Religious ethics Books

Book SynopsisThis short, accessible, but theologically substantive volume unfolds the significance of the Ten Commandments for the Christian life. Gilbert Meilaender, one of today's leading Christian ethicists, places the commandments in the larger context of the biblical history of redemption and invites readers to wrestle with how human loves should relate to the first commandment: to love God above all else. As he approaches the Decalogue from this perspective, Meilaender helps Christians learn what it means to say, "Thy will be done."Table of ContentsContents1. The Law of Christ2. The Marriage Bond3. The Family Bond4. The Life Bond5. The Possessions Bond6. The Speech Bond7. The Great and First CommandmentIndex

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Book SynopsisDrawing on Scripture, church history, and his own story, Shane Claiborne explores how a passion for social justice issues surrounding life and death--such as war, gun ownership, the death penalty, racial injustice, abortion, poverty, and the environment--intersects with our faith as we advocate for life in its totality.Many of us wonder how to think about and act on issues of life and death beyond abortion and the death penalty--yet the heated debates in our churches and the confusion of our own hearts sometimes feel overwhelming. What does a balanced, Christian view of what it means to be pro-life really look like?Combining stories, theological reflection, and a little wit with a Southern accent, activist Shane Claiborne explores the battle between life and death that goes back to the Garden of Eden. Shane draws on his childhood growing up in the Bible Belt, his own change of perspective on how to advocate for life, and his years of working on behalf Trade ReviewA calm but passionate defense of human life at every stage. Shane Claiborne reminds us that to be pro-life means to be pro all lives, not just pro some lives, from the innocent unborn child in the womb to the guilty inmate languishing on death row. Every life is sacred. James Martin, SJ, author, Learning to Pray: A Guide for EveryoneAt a time of deep divisions, when religious faith is too often reduced to a marker of political allegiance and lines are too quickly drawn between friend and foe, Shane Claiborne offers a voice of resistance. Drawing on biblical teaching and church history, Claiborne invites readers to grapple with difficult issues with honesty, compassion, and courage. Rethinking Life is not just a book for progressive Christians but is for all Christians who seek to discern how to live faithfully in troubled times. This challenging, clear-eyed, and hope-filled book is a gift to the American church. Kristin Kobes Du Mez, author, New York Times bestseller Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a NationGreat truth is invariably simple, but not at all simplistic. It builds right on top of the very basics. Thus we have to forever relearn the basics--real well! Shane Claiborne does this almost naturally. Fr. Richard Rohr, Center for Action and Contemplation, AlbuquerqueHere is a book that courageously and effectively tackles several difficult issues around the ethics of life for those who wish to follow Jesus of Nazareth. Whether it is abortion, capital punishment, eugenics, war, or the historic culpability of the church, Shane Claiborne avoids oversimplification in any direction by focusing on the human element, offering provocative questions for both individuals and small groups to chew on. Most Rev. Michael B. Curry, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church; author, Love Is the Way and The Power of LoveI resonate with this book in the marrow of my bones! In Rethinking Life, Shane Claiborne shows us what a genuine pro-life theology, ethic, and practice demands of us and looks like in practice. Authentic Christianity has always been robustly pro-life, but it must be more than a politicized slogan selectively and narrowly applied. In Rethinking Life, Claiborne's thinking is as keen as his heart is compassionate. And best of all, Jesus shines through on every page. Brian Zahnd, author, When Everything's on FireIn matters of life and death and of the heart of God, the stakes are too high to limit our conversation partners. Claiborne has given us a probing exploration of history, biblical themes, and personal experience that demands serious consideration for an expansive ethic of life. Walter Kim, president, National Association of EvangelicalsMy friend Shane has written another terrific book. He is once again insightful and clever and has filled these pages with predictably kind and sometimes hard words. Shane is a voice I trust. I deeply value his insights, and I know you will as well. Bob Goff, New York Times bestselling author, Love Does, Everybody Always, and Dream BigPerhaps Shane Claiborne's most theologically significant work, Rethinking Life offers a profound articulation of a consistent pro-life Christian ethic, richly informed by Shane's on-the-ground experiences in activism and witness. Highly recommend! David Gushee, Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics, Mercer University; Chair in Christian Social Ethics, Vrije Universteit Amsterdam; senior research fellow, International Baptist Theological Study Centre; president emeritus, American Academy of Religion, Society of Christian EthicsRethinking Life is an intervention. In a moment when the politics of life is leading to death, master storyteller and public theologian Shane Claiborne leads followers of Jesus on a brave pilgrimage through the meaning, ethics, and politics of life--and death--and love. This is one of those books you will cherish and quote for the rest of your life. Lisa Sharon Harper, president and founder, FreedomRoad.us; author, Fortune: How Race Broke My Family and the World and How to Repair It AllShane Claiborne has once again offered the world a book that reorients our spiritual worldview toward compassion, justice, and humility. Rethinking Life dares the reader to embrace a sacred spiritual framework for life beyond hollow political talking points and shallow religious doctrine; we are called to witness the sacred in other people, cultures, traditions, faiths, classes, and racial classifications. This book pushes believers to fully live a Christ-centered life and challenges the nonbeliever to construct a moral philosophy rooted in compassion. Otis Moss III, author, Dancing in the Darkness: Spiritual Lessons for Thriving in Turbulent TimesShane Claiborne is a force of gospel power. In this book he mobilizes his energy, wisdom, honesty, compassion, and practicality into a manifesto for transformation. As a truth teller, he does not flinch from the indices of our skewed public life, marked as they are by anti-neighborly violence. In the midst of this truth telling, however, Claiborne attests to the buoyancy of a gospel faith that can be acted out in any circumstance of our distorted life together. If readers follow his testimony, they will surely be led to life in a 'contrast culture' that traffics in God's love and restorative justice, which are sure to create zones of well-being. This is a book that is wise in its expose and fervent in its hope giving. What matters is to read attentively and then to act accordingly. Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Theological SeminaryShane's latest offering to the church, Rethinking Life, provides a useful juxtaposition of personal encounters and sacred text to guide us toward shaping a theologically sound Christian ethic informed by our lived experiences. While we may not arrive at the same conclusion in every circumstance, Rethinking Life sets a bountiful table of ideas and tools useful in reasoning together, when collective reasoning seems rare. I am certain I will return to this book often in the days and years to come. Rev. Traci D. Blackmon, associate general minister, Justice and Local Church Ministries, United Church of ChristWhat does love require of us? That is a question Christ followers need to be asking at every crossroads (and with every breath), and everyone else would benefit from asking it as well. This question and a variety of biblically rooted and profound answers are at the core of Rethinking Life. Shane Claiborne has a unique and powerful voice as he comments on the call of the church at this historic moment; he makes camp in the no-man's-land between the two sides of the cultural wars, exuding the winsome fragrance of Christ. You don't have to agree with all of his answers (not even his wife does, as Shane admits in the book), but there is no doubt that his questions matter, and his responses are provocative in all the best ways. Rev. Dr. Alexia Salvatierra, academic dean, Centro Latino; associate professor of mission and global transformation, Fuller Theological SeminaryWhen I am dismayed by how little Christians are turning to Jesus these days, along comes my dear younger brother in Christ, Shane Claiborne, with a new word or call, and now a new book! My students at Georgetown are deeply hungry for the 'rethinking of life,' and Shane is one of the best authors I know to help them do that. Despite their skepticism of religion, the young people I talk with every day are still deeply attracted to Jesus, and Shane offers them a real introduction to the one who most guides us to rethink everything. Jim Wallis, inaugural chair and founding director, Center on Faith and Justice at Georgetown UniversityWith theological savvy, historical insight, and uncommon wisdom, Shane Claiborne reminds us of the subversive power of telling the truth, being unafraid to follow wherever it leads. In summoning the followers of Jesus to become 'midwives of a better world,' Claiborne's prophetic voice has never been clearer--or more timely. Randall Balmer, author, Bad Faith: Race and the Rise of the Religious Right

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Book SynopsisWhat did Jesus really say about divorce and remarriage? Challenging the evangelical near-consensus that Jesus permitted divorce and remarriage in certain circumstances, Gordon Wenham argues that while Jesus permitted separation in cases of sexual immorality, he did not permit divorce and remarriage. Presenting a revisitation and expansion of several decades of thought and debate on the topic, Wenham builds his case from a close reading of Jesus' teaching in the Gospels, showing how his teaching pushed against the culture of his day. In addition, Wenham brings in insights from ancient Near Eastern marriage laws, the Old Testament, the writings of Paul, and the earliest Christian interpreters of the Gospel divorce texts. Readers will be challenged by a careful biblical argument that provides a counterpoint to the majority view. No study on divorce and remarriage will be complete without considering Jesus, Divorce, and Remarriage.

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Book SynopsisWayne Grudem offers a biblical and ethical guide to controversial issues surrounding abortion and euthanasia, defining his terms clearly and exploring science, politics, and opposing arguments.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Clear and accessible. . . . Topics include the right to life, gender, sexuality, marriage and family, the environment, slavery, violence, and social justice. Collins effectively demonstrates how such issues are morally complex.”—David Atkinson, Church Times“A wise, insightful, and often surprising discussion of the relevance (and sometimes irrelevance) of the Bible for significant ethical debates of our day.”—Bart D. Ehrman, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill“In this engaging study of the conflicting and discordant values found in the Bible, one of the world’s foremost scholars of the Hebrew Bible confronts us with hard truths. Brimming with promise for ecumenical and inter‑religious conversations, his book offers a constructive program for wrestling with this tradition.”—Candida Moss, author of Divine Bodies“This remarkable volume takes on the considerable task of determining what the Bible actually says about various issues of contemporary concern apart from the facile and tendentious rhetoric that surrounds them. The author examines these topics in an evenhanded way, then turns to the text itself, its context, and other relevant authorities. This is an excellent, balanced, and important book.”—Randall Balmer, Dartmouth College“Too many people think they know what biblical values are without actually having read the Bible. In this wise and insightful book, John Collins shows us what it really says on contested moral issues.”—John Barton, University of Oxford“With accessible prose and provocative conclusions, What Are Biblical Values? offers a concise account of how to read (and not read) biblical texts in relation to a host of contested issues. It challenges readers to transcend the division between historical studies and normative ethics.”—Eric Gregory, Princeton University

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Book SynopsisIn 1999 His Holiness The Dalai Lama published the bestselling Ancient Wisdom: Modern World, which addressed the question of ethics for the new millennium. A decade later, His Holiness enters the contemporary debate about religion vs atheism, and returns to the theme of ethics with a major new work: Beyond Religion: ethics for a whole world.In this thought-provoking new book he argues that religion is not a necessity for pursuing a spiritual life. Rather, focusing on tolerance and understanding between religions, as well as tolerance and understanding between believers (of any faith) and non-believers is the way forward. The way to achieve such an approach, he proposes, is through a system of secular ethics grounded in a deep appreciation of our common humanity. Aimed particularly at the general reader, Beyond Religion: ethics for a whole world is a modern-day polemic which outlines those ethics he believes should be central to our lives.Trade ReviewThe most influential person in the world * Time magazine *He draws crowds that no other spiritual leader or politican could hope to match...he seems to look at life in a different way to everyone else * The Times *A man of great intelligence and charm...(the Dalai Lama) has become the lynch pin of hope for a great many people. * Professor Robert Thurman, author of Infinite Life *This wise, humane book, an original work rather than a collection of talks, is an incisive statement of His Holiness's thinking on ways to bring peace to a suffering world. * Publishers Weekly *An impressive guide for teaching religious tolerance and respect to readers of all ages. * Kirkus *

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Book SynopsisThis book defends the fundamental place of the marital family in modern liberal societies. While applauding modern sexual freedoms, John Witte, Jr also defends the traditional Western teaching that the marital family is an essential cradle of conscience, chrysalis of care, and cornerstone of ordered liberty. He thus urges churches, states, and other social institutions to protect and promote the marital family. He encourages reticent churches to embrace the rights of women and children, as Christians have long taught, and encourages modern states to promote responsible sexual freedom and family relations, as liberals have long said. He counsels modern churches and states to share in family law governance, and to resist recent efforts to privatize, abolish, or radically expand the marital family sphere. Witte also invites fellow citizens to end their bitter battles over same-sex marriage and tend to the vast family field that urgently needs concerted attention and action.Trade Review'It is hard to imagine a better researched, better balanced, more clearly argued - but also more charitable - defense of what John Witte, Jr calls the traditional 'marital family'. Witte a legal scholar of unique historical insight, here spells out clearly why a culture of 'stable monogamous marriages' harmonizes contractual, spiritual, natural, social, communicative, and economic realities - while offering special protection for women, children, and the poor of whatever gender, race, or class. It is a compelling book of landmark dimensions.' Mark A. Noll, McAnaney Professor of History Emeritus, University of Notre Dame'The context of this engrossing, learned and far-ranging text is the way much of traditional family law has been elbowed aside in favor of new cultural and constitutional norms of sexual freedom, privacy and autonomy. For his encyclopedic knowledge and incisiveness, John Witte, Jr has no equal, and this is a fair-minded and wise attempt at the re-integration of state and faith-based institutions. I commend it unreservedly.' Iain R. Torrance, President Emeritus of Princeton Theological Seminary'Over many years, John Witte, Jr has made a profound contribution to global scholarship and debate on law and religion. He continues to do so, with great energy and insight, in this superb book. Written in the highest academic traditions of argument and counter-argument, this book justly deserves to become an enduring stimulus for debate on the importance of the marital family in human life.' Norman Doe, Cardiff University'Vintage Witte! Drawing on his deep wells of scholarship, and writing with characteristic clarity and charity, he offers church, state, and society a reasoned account and constructive model of the marital family as a continuing private and public good, worthy of voluntary commitment and legal support.' William Storrar, Center of Theological Inquiry in Princeton, New Jersey'I am convinced that John Witte, Jr's circumspect research, careful evaluations and well-balanced arguments will not only provoke lively and fruitful discussions, but will also encourage the support and development of good and joy-generating practices in religious and secular communities.' Michael Welker, University of Heidelberg'Church, State, and Family: Reconciling Traditional Teachings and Modern Liberties is an extraordinary work of meticulous scholarship and a part of the Cambridge Studies in Law and Christianity. While an exceptional and unreservedly recommended addition to seminary, college and university library Contemporary Christian Doctrinal Issues collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for students, academia, clergy, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject.' Jack Mason, Midwest Book Review'… attempts the impossible task of providing a valuable and nuanced perspective on the relationship between religious and secular law governing family in the United States and other common law counties … is a satisfying compromise and a worthy read.' Michael J. Broyde, Journal of Law and Religion'… remarkable rereading and prodigious reconstruction …' Mark D. Jordan, Journal of Law and Religion'John Witte offers a masterful overview of the history of religious and political thought about marriage in the West … Church, State, and Family offers a robust defense of (mostly) traditional ideas about marriage and family, grounded equally in theological doctrine, moral and political theory, and contemporary empirical research.' Brian H. Bix, Journal of Law and Religion'… impressively wide-ranging and admirably countercultural … he has in this book offered us a highly informative, thoroughly well-documented, and penetratingly searching analysis of an inescapably controversial case of contemporary state action.' Jonathan Chaplin, Journal of Law and Religion'Church, State, and Family provides an engaging argument for the importance of family to religion and to civil society … The book as a whole is an intellectual tour de force … will be an enduring book …' Frank S. Ravitch, Journal of Church and StateTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. The first integrative Christian theories of family life: John Chrysostom and Augustine of Hippo; 2. Marriage as an office of nature and a sacrament of the church: Thomas Aquinas and Francisco Vitoria; 3. The marital family as social estate and covenant community: Martin Luther and John Calvin; 4. The domestic market: the family as matrix of modern economics; 5. The nature of family in seventeenth-century Christian thought: Hugo Grotius and John Selde; 6. The surprising liberal defense of the traditional marital family by enlightenment liberals; 7. The multidimensional family sphere: reconstructing traditional family teachings for modern liberal societies; 8. Why suffer the children? Overcoming the modern church's opposition to children's rights; 9. Why same-sex marriage should not lead to polygamy; 10. By the power vested in whom? What place for faith-based family laws in a liberal democracy?; 11. The dangers of private ordering; Concluding reflections.

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Book SynopsisAs humans, we want to live meaningfully, yet we are often driven by impulse. In Religion and the Meaning of Life, Williams investigates this paradox one with profound implications. Delving into felt realities pertinent to meaning, such as boredom, trauma, suicide, denial of death, and indifference, Williams describes ways to acquire meaning and potential obstacles to its acquisition. This book is unique in its willingness to transcend a more secular stance and explore how one''s belief in God may be relevant to life''s meaning. Religion and the Meaning of Life''s interdisciplinary approach makes it useful to philosophers, religious studies scholars, psychologists, students, and general readers alike. The insights from this book have profound real-world applications they can transform how readers search for meaning and, consequently, how readers see and exist in the world.Trade Review'An insightful exploration of what makes life meaningful, and its connections with belief in a God of the sort worshipped by the Jewish, Christian and Islamic religions.' T. J. Mawson, University of Oxford'Though life's meaning is on the map in analytic philosophy in ways it has never been before, philosophers who write from an explicitly religious persuasion occupy a relatively small portion of the field. Clifford Williams's new book is a welcome addition that is, at once, analytically rigorous, existentially attuned, and religiously thoughtful. Unlike many other works on life's meaning, it treats this topic with the vitality it rightly deserves, engaging desires of both heart and mind. Williams demonstrates a deep understanding of the human condition, the widespread hunger for meaning, and the unique and powerful ways that religion can satiate that hunger.' Joshua Seachris, University of Notre Dame, Indiana'Written with analytic acumen and empathic warmth, this engaging book is a must read for all those interested in the meaning of life. This is the first book on the meaning of life focused on the description of experiences that reveal obstacles to meaning, as well as the paths to attain it.' Mirela Oliva, University of St. Thomas, Texas'This book thoughtfully explores issues related to the meaning of life from a religious perspective without being dogmatic. Because of this, it should be of great interest to those concerned with how spirituality intersects with meaningfulness. The book constitutes a significant contribution towards one of the important dialogues of our era: between secular and religious conceptions of our lives as humans.' Garrett Thomson, College of Wooster, Ohio'Everything fits neatly together to form a thoughtful organic unity in a clearly written style. …Cliford Williams' book [is] the latest important addition to supernaturalist analytic existentialism.' Thaddeus Metz, International Journal for Philosophy of ReligionTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Why should we care about meaning?; 2. Boredom; 3. Denial of death; 4. Acquiring meaning; 5. Suicide; 6. The divine one; 7. Life after death; 8. Obstacles; 9. How should we live so as to die well?; Epilogue. Facts the heart can feel; References; Index.

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Book SynopsisAs demonstrated in any conflict, war is violent and causes grave harms to innocent persons, even when fought in compliance with just war criteria. In this book, Rosemary Kellison presents a feminist critique of just war reasoning, with particular focus on the issue of responsibility for harm to noncombatants. Contemporary just war reasoning denies the violence of war by suggesting that many of the harms caused by war are necessary, though regrettable, injuries for which inflicting agents bear no responsibility. She challenges this narrow understanding of responsibility through a feminist ethical approach that emphasizes the relationality of humans and the resulting asymmetries in their relative power and vulnerability. According to this approach, the powerful individual and collective agents who inflict harm during war are responsible for recognizing and responding to the vulnerable persons they harm, and thereby reducing the likelihood of future violence.Kellison''s volume goes beyond abstract theoretical work to consider the real implications of an important ethical problem.Table of Contents1. Feminist ethics; 2. Necessity and the evasion of responsibility; 3. Relational personhood and the violence of war; 4. Intention matters; 5. From evading to expanding responsibility; 6. Taking responsibility for harmdoing in war.

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Book SynopsisThere is a growing crisis in scientific research characterized by failures to reproduce experimental results, fraud, lack of innovation, and burn-out. In Science and Christian Ethics, Paul Scherz traces these problems to the drive by governments and business to make scientists into competitive entrepreneurs who use their research results to stimulate economic growth. The result is a competitive environment aimed at commodifying the world. In order to confront this problem of character, Scherz examines the alternative Aristotelian and Stoic models of reforming character, found in the works of Alasdair MacIntyre and Michel Foucault. Against many prominent virtue ethicists, he argues that what individual scientists need is a regime of spiritual exercises, such as those found in Stoicism as it was adopted by Christianity, in order to refocus on the good of truth in the face of institutional pressure. His book illuminates pressing issues in research ethics, moral education, and anthropology.Trade Review'An incisive critique of the contemporary practice of science, a brilliant reconstruction of a Stoic-Christian ethic of moral and spiritual practices, and a compelling argument for reorienting virtue ethics around the question of how to cultivate virtue in the midst of corrupt institutions and practices. This lucid, thoughtful, and engaging book is a landmark contribution to the ethics of science and to Christian virtue ethics.' Gerald McKenny, University of Notre Dame, Indiana'Paul Scherz's fascinating and important book … offers a Christian ethical analysis of the practice of science … I have already begun recommending it to colleagues, doctoral students and scientists with an interest in ethics. It is a valuable contribution to a neglected aspect of the literature on science, theology and ethics. For anyone concerned about the malaise of contemporary science diagnosed by Scherz, it will be troubling and challenging, but essential, reading.' Neil Messer, Studies in Christian Ethics'… an open-minded reader will find a great deal of constructive advice on changing scientific culture that can be appreciated by people of any religion or none.' Paul Scherz, The Heythrop Journal'This book will be of interest to Christian scientists who wish to combine their academic work and Christian discipleship, as well as those interested in professional ethics.' Aaron Klink, Religious Studies ReviewTable of Contents1. The crisis in science; 2. The scientist entrepreneur; 3. Teleology and the craft of science; 4. The practices that shape the entrepreneurial subject; 5. Reshaping the entrepreneurial subject; 6. Acquiring the virtue of truth-speaking in science; 7. Subjectivity, truth, and theological anthropology.

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Book SynopsisFor over twenty centuries, from ancient Greece the ideal of natural law has been appealed to in Western moral and legal philosophy as a grounding for ethics and jurisprudence, centered on capacities of a common human nature. From the early medieval advent of Christendom, it was embedded within theistic and religious systems for over a millennium, during which time it was treated as incomplete and part of an enveloping divine law of ethics. Modern agnosticism in theology, religion, and metaphysics then saw natural law unhitched from these associations, but it is still suspect due to its lingering ties with these disciplines and practices. It endured through its meta-ethical capacity to integrate changes in science with ethics via its central notion of wellbeing as the perfection of human nature, via access to the highest good, however variously understood. Today, nature and human natures wellbeing, are both endangered. Ecological destruction arising from unbridled growth, industrial pollution, nuclear weapons and mass population displacement though poverty and wars threaten humanity. But in terms of the meta-ethics of wellbeing, both the humanist normative ethics of natural law, and some of its enveloping theistic and religious divine law addenda, can be invoked to address such evils. The book aims to reinvigorate natural law as a unifying ethical organon for this purpose, showing that it can dialogue with its enveloping divine law overlays constructively, uncovering its points of essential unity with them, and generating some unified solutions to the global threats mentioned, like poverty. These are largely due to global injustices like tax evasion, the arms trade, and political corruption, which are better prevented by cooperatively agreed and enforced global ideals, norms, and laws, based on natural and divine law, grounding international laws rather than appealing to national norms and laws alone.

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Book SynopsisThe theme of this volume is the question of value-perception. It is discussed from different philosophical, psychiatric, theological, and anthropological perspectives. The thesis that unites all the papers is the recognition that we live in a relational, dynamic world, in which we primarily perceive, and that to dissolve values from facts is fundamentally misleading, both in theory as in life. The contributions are the outcome of an energetic conference in 2016 where the problems at stake were rigorously discussed. The results are presented here, and they have an explicit order and are strictly related. It opens with basic questions and observations, then critical opinions and objections come into play, after which the outline of a larger theory of value perception is presented, and at the end some concrete examples from material practices are drawn.

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Book SynopsisEnd of Days is both a meditation on Jewish morality in the age of Israeli Jewish power, and a cri du coeur by an Orthodox Israeli Jew, a former combat officer in the IDF, for Israelis to look into the Jewish religious ethical tradition for an alternative to the secular and religious Zionism that sanctifies power, statehood, and sovereignty. Appealing to a wealth of Jewish sources from the Bible to the present, including medieval Jewish ethical literature, rabbinic sources, Jewish law, and contemporary Israeli thought, the book presents an argument against Israel’s occupation of the Palestinians and the suppression of their rights from the perspective of a modern Israeli religious Jew.Trade Review“Drawing on an impressive range of sources—the Talmud, the writings of Ashkenazi and Sephardic medieval Jewish pietists, the Chofetz Chaim’s forgotten guide for Jewish soldiers, the Yiddish poetry of Jacob Glatstein—Manekin traces in compelling detail the traditional Jewish ethical disposition that recoils from pride, abhors violence, and views power with suspicion. He argues that this traditional Jewish ethics requires a radically different approach to the reality of Jewish political power instantiated by the Israeli state than the dominant view in Israel allows. By the book’s end, he leaves the reader with little doubt that not only is there no need to compromise one’s commitment to Jewish tradition in order to oppose Israel’s occupation, but that a commitment to traditional Jewish ethics requires active opposition to the occupation. Powerful yet unconventional, [this book] is a hybrid of memoir, mussar [morality], family history, halakhic argumentation, and social criticism. It is a manifesto for a new religiously committed Jewish left that is taking shape.”— Joshua Leifer, Tel Aviv Review of Books (on the Hebrew edition)Table of ContentsPreface, by Shaul MagidIntroductionAcknowledgments Remembering Patience Submission Devotion Contentment Listening Index

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Book SynopsisFor many Westerners, the most appealing teachings of the Buddhist tradition pertain to ethics. Buddhist ethical views have much in common with certain modern ethical theories, and contain many insights relevant to contemporary moral problems. In Consequences of Compassion, Charles Goodman illuminates the relationship between Buddhism and Western ethical theories. Buddhist texts offer an interesting approach to the demands of morality and a powerful critique of what we would identify as the concept of free will-a critique which leads to a hard determinist view of human action. But rather than being a threat to morality, this view supports Buddhist values of compassion, nonviolence and forgiveness, and leads to a more humane approach to the justification of punishment. Drawing on Buddhist religious values, Goodman argues against the death penalty and mandatory minimum sentences.Every version of Buddhist ethics, says Goodman, takes the welfare of sentient beings to be the only source of mTable of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. Fundamental Buddhist Teachings ; 2. Main Features of Some Western Ethical Theories ; 3. Theravada Ethics as a Rule-Consequentialism ; 4. Mahayana Ethics before Santideva ; 5. Santideva and After ; 6. Transcending Ethics ; 7. Buddhist Ethics and the Demands of Consequentialism ; 8. Buddhism on Moral Responsibility ; 9. Punishment ; 10. Objections and Replies ; 11. A Buddhism Response to Kant ; Conclusion ; Notes ; Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisThoughtful observers agree that the planetary crisis we now face-climate change; species extinction; the destruction of entire ecosystems; the urgent need for a more just economic-political order-is pushing human civilization to a radical turning point: change or perish. But precisely how to change remains an open question.In Earth-honoring Faith, Larry Rasmussen answers that question with a dramatically new way of thinking about human society, ethics, and the ongoing health of our planet. Rejecting the modern assumption that morality applies to human society alone, Rasmussen insists that we must derive a spiritual and ecological ethic that accounts for the well-being of all creation, as well as the primal elements upon which it depends: earth, air, fire, water, and sunlight. He argues that good science, necessary as it is, will not be enough to inspire fundamental change. We must draw on religious resources as well to make the difficult transition from an industrial-technological age Trade ReviewIn many ways Earth-Honoring Faith resembles an intricate, colorful song played by a vast collection of deft instrumentalists. Rasmussen is a master at tying together a large number of resources and perspectives, each carefully tuned to play the right notes. Persuasively, even lyrically, he has assembled a grand orchestra to inspire deep reflection and animate meaningful practice. * The Christian Century *This book is important, timely, sorely needed and deeply prophetic- delivering a hard, truthful indictment of the world as it is, but also suggesting visionary, hopeful Earth-honoring ways forward... yes, you should, you need , to read this. * Journal of Lutheran Ethics *Larry Rasmussen has once again penned a masterwork uniting ecological ethics and religious practices broadly envisioned. If the Earth is to survive, ethical theory and spiritual praxis are equally vital. Science informs. Religions motivat. A transformation combining these concepts is urgently needed at this moment in time on our planet. * Catholic Books Review *He [Rasmussen] writes extremely well, with elegance and eloquence, and weaves poetry, narrative, and personal stories into a tapestry informed by keen ethical insight and analysis. His treatment of power relations in the economy and of consumerism is masterful. This book is a must for anyone interested in the environment who is not willing to settle for lazy aphorisms and superficial panaceas. * CHOICE *This book is a tour-de-force, bringing together theological reflection and ethical persuasion to argue for the transformation of religions into their ecological phase. Larry Rasmussen is eloquent, comprehensive, and compelling in his articulation of a vision that is sorely needed for our emerging Earth Community. * Mary Evelyn Tucker, Co-Director of the Forum on Religion and Ecology, Yale University *Larry Rasmussen's new work on religious ethics moves from a lyrical homage to the sacred web of life to a searing indictment of the utilitarian use of nature by both capitalist and socialist industrialization. Drawing on mystical, prophetic, and wisdom traditions, Rasmussen shows that a paradigm shift to an ecologically conscious civilization is possible. Inspired by local communities, an earth-honoring faith becomes a song of songs. * Aruna Gnanadason, author of Listen to the Women, Listen to the Earth *Rasmussen argues persuasively that religion needs to stop perceiving nature as the stage for the human salvation drama and view it instead as the locus for experience of the divine. His scholarship is impeccable and his ability to weave together insights from various fields and scholars is exemplary. Earth-honoring Faith is a grand intellectual endeavor that reflects interdisciplinary thinking at its best. * Jim Martin-Schramm, Professor of Religion, Luther College *By writing so lyrically and in open conversation with so many others struggling to create language for this civilizational transition, Larry Rasmussen shows the awkwardness of inherited language and ideas for discussing the new moral world that humanity needs to learn to inhabit. He demonstrates how to make sense of ancient moral traditions in a new context, and how to bend them into a new imagination of the world. This book is a serious contribution to religious ethics. It will be appreciated not only by scholars in the field but by many thinking readers worried about sustainability crises and looking for cultural resources to reshape our shared moral imagination. * Willis Jenkins, author of Ecologies of Grace *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments ; Prelude ; PART I ; 1 The Creature We Are ; 2 The World We Have ; 3 The Faith We Seek ; 4 The Ethic We Need: Change and Imagination ; 5 The Ethic We Need: Good Theory ; 6 The Ethic We Need: Community Matrix ; 7 The Ethic We Need: Tilling and Keeping ; Interlude ; PART II ; 8 Asceticism and Consumerism ; 9 The Sacred and the Commodified ; 10 Mysticism and Alienation ; 11 Prophetic/Liberative Practices and Oppression ; 12 Wisdom and Folly ; 13 Closing ; Postlude ; Notes ; Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisWhy would a perfectly good and loving God consign anyone to eternal suffering in hell? In Sinners in the Presence of a Loving God, R. Zachary Manis examines in detail the various facets of the problem of hell, considers the reasons why the usual responses to the problem are unsatisfying, and suggests how an adequate solution to the problem can be constructed.Historically, there are four standard explanations of the nature and purpose of hell: traditionalism, annihilationism, the choice model, and universalism. In Manis''s assessment, all are deficient in some crucial respect. The alternative view that he develops and defends, the divine presence model, stands within the tradition that understands hell to be a state of eternal conscious suffering, but, Manis contends, avoids the worst problems of its competitors. The key idea is that the suffering of hell is not the result of a divine act that aims to inflict it, but rather is the way in which a sinful creature necessarily experiences tTrade ReviewA short review of this kind cannot do justice to the subtlety, breath, readability, insightfulness and rigor of Manis's Sinners in the Presence of a Loving God. Suffice it to say that no theologian or philosopher who is interested in the doctrine of hell, and paradoxically being spiritually nourished by reflecting upon it, can afford not to read this theologically sensitive and ecumenical manuscript. * Jordan Wessling, Lindsey Wilson College, Columbia, International Journal of Systematic Theology *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction Criteria for an Adequate Solution Theodicy vs. Defense Part I: Developing the Problem Chapter One: The Problem of Justice, The Problem of Love The Problem of Justice An Uncommon Solution: Shedd The Popular Response: Aquinas A Revised Version of the Response Problems for the Revised Response An Alternative Strategy: Denying that God Has Obligations Remaining Options The Problem of Love Chapter Two: The Doxastic Problem Preliminaries Doxastic Problems The Problem of Coercion The Problem of Neighbor Love The Problem of Worship The Problem of Religious Motivation The Problem of Despair Addendum: Additional Problems for Calvinists and Other Theological Determinists The Extreme Version of the Problem of Justice The Extreme Version of the Problem of Love Further Doxastic Problems The Problem of Faith The Problem of Hope Part II: The Standard Options Chapter Three: Traditionalism and Universalism Traditionalism Universalism The Case for Universalism Talbott on Love and Justice Adams on Horrendous Evil and the Metaphysical "Size Gap" Chapter Four: Providence, Freedom, and God's Creation of the Damned The Free Will Argument against Universalism Molinism and Universalism Why Does God Create the Damned? Molinist Anti-Universalism (M-AU) A Nonstandard Account of Providence: McCann Open Theist Anti-Universalism (OT-AU) The Tradition Trilemma Why Not Universalism? Chapter Five: Annihilationism Internal Disputes Retributive Annihilationism Non-Retributive Annihilationism Natural Consequence Annihilationism (NCA) Objections to NCA Free Will Annihilationism (FWA) Objections to FWA Chapter Six: The Choice Model The Direct Form Help from Kierkegaard The Role of Self-Deception The Indirect Form More Help from Kierkegaard Why Not Annihilation? Answer #1: Annihilation as Undesirable to the Damned Answer #2: Annihilation as Indefeasibly Bad Answer #3: The Soul as Inherently Indestructible Answer #4: Humans as Essentially Immortal In Defense of the Kierkegaardian Answer Why Not the Choice Model? Part III: The Divine Presence Model Chapter Seven: Developing an Alternative to the Standard Options Return to the Tripartite Structure Introducing the Divine Presence Model Help from Eastern Orthodoxy Divine Omnipresence and Divine Hiddenness Divine Hiddenness as Necessary for Human Freedom Divine Hiddenness as a Natural Consequence of Sin Hiddenness on the Divine Presence Model The Phenomenology of Religious Experience and the Fear of the Lord Retribution and Eternal Punishment Chapter Eight: Objections, Replies, and Further Refinements Addressing Standard and Shared Problems Solutions in Common with the Choice Model A (Possible) Point of Difference Why Not Annihilation? Why Not Eternal Divine Hiddenness? Hybrid Views Baker Lewis Kvanvig Walls Talbott The Inescapable Love of God Conclusion Beyond the Day of Judgment Appendix: Is the Divine Presence Model Biblical? The Scriptural Record of Close Encounters with God Christ the Way Unveiling the Heart The Face of God Christ the Truth Jesus and the Pharisees Light and Darkness Does Christ Come to Judge, or Not? Christ the Life The Curse of Death The Destruction of Hades The River of Fire and the River of Life Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisAs a religion concerned with eternal salvation, Zen is based on and grew out of a Buddhist worldview very different from the currently prevalent scientific materialism. Indeed, says Taigen Dan Leighton, Zen cannot be fully understood outside of a worldview that sees reality itself as a vital, ephemeral agent of awareness and healing. In this book, Leighton explicates that worldview through the writings of the Zen master Eihei Dogen (1200-1253), considered the founder of the Japanese Soto Zen tradition, which is now spreading in many places in the West. Broader awareness of Dogen''s worldview and its implications, says Leighton, is helpful for a modern understanding of Zen and Mahayana praxis, and is relevant to contemporary environmental and ethical concerns.Trade Review"Leighton's clear, articulate prose renders Dogen's writings alive, accessible, and relevant to life in the twenty-first century."-Philosophy East and WestTable of ContentsI. THE PIVOTAL LOTUS STORY AND DOGEN'S WORLDVIEW ; II. . Hermeneutics and Discourse Styles in Study of the Lotus Sutra and Dogen ; III. . Selected East Asian Interpretations of the Story ; IV. . Dogen's Interpretations of this Lotus Sutra Story ; V. . Dogen's View of Earth, Space, and Time Seen in Mahayana Context ; AFTERWORD: IMPLICATIONS OF DOGEN'S MAHAYANA WORLDVIEW

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Book SynopsisDistant Harms, Distant Markets looks at moral complicity in markets, employing resources from sociology, early Christian history, feminism, legal theory, and Catholic moral theology today. The authors skillfully explore the causal and moral responsibilities which consumers bear for the harms that markets cause to distant others.Trade ReviewThis set of essays, individually and as a group, offer a very strong, diversified yet coherent treatment of a crucial question for economic ethics - moral causality in complex market relationships. I would find this volume very helpful for my own research and writing in economic ethics, and could foresee assigning it to advanced undergraduates or graduates in courses on economic ethics, or Catholic/Christian social thought. * Christine Firer Hinze, Fordham University *Table of ContentsTable of Contents ; List of Contributors ; Introduction ; Sociological Resources ; 1. Who is Responsible? Critical Realism, Market Harms, and Collective Responsibility ; Douglas Porpora ; 2. Structural Conditioning and Personal Reflexivity: Sources of Market Complicity, Critique, and Change ; Margaret Archer ; 3. Morality of Action, Reflexivity, and the Relational Subject ; Pierpaolo Donati ; 4. Global Warming: A Case Study in Structure, Agency, and Accountability ; John Coleman, S.J. ; Historical Resources ; 5. Early Christian Philanthropy as a <"Marketplace>" and the Moral Responsibility of Market Participants ; Brian Matz ; 6. How a Thomistic Moral Framework Can Take Social Causality Seriously ; Mary Hirschfeld ; Analytical Resources ; 7. Facing Forward: Feminist Analysis of Care and Agency on a Global Scale ; Christina Traina ; 8. The African Concept of Community and Individual in the Context of the Market ; Paul Appiah Himin Asante ; 9. Individuating Collective Responsibility ; Albino Barrera, O.P. ; Implications ; 10. Social Causality and Market Complicity: Specifying the Causal Roles of Persons and Structures ; Daniel K. Finn

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Book SynopsisChristianity is commonly held to have introduced an entirely new and better morality into the ancient world, a new morality that was decidedly universal, in contrast to the ethics of the philosophical schools which were only concerned with the intellectual few. Runar M. Thorsteinsson presents a challenge to this view by comparing Christian morality in first-century Rome with contemporary Stoic ethics in the city.Thorsteinsson introduces and discusses the moral teaching of Roman Stoicism; of Seneca, Musonius Rufus, and Epictetus. He then presents the moral teaching of Roman Christianity as it is represented in Paul''s Letter to the Romans, the First Letter of Peter, and the First Letter of Clement. Having established the bases for his comparison, he examines the similarities and differences between Roman Stoicism and Roman Christianity in terms of morality.Five broad themes are used for the comparison, questions of Christian and Stoic views about: a particular morality or way of life asTrade ReviewIn this excellent study, Runar M. Thorsteinsson adds significantly to our knowledge of the similarities and possible interactions between Roman Stoicism and what he defines as Roman Christianity in the realm of ethics and morality Its conclusions will be controversial to many, but as they clearly emerge from a process of careful and well conducted historical research, they must be taken into account by anyone seriously engaged with ancient philosophy and early Christian studies. * Stefan Nordgaard, Review of Biblical Literature *Table of ContentsI: MORAL TEACHING IN ROMAN STOCISM; II: MORAL TEACHING IN ROMAN CHRISTIANITY; III: ROMAN CHRISTAINITY AND ROMAN STOCISM: A COMPARISON

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Book SynopsisIn this novel exploration of Reformed spirituality, Belden C. Lane uncovers a green theology that celebrates a community of jubilant creatures of all languages and species. Lane reveals an ecologically sensitive Calvin who spoke of himself as ''''ravished'''' by the earth''s beauty. He speaks of Puritans who fostered a ''''lusty'''' spirituality in which Christ figured as a lover who encouraged meditation on the wonders of creation. He presents a Jonathan Edwards who urged a sensuous ''''enjoyment'''' of God''s beauty as the only real way of knowing God.Lane argues for the ''''double irony'''' of Reformed spirituality, showing that Calvinists who often seem prudish and proper are in fact a people of passionate desire. Similarly, Reformed Christians who appear totally focused on divine transcendence turn out at times to be closet nature mystics, exulting in God''s glory everywhere. Lane also demonstrates, however, that a spirituality of desire can be derailed, ending in sexual excess anTrade ReviewLane scores on every shot . . . In addition to rich quotes from others, Lane offers his own memorable thoughts, his words elegant as brocade in color and texture, scholarly but never stultifying. * Publishers Weekly *Table of ContentsPrologue: Ring Lake Ranch, Wyoming ; Chapter One: The Double Irony of Reformed Spirituality: Nature, Desire and the Easily-Diverted Quest for God's Beauty ; Landscapes of Desire: The Whole World Singing: A Journey to Iona and Taize ; Chapter Two: John Calvin on the World as a Theater of God's Glory ; Landscapes of Desire: Can We Chant Psalms with All God's Creatures? ; Chapter Three: Nature and Desire in Seventeenth-Century Puritanism ; Landscapes of Desire: Open the Kingdom for a Cottonwood Tree ; Chapter Four: The Schooling of Desire: Nature's Purifying Role in Affliction ; Landscapes of Desire: Biodiversity and the Holy Trinity ; Chapter Five: Jonathan Edwards on Beauty, Desire, and the Sensory World ; Landscapes of Desire: On Pilgrimage with Jonathan Edwards ; Chapter Six: Transformed by Beauty: Environmental Ethics and the Wildness of God ; Epilogue: Dead Creek, East Saint Louis

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Book SynopsisBased on the acclaimed French volume Saint Augustin et la Bible, this translation with additional selections honors the beautifully wrought monument to the scholarly research of Anne-Marie la Bonnardière and her colleagues. Editor Pamela Bright offers the first English-language edition of this volume in the highly regarded series Bible de Tous les Temps, published by Beauchesne Editeur in Paris. This volume presents the findings of eminent scholars on the Bible in Augustine's letters, in his preaching, in polemics, in the City of God, and as a source for Christian ethics, following the chronological order of Augustine's works from the mid-380s to just before his death in 430. Part I examines what can be known of the stages of Augustine's encounter with the biblical texts and which texts were formative for him before he assumed his ministry of the Word. Part II is devoted to a very different kind of encounterAugustine's grappling with the hermeneutical method originatinTrade Review“The University of Notre Dame Press has rendered a real service in making available this fine state-of-the-art collection of essays, which is at the same time accessible to the non-specialist and the beginning student.” —Journal of Early Christian Studies“Bright’s translation is a beautifully wrought literary and theological monument to the scholarly research of Anne-Marie la Bonnardière and her colleagues. Augustine and the Bible is an invaluable addition to Augustinian and biblical studies.” —Midwest Book Review“This English translation is to be commended.” —Journal for the Study of the Old Testament

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Book SynopsisA Christian theological interpretation of the border reality is a neglected area of immigration study. The foremost contribution of A Promised Land, A Perilous Journey is its focus on the theological dimension of migration, beginning with the humanity of the immigrant, a child of God and a bearer of his image. The nineteen authors in this collection recognize that one characteristic of globalization is the movement not only of goods and ideas but also of people. The crossing of geographical borders confronts Christians, as well as all citizens, with choices: between national security and human insecurity, between sovereign national rights and human rights, between citizenship and discipleship. Bearing these global dimensions in mind, the essays in this book focus on the particular problems of immigration across the U.S.-Mexico border. The contributors to this volume include scholars as well as pastors and lay people involved in immigration aid work. ContributorTrade Review“At times saddening, at times inspiring, A Promised Land, A Perilous Journey brings fresh perspectives to the discussion of immigration. These essays reach beyond the policy debate and the heated emotions of the moment and provide much needed reflection on larger truths.” —Roberto Suro, University of Southern California“Groody and Campese have assembled 17 essays from an international body of Roman Catholic scholars, religious and lay practitioners. The predominant note is. . . one of human rights advocacy in the light of the liberating God’s option for the poor. . . . There is ample demonstration that theological reflection engages the real situation on the ground to afford an outsider to the debates insight into the deadly plight of migrants on the US-Mexico border.” —Studies in Christian Ethics“The editors of this volume have gathered together many leading figures within Christian theological circles to reflect on an urgent issue in our world—migration. The articles range from those that are quite academically technical to those that are more generally accessible. There are several outstanding articles that should not be missed.” —Multicultural Review“One can hardly find . . . a serious discussion of the human dignity and rights of the migrants who cross international borders to find work or join family. A Promised Land, A Perilous Journey, a compilation of essays taking a theological and rights-based approach to the issue of migration, provides a needed framework to begin that discussion. Comprised of pieces from a wide range of scholars, advocates and service providers, it engages the contemporary immigration debate from a faith-based, Catholic perspective. . . . [A] useful resource for Catholics (and others) who want to reach beyond the dehumanizing language of the national immigration debate and articulate a vision of the migrant as a human being created in God’s image.” —America“This book offers fresh and much-needed approaches to migration, providing convincing support for the notion that any serious study of migration, especially with respect to Latinos/as in the United States, must include religious and theological considerations.” —Theological Studies“The book should be read by anyone interested in acquiring a deeper grasp of the complex issues surrounding the border and immigration; it succeeds in its task of proposing a theology growing out of the experience of immigrants. . . . A Promised Land is an important contribution to the development of a full and robust theology of migration.” —The Journal of Markets and Morality“A Promised Land, A Perilous Journey offers a rich, interdisciplinary treatment of the subject of migration, showing the human face of contemporary migration as a global phenomenon. The authors explore historical antecedents in biblical and early church history, the political debates about borders and the right to migrate, and the role of race, ethnicity, and gender in the ‘perilous journey’ of migrants. This is an indispensable text for all interested in the theology of migration and the ethics of migration policy.” —William O’Neill, S.J., Jesuit School of Theology, Berkeley“The essays in this valuable collection originated at an international conference on migration held at the University of Notre Dame in September 2004 . . . The essays, derived from presentations and discussions at the conference, consider biblical and theological perspectives on migration as well as the pastoral and human dimensions of this phenomenon. Given the focus on this issue in this presidential season and the crucial role the church needs to play in support of its migrant peoples, this volume has added significance.” —The Bible Today

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Book SynopsisFor as long as humans have pondered philosophical issues, they have contemplated the good life. Yet most suggestions about how to live a good life rest on assumptions about what the good life actually is. Thomas Carson here confronts that question from a fresh perspective. Surveying the history of philosophy, he addresses first-order questions about what is good and bad as well as metaethical questions concerning value judgments.Carson considers a number of established viewpoints concerning the good life. He offers a new critique of Mill's and Sidgwick''s classic arguments for the hedonistic theory of value, employing thought experiments that invite us to clarify our preferences by choosing between different kinds of lives. He also assesses the desire- or preference-satisfaction theory of value in detail and takes a fresh look at both Nietzsche''s Übermensch ideal and Aristotle''s theory of the good life.In exploring foundational questions, Carson observes that many esTrade Review“[T]horough and wide-ranging book... Carson’s book should be a useful guide to those who share his interest in developing a non-realist theory of value.” —Mind“This is a well-organized, well-informed, and thoughtfully written study of precisely the topics indicated by the title. This is an up-to-date, well-informed, and wide-ranging book. Carson’s views are sensible and intelligently defended. Anyone interested in recent work in axiology or metaethics will find the book worthy of careful study.” —Ethics“Value and the Good Life is a very rich work, one that makes significant contributions to several contemporary debates, while also providing insights into the work of key historical figures.... Highly recommended.” —Philosophy in Review

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Book SynopsisConfronting Injustice without Compromising Truth looks beyond the divides of the left and right to discover how a Christian worldview speaks truth, hope, and unity into the most polarizing social justice controversies of our day. It presents a compelling vision of justice that offers hopeful answers to life’s biggest questions.Trade Review''Social Justice'--the very term too often quickly divides the room, resulting in rancor, uncivility, and broken relationships. This work will change that. Williams's bold contribution displays devotion to loving both God and neighbor with fidelity. Traveling beyond bogus binaries, pietistic proof-texting, and poisonous partisanship, Williams instead probes today's complex issues with riveting penetration, yet gracious patience so this crucial conversation can be continued, not censored.' * JEFFERY J. VENTRELLA, senior counsel, senior vice president of academic affairs and training, Alliance Defending Freedom *'Are you concerned about social justice and the church? If so, Thaddeus Williams's contribution to the discussion is a must-read. As an academic committed to justice concerns, I'm thankful for Williams's approach. He's unequivocal yet charitable and proves to be percipient and discerning as he unpacks his subject with care achieving the often elusive combination of necessary depth and broad accessibility. Join him and his cadre of diverse contributors as they address arguably the most significant issue facing today's church.' * PAT SAWYER, professor of education and cultural studies, University of North Carolina at Greensboro *'As a parent, teacher, and Christ-follower, my heart has been so troubled by the way many Christians have been drawn into false notions of social justice. Williams's book provides the kind of courageous, clear, truth-telling that can help bring sanity and unifying, gospel-centered love and justice to hurting people, fragmented churches, and a hostile world. This book provides direction for those who would seek to do justice in a way that honors God and truly loves others without resorting to us-versus-them dichotomies that tear people apart.' * LAURA ROSENKRANZ, mother, teacher *'As an African American pastor of a predominately African American church, I'm often asked what book I would recommend on the controversial topic of social justice. Thaddeus Williams has written my top recommendation. Thoroughly biblical, well- reasoned, and deeply charitable, this balanced book is a beacon of gospel light to every believer desiring to confront injustice armed with the truth of the Word. There are few issues of our day more important for Christians to get right than this one, and we owe Dr. Williams a debt of gratitude for his courage and skill applied to the production of this excellent work.' * ANTHONY D. KIDD, pastor of preaching, Community of Faith Bible Church, South Gate, California *'Confronting Injustice without Compromising Truth is the book I've been waiting for! This is the book that explains and analyzes the social justice movement--that treats it fairly and evaluates it critically. This is the book that prioritizes the gospel as the foundation for any true justice. This is the book that helps Christians understand why they must emphasize social justice, but why they must emphasize the right kind of social justice. This is the book I highly recommend.' * TIM CHALLIES, blogger at www.challies.com, author of Do More Better *'If you are a Christian concerned about oppression, injustice, racism, and other moral ills that plague our culture, there may not be a more important book you read this year. Secular ideologies offer solutions to age-old problems that may act like temporary fixes, but only the Christian worldview can provide a robust and deeply satisfying action plan. Confronting Injustice without Compromising Truth is the definitive guide to help Christians 'do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God . . .' as Micah 6:8 puts it, while not sacrificing one iota of biblical truth.' * ALISA CHILDERS, blogger and podcast host at www.alisachilders.com, author of Another Gospel? *'In our tribalized social-media age, the loudest voices are the ones that tend to get a hearing. But I'm thankful for the thoughtful voices that speak with wisdom to some of the most contentious issues we face today. Thaddeus Williams tackles them all--racism, sexuality, socialism, abortion, critical theory, identity politics--and argues that social justice, while not the gospel, isn't optional for Christians. Justified people seek to be a just people. But Williams also reminds us that not everything branded 'social justice'--the increasingly superficial, knee-jerk activism of our day is truly biblical. Whatever your starting point in this conversation, here's a book that will help inform, equip, and serve the church.' * IVAN MESA, editor, the Gospel Coalition *'In the task of fulfilling a biblical vision for humanity, we must heed the cry of our generation. This book calls us to conform our minds to the truth that informs justice. With its source in God, justice must flow through the human heart in order for it to be actualized in our world. Confronting Injustice without Compromising Truth attempts to clear the way to let justice roll down as waters.' * JACOB DANIEL, founder, The Heritage Counsel *'Simply outstanding. Williams is fair-minded to Christians on both sides of the political spectrum while not shying away from what needs to be said. This urgently needed guide brings clarity to one of the greatest confusions Christians have in today's culture: discerning the difference between notions of justice rooted in a Christian worldview and those rooted in a godless secularism. Make no mistake--there's a critical difference, and it's one that's dangerously deceiving a great number in the church.' * NATASHA CRAIN, blogger at www.christianmomthoughts.com; author of Talking with Your Kids about Jesus *'Thaddeus Williams raises a number of good questions about justice--how the Bible defines it, what actions promote it, and what philosophies and ideologies might under-mine it. There's plenty here to challenge your presuppositions and assumptions--all with the goal of being more faithful to Scripture and clear-eyed regarding today's possibilities and pitfalls for doing justice in society.' * TREVIN WAX, senior vice president for theology and communications, LifeWay Christian Resources; author of Rethink Your Self *'Thaddeus Williams tackles the emotional topic of social justice in a way that is simultaneously personable, compassionate, and biblically faithful. Thaddeus doesn't try to 'Christianize' secular social justice ideology with a few Bible verses taken out of context. Rather, he works toward a faithful presentation of the biblical data. As a theologian working on justice questions, I am grateful for this contribution to this field.' * KRISTA BONTRAGER, theologian at Theology Mom, cohost of All the Things podcast *'Thaddeus, without a doubt, distributed some much-needed truth to the issue of how the social justice argument is contrary to gospel truth. His section on 'Sinners or Systems' was a breath of fresh air to a critical thinker like myself. I recommend this work to anyone who desires to stand on the side of the truth rather than speculations when it pertains to how we apply the Word of God in today's cultural climate.' * JAMAL BANDY, host, the Prescribed Truth podcast *'The 12 questions Thaddeus raises are the right questions we should all be asking in today's troubled world. Read with an open mind. Risk a change of heart. Don't get swept along into false answers that lead to only more injustice.' * JOHN M. PERKINS, president, The John and Vera Mae Perkins Foundation; author of One Blood *'This is the most important book I have recommended in over twenty years. I have known Professor Williams for many years as a graduate student, friend, and faculty colleague. He is recognized as a person who walks what he talks. Thus, he brings biblical rigor, fidelity, cultural sensitivity, and concern to the topics in this book. It is now the go-to resource for clear, biblical thinking about social justice. I know of no other evangelical book with such rigor, insight, biblical fidelity, ethical maturity, and breadth of coverage as this one. This is the book for you!' * J. P. MORELAND, distinguished professor of philosophy, Talbot School of Theology; author of Finding Quiet *'Wherever one finds oneself in the debate related to Christians and social justice, this important work by Thaddeus Williams and friends will offer wise guidance to these challenging issues. Williams is to be commended for his courage in offering this road map for his readers. Anyone who wishes to engage in the debate regarding social justice in the days ahead will find Confronting Injustice without Compromising Truth an essential prerequisite to that discussion.' * DAVID S. DOCKERY, president, International Alliance for Christian Education; theologian-in-residence, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary *'Williams offers a needed correction to some of the excesses in today's modern social justice movement. He does so without denying the existence of many of the problems such movements hope to address. The addition of Confronting Injustice without Compromising Truth to our personal libraries will help us to move closer to a holistic approach to issues tied to social justice.' * GEORGE YANCEY, professor of sociology, Baylor University; author of Beyond Racial Gridlock *'Williams shows us how to think from the Christian faith, rather than allowing the categories and concerns of the day to rule the way Christians talk about race, politics, and inequality. This well-written, highly engaging book deserves careful consideration by every thoughtful Christian concerned about the issues of our time--not least because it allows Scripture to question some of our key assumptions about these issues, while also providing alternative ways to think about and engage them as kingdom citizens.' * UCHE ANIZOR, associate professor of theology, Biola University; author of How to Read Theology *

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Book SynopsisIntroducing Christian Ethics, an abridgement of the bestselling textbook Moral Choices, presents Christians with basic processes of ethical decision-making. Raising 14 key ethical questions on today’s most pressing issues, including abortion, war, sexual ethics, capital punishment, and more, Scott Rae guides readers in making moral choices wisely.Table of ContentsTentative Table of Contents (questions need work) Chapter 1: What is the big deal about being moral? Starting at the Beginning Chapter 2: Are God’s commands the ultimate source for morality? Theological Ethics Chapter 3: Why can’t we make up our own moral rules for ourselves? Cultural Views of Morality Chapter 4: What do I do when I am in a moral dilemma what do I do? Moral Decision Making Chapter 5: What’s wrong by having an abortion? Abortion Chapter 6: How on earth can you say that an embryo is a person? Embryo and Stem Cell Research Chapter 7: What do you say about all the technological options to a couple who is wrestling with infertility? Reproductive Technologies Chapter 8: What’s wrong with using biotechnology in gender selection? Genetics and Biotechnology Chapter 9: Don’t you think capital punishment is barbaric? The Death Penalty Chapter 10: Isn’t denying same-sex marriage unfair? Sexual Ethics Chapter 11: How come every Christian is not a pacifist? War and Morality Chapter 12: Isn’t the pastorate or the mission field a higher calling? Vocation and Calling Chapter 13: Does the Bible mandate either socialism or capitalism? Ethics and Economics Chapter 14: Do good ethics make for good business? Ethics in the Workplace

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Book SynopsisIn its new paperback form, this book is certain of continued attention in the current discussion of ethical problems.

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