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A Primer in Christian Ethics

Christ and the Struggle to Live Well

Luke Bretherton (Duke University, North Carolina)

$49.95

Paperback

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English
Cambridge University Press
09 November 2023
How does Christian belief and practice relate to living well amid the difficulties of everyday life and the catastrophes and injustices that afflict so many today? In his introduction to Christian ethics, Bretherton provides a new, constructive framework for addressing this question. Connecting the theory and practice of Christian moral thought to contemporary existential concerns, this book integrates classic approaches to the pursuit of wisdom with contemporary liberationist and critical voices. The relationship between human and nonhuman life provides a central focus to the work, foregrounding environmental justice. As well as addressing a broad range of ethical questions, Bretherton situates moral formation and the pursuit of human and nonhuman flourishing alongside a concern for spirituality, pastoral care, and political struggles to survive and thrive in the contemporary context. Written for those seeking a place to start, as well as those seasoned in the field, Bretherton's book provides an innovative ethical framework that moves beyond many of the impasses that shape current moral and political debates.
By:  
Imprint:   Cambridge University Press
Country of Publication:   United Kingdom
Dimensions:   Height: 228mm,  Width: 153mm,  Spine: 23mm
Weight:   586g
ISBN:   9781009329026
ISBN 10:   1009329022
Pages:   300
Publication Date:  
Audience:   College/higher education ,  A / AS level
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
1. Christ and the struggle to live well; I. Describing Well: 2. Listening to creaturely life; 3. Listening to Scripture; 4. Listening to strangers; 5. Listening to cries for liberation; 6. Listening to ancestors; II. Acting Well: 7. Finitude and fallenness; 8. Call and commands; 9. Rules and regulations; 10. Virtues and vision; 11. Deliberation and judgment; III. Living Well with Others: 12. Intimacy; 13. Work; 14. Politics.

Luke Bretherton is the Robert E. Cushman Distinguished Professor of Moral and Political Theology at Duke University. He is the author of Christ and the Common Life (2019), Resurrecting Democracy (2014), Hospitality as Holiness (2010), and Christianity and Contemporary Politics (2010), winner of the 2013 Michael Ramsey Prize for Theological Writing. Alongside his scholarship and teaching, he writes on topics related to religion and politics in the media, hosts the Listen, Organize, Act! Podcast, and is involved in forms of grassroots democratic politics, both the United Kingdom and the United States.

Reviews for A Primer in Christian Ethics: Christ and the Struggle to Live Well

'The scope, range, and depth of this book is unparalleled among other primers in Christian ethics and I recommend it most highly … At a time when conversations in Christian ethics and political theology are often polarized and polarizing, this text exemplifies alternative ways to think and talk about contemporary challenges in light of the Christian tradition.' Emily Dumler-Winckler, Saint Louis University 'The substance of the material and the rigor of the arguments feel like the author has taken his experience as a teacher working with classrooms that become communities, and sought to translate that experience for larger audiences, as if the book views itself curating a virtual classroom community … One of the book's strongest points is the great diversity of references offered throughout. Bretherton shows wide knowledge of Christian theology and ethics and readers will benefit from the many types of references he makes, from womanist thought to patristics.' Jonathan Tran, Baylor University 'Drawing on an extraordinary range of literatures Bretherton does what few do, that is, he has written a book that explores what is entailed if we are to live well. In the process he puts in conversation liberationist and more formal ethical theory in a way that makes clear why theology matters for ethical reflection. This is a book that is bound to be seen as a decisive intervention for future work in theological ethics.' Stanley Hauerwas, Gilbert T. Rowe Professor Emeritus of Divinity, Duke University 'This is an incredible book to which I will return again and again. It is rich with wisdom from a variety of different philosophical and theological sources from throughout the ages and has real-life application for how this thinking can help us to live life today. Instead of providing answers, Bretherton guides us in how we might think about the issues we are presented with in our daily lives. What I particularly valued about this book is how it demonstrates how the Bible might be used well in public discourse, but shows that it matters how we do so. I also particularly valued the way in which Bretherton draws on the work of Black theologians to not just illustrate points about race and racism, but show their contribution to the vast span of Christian ethical thought and ideas.' Chine McDonald, broadcaster, writer, and director of the religion and society think tank, Theos


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