Theological Ethics And Global Dynamics

The nature of ethics has been the subject of much controversy and argument in recent decades. Theological Ethics and Global Dynamics tackles these various debates, offering a wide-ranging, comprehensive, and provocative statement of the nature of theological ethics in global times. Offers an accessible, lively, and provocative statement of the nature of moral philosophy and theological ethics in contemporary times. Tackles various perspectives on debates about distinctly Christian ethics. Argues that we need to reframe the arena in which moral questions are asked. Engages a range of positions, exploring distinctively modern issues such as moral and cultural relativism, globalization, problems of consumption and violence, and religious pluralism. Addresses the complexity of certain ethical decisions, which are difficult and far from clear-cut, and yet presents an ethical understanding which is both humane and deeply religious.

""Schweiker's reflections are strikingly original and they ought to be required reading for everyone in the field of theological ethics."" -Douglas F. Ottati, Professor of Theology and Ethics, Union Theological Seminary and Presbyterian School of Christian Education ""With this new work, Schweiker continues his vital exploration of hermeneutical realism, responsibility ethics, moral formation, and the lives we live in our complex late modern cultures. This is a bracing, complex text that richly rewards those who engage it with the care it requires."" -Jean Bethke Elshtain, Laura Rockefeller Professor of Social and Political Ethics, University of Chicago, and author of Augustine and the Limits of Politics ""Schweiker has a comprehensive knowledge of contemporary moral thought--philosophical and theological, applied and theoretical. He brings a wealth of material together with a unifying theological perspective that sharpens our questions and renews our hope. This is an outstanding achievement."" -Robin W. Lovin, Dean and Professor of Ethics, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University William Schweiker is the Edward L. Ryerson Distinguished Service Professor of Theological Ethics at the University of Chicago. Born in Des Moines, Iowa (1953) he holds degrees from Simpson College, Duke University and also the University of Chicago. Besides teaching at Chicago, he has also been guest professor at Uppsala University and the University of Heidelberg. Schweiker ́s writings engage theological and ethical questions attentive to global dynamics, comparative religious ethics, the history of ethics, and hermeneutical philosophy. Schweiker has published five books, numerous articles and award-winning essays, as well as edited and contributed to six volumes, including A Companion to Religious Ethics (2004), a comprehensive and innovative work in the field of comparative religious ethics. He is currently working on a volume, Religious Ethics: Meaning and Method. Ongoing research is for a book on theological ethics and the integrity of life.

Written by internationally renowned scholars, this Companion maps the moral teachings of the world’s religions, and also charts new directions for work in the field of religious ethics. Now available in paperback, this is a rich resource for understanding the moral teachings and practices of the world’s religions Includes detailed discussions of issues in moral theory Offers extensive treatment of the world’s major religious traditions, including Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Chinese religions and African religions Compares the ways in which the religions provide resources for addressing current moral challenges in areas such as ecology, economics, global dynamics, religious war, human rights and other topics.

Global realities of human inequality, poverty, violence and ecological destruction call for a twenty-first-century Christian response which links cross-cultural and interreligious cooperation for change to the Gospel. This book demonstrates why just action is necessarily a criterion of authentic Christian theology, and gives grounds for Christian hope that change in violent structures is really possible. Lisa Sowle Cahill argues that theology and biblical interpretation are already embedded in and indebted to ethical-political practices and choices. Within this ecumenical study, she explores the use of the historical Jesus in constructive theology; the merits of Word and Spirit Christologies; the importance of liberation and feminist theologies as well as theologies from the global south; and also the possibility of qualified moral universalism. The book will be of great interest to all students of theology, religious ethics and politics, and biblical studies.

A Christian response to global realities of human inequality, poverty, violence and ecological destruction in the twenty-first century.

Maureen Junker-Kenny offers a systematic overview of the discipline of theological ethics in the variety of its approaches, which draw upon different philosophical traditions and theological visions in treating its sources. Part One examines the four sources of theological ethics: the Bible, tradition, philosophical accounts of the human, and the individual human sciences. Part Two compares five frameworks in English- and German-speaking theological ethics, based on virtue, worship, natural law, autonomy, and feminist analyses. Part Three compares three types of vision - integralist, praxis-oriented, and discourse-focused - , and Junker-Kenny concludes by situating the investigation of the discipline within contemporary philosophical and theological exchanges on religion in the public sphere. The book provides a framework in which students can locate the specific use of core ethical concepts and argumentations, comparing how each approach relates to the Bible, to historical reason, theological thought, practical self-understandings and interdisciplinary perspectives on ethics in a scientific and technological culture. In an age of globalisation where different cultures, religions, lifestyles and values meet in the workplace, in schools, and in public spaces shaped by religious and cultural traditions, it is necessary to foster the ability to create possibilities and venues for dialogue between different self-understandings. Analysing the variety of approaches to theological ethics helps articulate different visions of what constitutes a fulfilled life, of how the moral vocation of each human being can be supported, and of the role of the Christian faith for ethics.

In this insightful and look at the practical challenges and possibilities for Christian life in the global age, Schweiker investigates Christianity’s current relevance and discusses how the life of faith can be oriented. Explores the big religious themes of modern life, including religious identity in global times, the role of conscience, integrity, and versions of religious humanism Written by an author who is internationally recognized as one of the world’s leading theologians Draws on the work of some prominent contemporary philosophers and theologians to clarify the nature of faith Unique in its appreciation of the ambiguity of religion – in its representations of the highest human achievements as well as the very worst of human actions – using a balanced and engaged approach to discusses contentious theological and intellectual issues

What might we learn if the study of ethics focused less on hard cases and more on the practices of everyday life? In Everyday Ethics, Michael Lamb and Brian Williams gather some of the world’s leading scholars and practitioners of moral theology (including some GUP authors) to explore that question in dialogue with anthropology and the social sciences. Inspired by the work of Michael Banner, these scholars cross disciplinary boundaries to analyze the ethics of ordinary practices—from eating, learning, and loving thy neighbor to borrowing and spending, using technology, and working in a flexible economy. Along the way, they consider the moral and methodological questions that emerge from this interdisciplinary dialogue and assess the implications for the future of moral theology.