Christianity's demographics, vitality, and influence have tipped markedly toward the global South and East. Addressing this seismic shift, one of today's leading Christian scholars reflects on what he has learned about justice through his encounters with world Christianity.
Philosopher Nicholas Wolterstorff's experiences in South Africa, the Middle East, and Honduras have shaped his views on justice through the years. In this book he offers readers an autobiographical tour, distilling the essence of his thoughts on the topic. After describing how he came to think about justice as he does and reviewing the theory of justice he developed in earlier writings, Wolterstorff shows how deeply embedded justice is in Christian Scripture. He reflects on the difficult struggle to right injustice and examines the necessity of just punishment. Finally, he explores the relationship between justice and beauty and between justice and hope.
This book is the first in the Turning South series, which offers reflections by eminent Christian scholars who have turned their attention and commitments toward the global South and East.

The choice of whether or not to consume animals is more than merely a dietary one. It frequently reflects deep ethical commitments or religious convictions that serve as the bedrock of an entire lifestyle. Proponents of vegetarianism frequently infuriate nonvegetarians, who feel that they're being morally condemned because of what they choose to eat. Vegetarians are frequently infuriated by what they consider to be the nonvegetarians' disregard for the environment and animal-suffering.
Vegetarianism: A Guide for the Perplexed offers a much needed survey of the different arguments offered by ethical vegetarians and their critics. In a rigorous but accessible manner, the author scrutinizes the strengths and weaknesses of arguments in defense of vegetarianism based on compassion, rights, interests, eco-feminism, environmentalism, anthrocentrism, and religion. Authors examined include Peter Singer, Tom Regan, Carol J. Adams, and Kathryn Paxton George.
As the global climate crisis worsens, population increases, and fossil fuels disappear, ethical and public policy questions about the ethics of diet will become ever more urgent. This book is a useful resource for thinking through the questions.

This title explores challenges to religious belief raised by evil and suffering in the world as well as responses to them from both theistic and non-theistic perspectives. One of the most perplexing problems facing believers in God is the problem of evil. The words of Epicurus put the point concisely: 'Either God wants to abolish evil, and cannot; or he can, but does not want to. If he wants to, but cannot, he is impotent. If he can, but does not want to, he is wicked. If God can abolish evil, and God really wants to do it, why is there evil in the world'? This is a difficult problem to unpick and it remains an issue that continues to concern people and inspire debate. The problem has taken a variety of forms over the centuries; in fact, there are numerous 'problems' of evil - problems for theists but, perhaps surprisingly, problems for non-theists as well. "Evil: A Guide for the Perplexed" explores, in a rigorous but engaging way, central challenges to religious belief raised by evil and suffering in the world as well as significant responses to them from both theistic and non-theistic perspectives. "Continuum's Guides for the Perplexed" are clear, concise and accessible introductions to thinkers, writers and subjects that students and readers can find especially challenging. Concentrating specifically on what it is that makes the subject difficult to grasp, these books explain and explore key themes and ideas, guiding the reader towards a thorough understanding of demanding material.

..". aspirations to perfection awaken us to our actual
imperfection." It is in the space between these aspirations and
our inability to achieve them that Grant reflects upon imperfection.
Grant argues that an awareness of imperfection, defined as both
suffering and the need for justice, drive us to an unrelenting search
for perfection, freedom, and self-determination. The twenty-one brief
chapters of Imperfection develop this governing idea as it
relates to the present situation of the God debate, modern ethnic
conflicts, and the pursuit of freedom in relation to the uncertainties
of personal identity and the quest for self-determination.

Known for his exploration of the relationship between Buddhism and
violent ethnic conflict in modern Sri Lanka, as well as his
contribution to the study of Northern Ireland and the complex
relationships among religion, literature, and ethnicity, Grant provides
the reader with an analysis of the widespread rise of religious
extremism across the globe. Referencing Plato, Van Gogh, Jesus, and the
Buddha, he enlightens the reader with both succinct and original
insights into human society. Imperfection is the result of an important
Canadian public intellectual at work.

A mature scholar and established literary critic, Patrick
Grant is professor emeritus of English at the University of
Victoria. He is the author of several books, including Buddhism and
Ethnic Conflict in Sri Lanka;Literature, Rhetoric, and
Violence in Northern Irelands; and Personalism and the
Politics of Culture.

Research is directed by normative standards which need to be transparent in order to secure the quality of the scholarly discussion. The aim of this book is to contribute to such transparency in relation to research on religion and theology representing a combination of empirical and normative claims themselves. What does this combination of empirical and normative claims imply for the normative standards of research? The contributions in this volume discuss different normative dimensions in contemporary research on religion and theology. Presenting articles from systematic theology, practical theology, sociology of religion, ethics, religious studies and missiology it covers a wide range of issues that are relevant for PhD students of theology and religious studies as well as for others who are involved in research on these topics.

This book provides a metaethical analysis of the responsibility ethics of H. Richard Niebuhr and Emmanuel Levinas. It probes the plausibility of their ethical theories by revealing and clarifying some conceptual difficulties and logical inconsistencies found in their ethics in order to advance current scholarship in responsibility ethics. In addition to illumining various theological and philosophical backgrounds of their ethics, this study offers a critical reflection on some of the major metaethical topics relevant to each thinker.

Ethics is a core subject of any theological syllabus. Anyone studying theology, whether for ministry or in a university context, has to take a course in ethics, exploring the issues, concepts and approaches of moral decision making and appropriate living. The SCM Core Text Theological Ethics is intended for those studying Christian ethics at upper undergraduate level. The book offers a discussion of Christian moral thought in a variety of key areas. Many discussions of ethics start by considering particular issues. By contrast, this book gives a presentation of the patterns and traditions of thought that lie behind some of these discussions, in the hope that this will enable particular issues to be fully understood. The book begins by asking 'What is Theological Ethics?' and proceeds to introducing different approaches to Ethics, Ethics in the Catholic and Protestant traditions and subjects such as Sin, Grace and Free Will (Augustine), Natural Law and the Human Good (Thomas Aquinas), Virtue, Conscience and Love.

In "Rethinking Poverty," James P. Bailey argues that most contemporary policies aimed at reducing poverty in the United States are flawed because they focus solely on insufficient income. Bailey argues that traditional policies such as minimum wage laws, food stamps, housing subsidies, earned income tax credits, and other forms of cash and non-cash income supports need to be complemented by efforts that enable the poor to save and accumulate assets. Drawing on Michael Sherraden's work on asset building and scholarship by Melvin Oliver, Thomas Shapiro, and Dalton Conley on asset discrimination, Bailey presents us with a novel and promising way forward to combat persistent and morally unacceptable poverty in the United States and around the world.

"Rethinking Poverty "makes use of a significant body of Catholic social teachings in its argument for an asset development strategy to reduce poverty. These Catholic teachings include, among others, principles of human dignity, the social nature of the person, the common good, and the preferential option for the poor. These principles and the related social analyses have not yet been brought to bear on the idea of asset-building for the poor by those working within the Catholic social justice tradition. This book redresses this shortcoming, and further, claims that a Catholic moral argument for asset-building for the poor can be complemented and enriched by Martha Nussbaum's "capabilities approach." This book will affect current debates and practical ways to reduce poverty, as well as the future direction of Catholic social teaching.

"This book supplies the connections between prophetic but general calls for economic justice and participation, and the concrete policies and practices necessary to advance those ideals as reality. Bailey directly critiques discriminatory economic institutions in the U.S. but also implicitly critiques prior Catholic voices that have fallen far short of inspiring effective reform because they do not identify and attack underlying assumptions behind the 'personal responsibility' models of prosperity." --Lisa Sowle Cahill, Boston College

"Bailey combines his deep understanding of the Catholic social justice tradition, his firm grasp of contemporary moral philosophy, and his perceptive analysis of U.S. poverty debates and policies to forge something new and exciting for each. Bailey's most significant contribution is his compelling case for the Church to establish, or reestablish, asset and property ownership at the heart of its mission to reduce poverty, enhance human dignity, and achieve a more just society." --Ray Boshara, Vice President and Senior Research Fellow, New America Foundation

"Poverty may be with us always; but seldom do we have such a wise and timely book. Drawing upon Catholic social teaching and Martha Nussbaum's capability theory, Bailey underscores the role of asset formation in understanding and alleviating poverty. Erudite, but never arid, "Rethinking Poverty" is indispensable reading for students and scholars who would make the 'option for the poor' their own today." --William O'Neill, S. J., Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University

"God, Sex, Science, Gender: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Christian Ethics" is a timely, wide-ranging attempt to rescue dialogues on human sexuality, sexual diversity, and gender from insular exchanges based primarily on biblical scholarship and denominational ideology. Too often, dialogues on sexuality and gender devolve into the repetition of party lines and defensive postures, without considering the interdisciplinary body of scholarly research on this complex subject. This volume expands beyond the usual parameters, opening the discussion to scholars in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences to foster the development of Christian sexual ethics for contemporary times.

Essays by prominent and emerging scholars in the fields of anthropology, sociology, psychology, philosophy, literary studies, theology, and ethics reveal how faith and reason can illuminate our understanding of human sexual and gender diversity. Focusing on the intersection of theology and science and incorporating feminist theory, "God, Science, Sex, Gender" is a much-needed call for Christian ethicists to map the origins and full range of human sexual experience and gender identity. Essays delve into why human sexuality and gender can be so controversial in Christian contexts, investigate the complexity of sexuality in humans and other species, and reveal the implications of diversity for Christian moral theology.

Contributors are Joel Brown, James Calcagno, Francis J. Catania, Pamela L. Caughie, Robin Colburn, Robert Di Vito, Terry Grande, Frank Fennell, Anne E. Figert, Patricia Beattie Jung, Fred Kniss, John McCarthy, Jon Nilson, Stephen J. Pope, Susan A. Ross, Joan Roughgarden, and Aana Marie Vigen.

This final interpretive volume of the "God and Globalization" series argues for a view of Christian theology that, in critical dialogue with other world religions and philosophies, is able to engage the new world situation, play a critical role in reforming the 'powers' that are becoming more diverse and autonomous, and generate a social ethic for the 21st century. This is the fourth volume in the series "God and Globalization", sponsored by the Center of Theological Inquiry in Princeton, N.J. The 3 previous volumes were multi-authored. This volume is authored solely by Max Stackhouse, the general editor of the series, with a Foreword by the distinguished church historian Justo Gonzales. This final interpretive volume argues for a view of Christian theology that, in critical dialogue with other world religions and philosophies, is able to engage the new world situation, play a critical role in reforming the 'powers' that are becoming more diverse and autonomous, and generate a social ethic for the 21st century.

Religion is one of the most powerful forces running through human history, and although often presented as a force for good, its impact is frequently violent and divisive. This provocative work brings together cutting-edge research from both evolutionary and cognitive psychology to help readers understand the psychological structure of religious morality and the origins of religious violence. Introduces a fundamentally new approach to the analysis of religion in a style accessible to the general reader Applies insights from evolutionary and cognitive psychology to both Judaism and Christianity, and their texts, to help understand the origins of religious violence Argues that religious violence is grounded in the moral psychology of religion Illustrates its controversial argument with reference to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and the response to the attacks from both the terrorists and the President. Suggests strategies for beginning to counter the divisive aspects of religionDiscusses the role of religion and religious criticism in the contemporary world. Argues for a position sceptical of the moral authority of religion, while also critiquing the excesses of the "new atheists" for failing to appreciate the moral contributions of religionAwarded Honourable Mention, 2010 Prose Awards

Mark Ellingsen dares you to go ahead and sin bravely In this refreshing and unique book, he challenges the religious legalism pervasive throughout American evangelicalism today and encourages a new understanding of what it means to be both a Christian and a human being. Equipped with the joyful, rebellious vision of Martin Luther, father of the Protestant reformation, and the latest in neuroscientific research, Ellingsen offers a new approach for healthy living - one opposed to the duty-oriented, selfish and stifling conception of faith that has gained such a strong foothold in contemporary American culture. It is an approach that fully embraces the active role that God's grace plays in each person's life and the fun and freedom one gains from it.

Beginning with the first theological analysis of Rick Warren's brand of Christianity, this book exposes the burdens and narcissism that purpose-driven and duty-bound living encourages, and includes the purveyors of the Prosperity Gospel, taught by such influential preachers like Joel Osteen, in his critique. Ellingsen writes that brave sinners, aware of God's grace in their lives, instead say "no" to narcissism and "yes" to healthy risk-taking that gets beyond selfish desires to the desire to help one another. When people sin bravely, acknowledging that everything done is done in sin with God's saving grace acting upon them, people can learn to recognize God. This awareness leads to freedom and joy, since the pressure is now removed to do and be good. In addition, total dependence on God entails a self-forgetfulness that leads to happiness. The more boldly someone acknowledges their sin, in failing to take credit for the good they have done, the more focused on God the individual becomes. Correspondingly, this self-forgetful lifestyle is a promising counter-cultural alternative to the cultural narcissism, which so dominate in many segments of contemporary American society. This book demonstrates both how and why brave sinning leads to joy, and in so doing offers readers practical advice on living this way.

Ellingsen also cites recent neurobiological findings showing that when people forget themselves in order to focus on bigger projects, the pleasure centers of the brain are stimulated and people become happier and more content. It is this joyous risk-taking that he suggests brings people closer together, closer to God, and closer to a better understanding of themselves. Sin Bravely dares to be that joyful alternative to the purpose driven life.

This scientific research focuses on the Church and society on special youth formation coupled with the essence for the real workable, formidable and systematic orientations for the youth problems, human dignity and Pro-life phenomenon, and prospects in order to get well with their youthful exuberance as the future leaders of tomorrow. Today's youth being in dire need of the active formation and training in the modern world is a great challenge not only to the Church itself but on the whole to be one of the top priorities of the government to prepare some concrete steps for the special care of youth development. The rational, mental or spiritual (soul and body) educational dimensions are more on the adaptability in course of their growth, and acceptance, to practice the Church teachings and being loyal to the State laws and regulations for the common good. The handling of the youth problems requires constant attention with immense interest and zeal on the part of the various families, trainers, counsellors and leaders entrusted with such typical social work to be able to understand them, to listen to them, and to direct and harness their potentialities and enterprising spirit.

Insatisfecha? Quieres una mejor vida?

Finalmente, un libro para mujeres solteras que, insatisfechas con vivir un estilo de vida mundano, quieren dar a sus vidas una direccion nueva y devota. La autora Dawn Eden, una periodista de rock, judia de nacimiento que se convirtio en la reina mordaz del blog cristiano, usando sus propias experiencias en la selva de solteros de la ciudad de Nueva York, muestra a las mujeres como ellas tambien pueden pasar de la inseguridad a la pureza, de la tristeza al nuevo nacimiento. Ella les dice a las mujeres que se las saben todas como encontrar su camino a casa.

La aventura de la castidad no es un libro para doncellas delicadas con vestidos blancos de encaje que estan esperando pacientemente a su apuesto principe. Esto es para mujeres reales que necesitan mensajes fuertes, motivacionales y profundamente morales para contrarrestar los que reciben de un mundo superficial obsesionado con el sexo.

This enlightening book steers readers through the challenges and moral issues, providing a clear and decisive history of the main figures and texts in Christian ethics.
A short and lively history of Christian ethics, exploring how Christianity has always had to grapple with complex moral problems - from questions about the status of early Christians who renounced their religion under Roman torture, through to current debates about euthanasia
Engages with the main texts and figures in Christian ethics, including Augustine, Benedict, Aquinas, Luther and Barth
Considers questions such as human will, the proper form of Christian life, natural law, and whether human nature is at odds with Christian ethics
Concludes with a thought-provoking chapter considering the role that Christian ethics can play in contemporary moral debates and ethical dilemmas

Sterben, Sterbehilfe (Beschaftigung mit "Dignitas") und Tod sind in den letzten Jahren - (auch) durch die Thematisierung in den Medien - verstarkt zu Objekten kontroverser Diskussionen in Deutschland geworden. Im Kontext dieser Entwicklung differenziert diese Arbeit elementare Wortbedeutungen, ordnet diese Begriffe in die aktuelle Debatte um unterschiedliche Formen der Sterbehilfe ein und entwickelt hieraus eine eigene Perspektive zum individuellen und gesellschaftlichen Umgang mit Sterben und Tod. Die Arbeit mit Sterbenden und deren Angehoerigen stellt unter anderem fur AErzte, Juristen, Theologen und Sozialarbeiter eine besondere Aufgabe dar. Trotz der oeffentlichen Diskussion uber Sterben, Sterbehilfe und Tod werden diese Themen im gesellschaftlichen und privaten Zusammenleben meist tabuisiert. Dieses Buch dient der Professionalisierung zuvor genannter Berufsgruppen und moechte einen Teil zur gesellschaftlichen Enttabuisierung von Sterben und Tod beitragen.

The Internet, high-tech calculators, and other technological advances have made student cheating easier and more common than ever before. This book helps you put a stop to high-tech and more traditional low-tech forms of cheating and plagiarism. Learn to recognize the danger signs for cheating and how to identify material that has been copied. Sample policies for developing academic integrity, reproducible lessons for students and faculty, and lists of helpful online and print resources are just some of the features of this important guide. A must read for concerned educators, administrators, and parents.

With Hablando con Su Angel de la Guarda, Barbara Mark and Trudy Griswold provided the tools to help people get in touch with their angels. They have convinced thousands that interaction with angels is possible and have provided a step-by-step list for doing it. Now leading spiritualists Mark and Griswold delve even deeper into the application of angel communication with El Devocionario de Su Angel de la Guarda, teaching readers to use prayer and healing wishes to fulfill their dreams and relieve their most serious physical ailments.

Like its predecessor, El Devocionario de Su Angel de la Guarda is a handsomely illustrated book sure to appeal to all Mark and Griswold fans and to the legions who believe there is an angel looking out for them.

The recovery of nature has been a unifying and enduring aim of the writings of Ralph McInerny, Michael P. Grace Professor of Medieval Studies at the University of Notre Dame, director of the Jacques Maritain Center, former director of the Medieval Institute, and author of numerous works in philosophy, literature, and journalism. While many of the fads that have plagued philosophy and theology during the last half-century have come and gone, recent developments suggest that McInerny's commitment to Aristotelian-Thomism was boldly, if quietly, prophetic. In his persistent, clear, and creative defenses of natural theology and natural law, McInerny has appealed to nature to establish a dialogue between theists and non-theists, to contribute to the moral and political renewal of American culture, and particularly to provide some of the philosophical foundations for Catholic theology.

Describing Hauerwas' work as Christian ethics, one can allow that phrase its full scope of meaning. It is the work of an ethician, who is thoroughly conversant with that branch of philosophy and comes to grips with its major issues. He is also firmly committed to the view that, in modifying the substantive 'ethics' with the adjective 'Christian,' one is designating a distinct reality.

Modern societies are plagued with conflicts about basic beliefs, values, and ideals. What some call virtue, others count as vice. This book argues that the cultivation of the virtues as well as contestation about them are part and parcel of the goods that Christians and democratic societies share in common. Drawing on the work of Mary Wollstonecraft, Emily Dumler-Winckler aims to dissolve the anxieties of both defenders and despisers of virtue ethics and so form a rapprochement. Influenced by religious dissenters in eighteenth-century England, Wollstonecraft revolutionized ancient traditions of the virtues in modern ways for feminist and abolitionist aims. For this modern feminist, as for premodern Christians, moral formation requires putting exemplars to the test of critical examination-discarding some, adopting others, and emulating the virtues of each. By elaborating the specifically theological aspects of Wollstonecraft's account, this book demonstrates the important role religious traditions have played in feminism and radical socio-political movements in the modern era. By treating the relation between modern rights and virtues such as justice and friendship, Dumler-Winckler illuminates their vital relation and roles in modern democratic societies. With good reason, both modernity and virtue have cultured despisers. Modern Virtue provides an account of the virtues in modernity and, even, the virtues of modernity.

"This book is a contribution to the Christian ethics of war and peace. It advances peacebuilding as a needed challenge to and expansion of the traditional framework of just-war theory and pacifism. It builds on a critical reading of historical landmarks from the Bible through Augustine, Aquinas, the Reformers, Christian peace movements, and key modern figures like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Reinhold Niebuhr, and recent popes. Similar to just-war theory, peacebuilding is committed to social change and social justice but includes some theorists and practitioners who accept the use of force in extreme cases of self-defense or humanitarian intervention. Unlike just-war theorists, they do not see the justification of war as part of the Christian mission. Unlike traditional pacifists, they do see social change as necessary and possible and, as such, requiring Christian participation in public efforts. Cahill argues that transformative Christian social participation is demanded by the gospel and the example of Jesus, and can produce the avoidance, resolution, or reduction of conflicts. And yet obstacles are significant, and expectations must be realistic. Decisions to use armed force against injustice, even when they meet the criteria of just war, will be ambiguous and tragic from a Christian perspective. Regarding war and peace, the focus of Christian theology, ethics, and practice should not be on justifying war but on practical and hopeful interreligious peacebuilding."