Christian Ethics and Contemporary Moral ProblemsThis book addresses such key ethical issues as euthanasia, the environment, biotechnology, abortion, the family, sexual ethics, and the distribution of health care resources. Michael Banner argues that the task of Christian ethics is to understand the world and humankind in the light of the credal affirmations of the Christian faith, and to explicate this understanding in its significance for human action through a critical engagement with the concerns, claims and problems of other ethics. He illustrates both the distinctiveness of Christian convictions in relation to the above issues and also the critical dialogue with practices based on other convictions which this sense of distinctiveness motivates but does not prevent. The book's importance lies in its attempt to show the crucial difference which Christian belief makes to an understanding of these issues, whilst at the same time demonstrating some of the weaknesses and confusions of certain popular approaches to them. |
Contents
Turning the world upside down and some other tasks for dogmatic Christian ethics | 1 |
Christian anthropology at the beginning and end of life | 47 |
The practice of abortion a critique | 86 |
Economic devices and ethical pitfalls quality of life the distribut1on of resources and the needs of the elderly | 136 |
Why and how not to value the environment | 163 |
On not begging the questions about biotechnology | 204 |
Who are my mother and my brothers? Marx Bonhoeffer and Benedict and the redemption of the family | 225 |
Five churches in search of sexual ethics | 252 |
Prolegomena to a dogmatic sexual ethic | 269 |
| 310 | |
| 322 | |
Common terms and phrases
abortion according action animals answer anthropocentric anthropology argue argument Augustine Augustine's Barth Benedict benefit Bishops body Bonhoeffer Catholic chapter Christian ethics Church Dogmatics City of God claim concept concern consequentialism consequentialist consideration contingent valuation cost cost-benefit analysis course creation death debate discussion dogmatic ethics embryo Engels environment environmental euthanasia example existence fact foetus future genetic engineering God's Gospel Hauerwas homosexual human sexuality humankind humility Jesus Christ judgment justice London Manichees marriage Marx matter means meta-ethical moral nature O'Donovan particular patient Pederasty Pelagian perhaps Plotinus practice prefer present presuppose presuppositions principle problem properly QALY QALY maximisation question rational reason regard relation Report Rule of St seems sense sexual ethics significance simply social speak specific Stanley Hauerwas suppose theological ethics theory things thought tion trans treatment understanding virtue whilst word wrong