Christian Ethics

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

Preface. Introduction. 1. Benedict and the Practice of the Christian Life. 2. Augustine, God, and Human Nature: The Theory of the Christian Life. 3. Thomas Aquinas: The Natural Law and the Loss of Christian Ethics. 4. Martin Luther: Against Ethics. 5. Butler, Kant, and Kierkegaard: The Turn to the Subject. 6. Nietzsche and the Genealogists: Suspecting the Subject. 7. Barth and John Paul II: The Rediscovery of Christian Ethics. 8. History in the Present: Genetics, Philosophy, and Christian Life. Suggestions for Further Reading. Bibliography. Index.