Wendt Character Initiative Library Collection: Religion

A Short History of Jewish Ethics traces the development of Jewish moral concepts and ethical reflection from its Biblical roots to the present day.  Offers an engaging and thoughtful account of Jewish ethics Brings together and discusses a broad range of historical sources covering two millennia of writings and conversations Combines current scholarship with original insights Written by a major internationally recognized scholar of Jewish philosophy and ethics

For the past thirty years, Biblical Ethics and Social Change has provided a keenly insightful biblical argument for intentional institutional change on behalf of social justice. Stephen Charles Mott shows how central concepts in biblical and theological ethics-grace, evil, love, justice, and the Reign of God-figure into social change, arguing that Christian social change must be rooted not only in justice but in the grace received through the death and resurrection of Christ. Mott also uses ethics, scripture, and theology to evaluate methods for carrying out that intentional social change, through examination of the complex roles of evangelism, countercommunity, civil disobedience, armed revolution, and political reform. He argues that change can only be brought about by taking upon oneself the cause of the oppressed and by using all available and legitimate means of meeting basic needs by providing for all what is essential for inclusion in society. This revised second edition contains Mott's further reflections on the topic and updates its applications to contemporary social life. Book jacket.

What the Church teaches and why on issues of euthanasia, invitro fertilization, genetic counseling, assisted suicide, living wills, persistent vegetative state, organ transplants, and more.

Adherents of the Abrahamic religions have traditionally held that God is morally perfect and unconditionally deserving of devotion, obedience, love, and worship. The Jewish, Christian, and Islamic scriptures tell us that God is compassionate, merciful, and just. As is well-known, however, these same scriptures contain passages that portray God as wrathful, severely punitive, and jealous. Critics furthermore argue that the God of these scriptures commends bigotry, misogyny, andhomophobia, condones slavery, and demands the adoption of unjust laws-for example, laws that mandate the death penalty for adultery and rebellion against parents, and laws institutionalizing in various ways the diverse kinds of bigotry and oppression just mentioned. In recent days, these sorts ofcriticisms of the Hebrew Bible have been raised in new and forceful ways by philosophers, scientists, social commentators, and others. This volume brings together eleven original essays representing the views of both critics and defenders of the character of God as portrayed in these texts. Authors represent the disciplines of philosophy, religion, and Biblical studies. Each essay is accompanied by comments from another author who takes a critical approach to the thesis defended in that essay, along with replies by the essay's author.

The Personalism, Theology, and Ethics of Martin Luther King, Jr.Devotes devotes much-needed attention both to King's conviction that the universe is value-infused and to the implications of the ideology of personalism for King's views on human dignity and his concept of the "Beloved Community."

In contrast to many studies of New Testament ethics, which treat the New Testament in general and Paul in particular, this book focuses on the person of Jesus himself. Richard Burridge maintains that imitating Jesus means following both his words ? which are very demanding ethical teachings ? and his deeds and example of being inclusive and accepting of everyone. Burridge carefully and systematically traces that combination of rigorous ethical instruction and inclusive community through the letters of Paul and the four Gospels, treating specific ethical issues pertaining to each part of Scripture. The book culminates with a chapter on apartheid as an ethical challenge to reading the New Testament; using South Africa as a contemporary case study enables Burridge to highlight and further apply his previous discussion and conclusions.

Religion is one of the most powerful forces running through human history, and although often presented as a force for good, its impact is frequently violent and divisive. This provocative work brings together cutting-edge research from both evolutionary and cognitive psychology to help readers understand the psychological structure of religious morality and the origins of religious violence. Introduces a fundamentally new approach to the analysis of religion in a style accessible to the general reader Applies insights from evolutionary and cognitive psychology to both Judaism and Christianity, and their texts, to help understand the origins of religious violence Argues that religious violence is grounded in the moral psychology of religion Illustrates its controversial argument with reference to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and the response to the attacks from both the terrorists and the President. Suggests strategies for beginning to counter the divisive aspects of religion. Discusses the role of religion and religious criticism in the contemporary world. Argues for a position sceptical of the moral authority of religion, while also critiquing the excesses of the "new atheists" for failing to appreciate the moral contributions of religion.

Is God Still at the Bedside? by Abigail Rian Evans offers an expert interdisciplinary Christian perspective on the complex web of issues surrounding death and dying. Evans here combines first-person stories and interviews with research gathered from the medical, theological, legal, ethical, and pastoral disciplines. Her comprehensive, insightful work will not only benefit families struggling with difficult end-of-life decisions but also inform the doctors, nurses, and pastors who serve them. Book jacket.

This popular anthology in Christian ethics, now in its eight edition, has been a mainstay of undergraduate courses for more than twenty years. Contemporary moral issues are examined from decidedly, yet diverse and sometimes clashing, Christian moral perspectives, and students are led to question what kind of action commitment is required. Among issues covered are: sexuality, marriage, prejudice, immigration, the environment, consumerism, biomedical ethics, capital punishment, terrorism, war, and globalization.

 Featuring updates, revisions, and new essays from various scholars within the Christian tradition, The Blackwell Companion to Christian Ethics, Second Edition reveals how Christian worship is the force that shapes the moral life of Christians.  Features new essays on class, race, disability, gender, peace, and the virtues Includes a number of revised essays and a range of new authors The innovative and influential approach organizes ethical themes around the shape of Christian worship The original edition is the most successful to-date in the Companions to Religion series   

Here is a lucid, accessible, and inspiring guide to the six perfections--Buddhist teachings about six dimensions of human character that require "perfecting": generosity, morality, tolerance, energy, meditation, and wisdom. Drawing on theDiamond Sutra, the Large Sutra on Perfect Wisdom, and other essential Mahayana texts, Dale Wright shows how these teachings were understood and practiced in classical Mahayana Buddhism and how they can be adapted to contemporary life in a global society. What would the perfection of generosity look like today, for example? What would it mean to give with neither ulterior motives nor naivet ? Devoting a separate chapter to each of the six perfections, Wright combines sophisticated analysis with real-life applications. Buddhists have always stressed self-cultivation, the uniquely human freedom that opens the possibility of shaping the kind of life we will live and the kind of person we will become. For those interested in ideals of human character and practices of self-cultivation,The Six Perfectionsoffers invaluable guidance.

This accessible introduction to religious ethics focuses on the major forms of moral reasoning encompassing the three 'Abrahamic' religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Draws on a range of moral issues, such as examples arising from friendship, marriage, homosexuality, lying, forgiveness and its limits, the death penalty, the environment, warfare, and the meaning of work, career, and vocation Looks at both ethical reasoning and importantly, how that reasoning reveals insights into a religious tradition Investigates the resources available to address common problems confronting Abrahamic faiths, and how each faith explains and defends its moral viewpoints Offering concrete topics for interfaith discussions, this is a timely and insightful introduction to a fast-growing field of interest