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James M. Gustafson has been a leading and formative figure in the field of Christian ethics over the past fifty years. His many contributions to theological ethics have helped to define and shape ethical thinking by Christians who reflect on great moral issues. Gustafson's work must be dealt with by all students in this discipline, and his perceptive insights have given clarity and guidance to the process of moral discernment. The essays collected here are ones that have had a significant impact on discussions and debates over recent decades. The Library of Theological Ethics series focuses on what it means to think theologically and ethically. It presents a selection of important and otherwise unavailable texts in easily accessible form. Volumes in this series will enable sustained dialogue with predecessors though reflection on classic works in the field.
"What should I do? How do I know that I am doing right?" In the midst of so many changes in church, society, and culture, many of us are bewildered about what's right and about how to discover what we ought to do. This useful and timely book will help adults who are trying to be critical about their faith and moral living to interpret how conscience works in making moral decisions.First off, Gula shows that conscience is not a law unto itself, but must be formed in community by appealing to sources of moral wisdom. Then he gives a fuller treatment of moral discernment, pointing up three spheres of influence on the process of discernment -- social, situational, and personal. The final section moves from the theoretical model of discernment to the practical application of providing moral guidance in the pastoral domain. Each chapter begins and ends with some guide questions to focus reflection and to stimulate discussion.
In The Ethics of Discernment, Patrick H. Byrne presents an approach to ethics that builds upon the cognitional theory and the philosophical method of self-appropriation that Bernard Lonergan introduced in his book Insight, as well as upon Lonergan’s later writing on ethics and values. Extending Lonergan’s method into the realm of ethics, Byrne argues that we can use self-appropriation to come to objective judgements of value. The Ethics of Discernment is an introspective analysis of that process, in which sustained ethical inquiry and attentiveness to feelings as “intentions of value” leads to a rich conception of the good. Written both for those with an interest in Lonergan’s philosophy and for those interested in theories of ethics who have only a limited knowledge of Lonergan’s work, Byrne’s book is the first detailed exposition of an ethical theory based on Lonergan’s philosophical method.
Grounded in a lifetime of biblical study, New Testament scholar Willard M. Swartley takes a fresh look at the Scriptures and what they would teach on the current and controversial subject of homosexuality. In a spirit of love and generosity, Swartley presents all sides of the issue, drawing from contemporary scholarship and cultural analysis. He concludes with a model for congregational discernment and suggestions for the path forward.
How does a Christian discern the will of God? While this question lies at the heart of Christian moral life, religious communities struggle to articulate responses that balance simple faith and rational reflection. Some characterise discernment as simpleobedience to the commandments in Scripture; others portray it as an exercise of human reason and conscience. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian, pastor, and political conspirator who embodied a life of discernment amidst difficult circumstances in WWII Germany, offers a compelling theological account of how to seek and respond to God's will. By tracing Bonhoeffer's understanding of moral discernment throughout his writings, and especially in his Ethics, Joshua A. Kaiser demonstrates the importance of discernment for Bonhoeffer's vision of Christian ethics and explores how his view combines elements of simple faith and rational reflection. While the results of the study will be significant for those interested in Bonhoeffer, they will also be relevant to all who struggle along the path of Christian discipleship.
The number of ethical issues that demand a response from Christians today is almost dizzying. How can Christians navigate such matters? With an unflinching yet irenic approach, this volume invites engagement with the biggest ethical issues by drawing on real-life experiences and offering a range of responses to some of the most challenging moral questions confronting the church today.
Listening for God proceeds from the authors belief that, across a wide spectrum of outlooks, people are attracted to religion, yet wary of it. The book is intended to speak, in an honest and reflective way, to those who have conflicting feelings about religion, and are put off by the needlessly polarized and blithely self-assured style of much writing about it. Grounded in his won religious tradition yet manifesting great respect and appreciation for other traditions, Lesnick recounts the odyssey of his own encounter with religion, from a mild form of conventional adherence to Conservative Judaism as an adolescent, to a long period of alienation from all religion, to a gradual and deepening re-engagement with Judaism through his sympathetic exposure to religions. Lesnick articulates the ways in which the author has found it illuminating to turn to religion as an aid to discernment of moral truth, rather than as a source of metaphysical knowledge or belief. The God of which he speaks is both the repository of truth about moral life and force that draws him to struggle to discern and follow it. The book offers the reader a bridge between apparent polarities too often found in the world and ourselves-between emotion and reason, experience and authority, knowledge and belief, faith and doubt, ethics and ritual, hope and despair. Written by a teacher of law, it asks, where do moral imperatives come from, and how do the answers found in religion and in law affect one another? Listening for God is a record of, and a grateful prayer for, sustaining courage and hope in a fallen world.
Practicing Communication Ethics provides a theoretical framework for developing a personal standard of ethics that can be applied in real world communication situations. Through an examination of specific ethical values including truth, justice, freedom, care, and integrity, this first edition enables the reader to personally determine which values they are ethically committed to upholding. Blending communication theory, ethics as practical philosophy, and moral psychology, this text presents the practice of communication ethics as part of the lifelong process of personal development and fosters the ability in its readers to approach communication decision-making through an ethical lens.
Tragic Dilemmas in Christian Ethics develops a new theological understanding of tragic dilemmas rooted in moral philosophy, contemporary case studies, and psychological literature on moral injury. Both academically rigorous and deeply pastoral, Jackson-Meyer offers practical strategies to Christian communities for dealing with tragic dilemmas.
The present study represents a preliminary philosophical interpreta- tion of the concept of moral discernment or phronesis in the «Ethics» of «Aristotle». Taking his standpoint from certain trends in contemporary transcendental philosophy, the author suggests a possible approach to the problem of the norm for moral and political judgment in «Aristotle's» thought. Relevant texts from the «Ethics» are interpreted within an ontological context, and a brief criticism of traditional viewpoints is presented.