Description
An Introduction to Christian Ethics uses a Christian approach while encouraging students to develop a method of dealing with issues for themselves and to reach conclusions that have significance for their lives.
Roger Crook wrote this book based on his long experience teaching courses on Christian ethics to college students. He has written a great deal of materials for college-aged young people and is able to effectively communicate with them. The framework for his approach is the Apostle Paul's summary statement, "For in Christ Jesus...the only thing that counts is faith working through love." The elaboration of this theme involves an attempt to understand current issues and developments, an appropriate use of information drawn from a wide variety of sources, and an application of relevant biblical and theological concepts.
Table of Contents
Contents
Preface xi
Introduction: To the Student xiii
PART I: ETHICS AND CHRISTIAN ETHICS
1 An Overview of Ethics ______________________________ 1
Definitions 3
Subject Matter 4
Assumptions 5
Cautions 7
2 Alternatives to Christian Ethics _____________________ 11
Religious Systems, 11
Judaism, 12
Islam, 14
Hinduism, 16
Buddhism, 18
Humanism, 19
Objectivism, 22
Behaviorism, 25
3 Alternatives within Christian Ethics _________________ 28
Obedience to External Authority, 28
In Roman Catholicism, 29
In Protestantism, 32
Responsibility for Personal Decisions, 35
What Am I to Do?, 36
What Am I to Be?, 38
Transforming Society, 40
Reinhold Neibuhr’s “Impossible Possibility”, 41
Paul Ramsey’s “Obedient Love”, 42
James Gustafson’s “Theocentric Ethics”, 43
Liberation Theology, 45
PART II: ETHICS AND THE CHRISTIAN FAITH
4 Sources of Guidance _______________________________ 53
The Bible, 55
The Christian Community, 57
The Nature of the Church, 57
The Function of the Church, 59
The Christian in the Church, 60
Personal Experience, 61
The Use of the Mind, 61
The Prompting of the Conscience, 62
The Leadership of the Spirit, 64
5 Biblical Ethics _____________________________________ 67
The Hebrew Scripture, 67
General Characteristics of Hebrew Morality, 68
The Law, The Prophets, and The Writings, 69
Jesus and the Gospels, 74
Jesus and Judaism, 74
Characteristics of Jesus’s Ethical Teachings, 77
Basic Concepts in Jesus’s Ethical Teachings, 78
The Example of Jesus, 85
The Ethical Teachings of Paul, 86
Theology and Ethics, 87
An Ethic of Responsible Freedom, 88
An Ethic of Love, 90
An Ethic of a New Life, 91
6 Faith Working Through Love ________________________ 94
Theological Premises, 94
Beliefs about God, 94
Beliefs about Humankind, 95
Beliefs about History, 96
Faith, 98
Faith and Salvation, 98
Life in the Christian Community, 100
The Instruction of Scripture, 102
Worship and Morality, 103
Love (Agape), 104
The Nature of Love, 105
The Source of Love, 106
The Demands of Love, 107
The Relationship between Love and Justice, 108
Decision, 111
PART III: CHRISTIAN ETHICS AND CONTEMPORARY ISSUES
7 Human Sexuality and the Marriage Relationship _____ 117
The Current Scene, 117
AChristian Interpretation of Sexuality, 120
ATheological Perspective, 120
Questions about the Relationship, 123
AChristian Interpretation of Marriage, 127
Homosexuality and the Christian Faith, 132
Contemporary Social Perspectives, 132
ABiblical Perspective, 134
Varying Christian Interpretations, 135
Homosexuality and the Christian Way of Life, 137
Living-Together Arrangements, 140
8 Life and Death: Issues in Biomedical Ethics _________ 146
Abortion, 146
Biomedical Parenting, 152
Responsible Parenting, 156
Cloning, 158
Embryonic Stem Cell Research, 162
Organ Transplants, 166
The Care of the Dying, 169
9 Christian Ethics and Ethnicity______________________ 179
Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination, 180
Changes in the Social Structure, 182
AChristian Approach, 188
Biblical Concepts, 188
Power for Social Change, 191
AStrategy for Christian Involvement, 194
10 The Status of Women______________________________ 198
Images of Women, 198
Women and the Law, 201
Women and Employment, 203
The Feminist Movement, 205
Women and the Scripture, 208
AChristian Approach to Current Issues, 213
11 Citizenship in a Democracy ________________________ 217
American Democratic Government, 217
Biblical Teachings, 222
The Hebrew Scripture, 222
The Christian Scripture, 223
The Christian as Citizen, 227
The Obligations of Citizenship, 228
The Contribution of Christians, 229
Suggestions for Involvement, 231
12 Punishment for Crime _____________________________ 235
The Concept of Punishment, 235
The Rights of Victims, 239
Capital Punishment, 241
13 War and the Quest for Peace ______________________ 248
The Bible and War, 248
Christianity and Traditional Warfare, 251
Christianity and Modern Warfare, 252
Christianity and Terrorism, 255
Christianity and Preemptive Warfare, 258
The Quest for Peace, 260
14 Work, Property, and Community _____________________267
The Context: Capitalism, 269
AChristian Perspective on Property, 271
AChristian Perspective on Work, 273
Personal Issues in an Impersonal
Economic Order, 274
Social Issues in an Impersonal Economic Order, 276
Ideals and Economics, 284
15 Ecology and Moral Responsibility____________________288
The Ecological Problem, 290
Biblical Concepts, 293
Theological Reflection, 295
Suggestions for Involvement, 299
Glossary 305
Bibliography 309
Index
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