents1.Understanding the Holy Spirit2.The “Prompting” of the Holy Spirit3.“The Law of the Spirit of Life” (Rom. 8.2)4.Moral Decision-Making in the Spirit5.Constants of the Holy Spirit6.All-Embracing Wisdom

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Book SynopsisIn The Morality Wars, contributors from religious and non-religious backgrounds debate the origin and nature of human goodness. While the subject is often addressed by prominent figures on both sides of the believer/atheist divide on public platforms and social media, participants seldom get the opportunity to explain their viewpoints in depth. In addition to engaging the question of the role of religious faith― or its absence― in the development of the moral conscience, the contributors draw on and engage with philosophers and other thinkers who are often neglected when committed theologians and atheists debate each other, such as Sigmund Freud, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Jacques Lacan. Trade ReviewThis book offers a lively debate concerning the nature of morality and its foundations by a wide variety of contributors from both religious and nonreligious perspectives. The international list of contributors are all well-known and seasoned debaters. They include neuroscientists, analytic philosophers, theologians, Christian apologists, philosophers of science, mathematicians, bioethicists, and a theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate. Rarely do the perspectives represented by this high-caliber slate of contributors find their way into a single volume. The spirited debate offered in these pages deserves a wide hearing. -- Philip Blosser, Sacred Heart Major SeminaryTable of ContentsThe Morality Wars: A Discussion on Why We Are Good Louise MabillePart I: The Naturalists1. A Science of Good and Evil Sam Harris2. The Origins of Morality in the Human Psyche Bert Olivier3 .Morality as Delusion Michael Ruse4 .Return to the Enlightenment Susan NeimanPart II: The Ambivalents5. No science of morality Steven Weinberg6. Misunderstanding Moral Psychology Jonathan Haidt7. The Use and Abuse of Naturalism for Morality Louise MabillePart III: The Theists 8. My God-Given Conscience Henk Stoker9. Theism as Meta-Ethical Foundation for Morality William Lane Craig10. Morality as Based on Natural Law Richard Howe11. Ethics Needs God Paul Copan12. Biologizing Ethics and the Destruction of Morality John Lennox

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Book SynopsisIn The Morality Wars, contributors from religious and non-religious backgrounds debate the origin and nature of human goodness. While the subject is often addressed by prominent figures on both sides of the believer/atheist divide on public platforms and social media, participants seldom get the opportunity to explain their viewpoints in depth. In addition to engaging the traditional conflict between science and religious faith over the content and nature of the moral conscience, the contributors also draw on and engage with figures who are often neglected when committed theologians and atheists debate each other, such as Sigmund Freud, Friedrich Nietzsche, David Hume, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Jacques Lacan. Trade ReviewThis book offers a lively debate concerning the nature of morality and its foundations by a wide variety of contributors from both religious and nonreligious perspectives. The international list of contributors are all well-known and seasoned debaters. They include neuroscientists, analytic philosophers, theologians, Christian apologists, philosophers of science, mathematicians, bioethicists, and a theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate. Rarely do the perspectives represented by this high-caliber slate of contributors find their way into a single volume. The spirited debate offered in these pages deserves a wide hearing. -- Philip Blosser, Sacred Heart Major SeminaryIn a remarkable contribution to a much-needed discussion, The Morality Wars brings together the academic contributions of naturalist, ambivalent, and theist thinkers in order to explore the different ways that they seek to ground philosophically the moral impetus that is human. As they seek to base their diverse answers to the question “How then can we live?” to borrow the question from the prophet Ezekiel, they touch upon urgent questions that the transcendental believer and unbeliever alike must confront for life in society for this 21st century. -- Davi Charles Gomes, International Director of the World Reformed Fellowship; Former Chancellor of Mackenzie University, São PauloThis is a fantastically useful and stimulating book. It provides an overview of a range of positions on the origins and nature of morality articulated by some of their best-known and most impressive defenders. -- Stephen Law, editor of Think; honorary research fellow in philosophy at RoehamptonTable of ContentsThe Morality Wars: A Discussion on Why We Are Good Louise MabillePart I: The Naturalists1. A Science of Good and Evil Sam Harris2. The Origins of Morality in the Human Psyche Bert Olivier3 .Morality as Delusion Michael Ruse4 .Return to the Enlightenment Susan NeimanPart II: The Ambivalents5. No science of morality Steven Weinberg6. Misunderstanding Moral Psychology Jonathan Haidt7. The Use and Abuse of Naturalism for Morality Louise MabillePart III: The Theists 8. My God-Given Conscience Henk Stoker9. Theism as Meta-Ethical Foundation for Morality William Lane Craig10. Morality as Based on Natural Law Richard Howe11. Ethics Needs God Paul Copan12. Biologizing Ethics and the Destruction of Morality John Lennox

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Book SynopsisRighteous Indignation: Christian Philosophical and Theological Perspectives on Anger explores the philosophy of Christian anger—what anger is, what it means for God to be angry, and when anger is morally appropriate. The book explores specific biblical questions, such as how God communicates his anger in the Old Testament and whether anger at one's enemies in the imprecatory psalms is praiseworthy. In addition, some chapters focus on the practical application of anger to topics such as racial justice, criminal law, and civil discourse, and on the ideas of historical figures such as Thomas Aquinas and Jonathan Edwards. The purpose of the book is to provide multiple perspectives, examining anger from different angles, but most of all it is hoped that readers will come away with a better understanding of God's nature and how followers of Jesus ought to relate to those who wrong them.Table of ContentsChapter 1: Divine Anger and Human Love Joshua BeckettChapter 2: The Righteous Anger of the Immutable God of Love John PeckhamChapter 3: Quenching Divine Fire: Divine Anger and the Atonement Joshua R. Farris and Mark S. HamiltonChapter 4: The Hidden Face of God: A Visual Depiction of God’s Anger in the Old Testament Melissa C. M. TanChapter 5: Praying against Enemies: Biblical Precedents, Ethical Reflections, and Suggested Guidelines Charlie TrimmChapter 6: Aquinas on Anger Matthew R. BoulterChapter 7: Jonathan Edwards on Divine Justice and Anger Phillip HusseyChapter 8: Anger, Humility, and Civil Discourse Michael W. AustinChapter 9: Anger and the Law – Free from Passion? Tammy W. CowartChapter 10: Racism and the Spiritual Discipline of Righteous Anger Jason CookChapter 11: Anger in an Ethics of Love Gregory L. Bock

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