This book analyzes a rich and diverse body of philosophical and
theological literature concerning the import of narrative for the
understanding of morality. Nelson begins by examining the theses
that to understand oneself, a tradition, and history as a whole,
they must be understood in the context of a narrative.
Recent philosophical writings on the relation of narrative to
the moral concepts of social groups and individuals--including
Alasdair MacIntyre's proposal for the rehabilitation of an ethic of
virtue shaped by narrative--are explored. Issues discussed include
the freedom of moral agents in relation to their narratives, the
relation between narrative and universal moral rules, and the
problem of relativism. Next, Nelson classifies theological uses of
narrative as belonging to either a liberal-universalistic or
postliberal-particularistic tradition and considers the
implications of construing scripture as narrative for the
problematic relation between scripture and ethics. The work of
Stanley Hauerwas, the foremost narrativist in Christian ethics, is
analyzed at length. Nelson argues that while narrative is a
necessary focus, it does not exhaust the methodological agenda.
Narrative is not, as its advocates sometimes suggest, a universal
solvent for every theological problem and disagreement. An adequate
Christian ethics must not lose sight of the universal,
narrative-independent features of morality. Since the realm of the
moral is an interweaving of narrative-dependent and
narrative-independent features, Christian ethics stands to profit
from both narrativist (coherentist) and rationalist
(foundationalist) insights.
The role of narrative is demonstrably a major topic of
conversation across several fields in religious studies today.
Particularly designed for scholars in ethics, theology, and the
philosophy of religion, the book is a reliable guide to an
expanding literature and a judicious introduction to these
interdisciplinary discussions.
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