Evangelical Ethics: Issues Facing the Church Today, 4th ed.

by John Jefferson Davis

Overview

For three decades, Evangelical Ethics has been regarded as one of the best treatments of contemporary ethical problems that Christians face. John Jefferson Davis brings mature biblical thought to issues such as homosexuality, genetics, abortion, euthanasia, war and peace, the environment, divorce, and remarriage. This fourth edition includes a new chapter on the history and legacy of slavery in the United States. Other chapters have been revised and updated.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781629952185
Publisher:	Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing
Publication date:	11/13/2015
Pages:	400
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

John Jefferson Davis (PhD, Duke University), an ordained Presbyterian minister, is professor of systematic theology and Christian ethics at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Massachusetts. A former president of the Evangelical Philosophical Society, Dr. Davis is the author of several books, including Theology Primer, Foundations of Evangelical Theology, Evangelical Ethics: Issues Facing the Church Today, and Frontiers of Science and Faith, as well as numerous articles in scholarly journals.

Table of Contents

Foreword ix

Preface xi

1 Dimensions of Decision Making 1

Cases and Issues 2

Biblical Authority 3

Empirical and Deliberative Elements 5

Cases of Conflicting Obligation 6

Christian Ethics and Law in a Pluralistic Society 10

2 Contraception 17

From Ancient Times to the Present 18

Modern Methods of Contraception 20

Moral Dimensions of Contraception 35

Related Issues 48

3 Reproductive Technologies 59

Artificial Insemination 59

Surrogate Mothers: Wombs for Rent 70

Sex Selection 76

In Vitro Fertilization 79

4 Divorce and Remarriage 90

Historical Trends 91

The Biblical Data 92

Summary and Conclusions 101

5 Homosexuality 106

Historical and Anthropological Perspectives 106

Medical Aspects 109

The Witness of Scripture 114

Theological and Pastoral Issues 123

Homosexuality and the Law 127

6 Abortion 131

Historical and Legal Background 132

Medical Aspects 137

The Psychological Dimension 144

Biblical, Theological, and Ethical Considerations 146

7 Termination of Treatment, Infanticide, and Euthanasia 161

Infanticide 161

Death, Dying, and Euthanasia 177

8 Capital Punishment 198

History and the Law 199

The Teachings of Scripture 202

Philosophical and Pragmatic Considerations 207

9 Civil Disobedience and Revolution 215

Civil Disobedience 215

Revolution and the Christian Conscience 225

10 War and Peace 234

War in Human History 234

The Morality of War: The Pre-Atomic Era 237

War and Peace in a Nuclear Age 246

11 Environmental Ethics: History, Issues, Theology 258

Historical Perspectives on the Environmental Movement 259

Current Environmental Concerns 262

Biblical Foundations of Environmental Ethics 265

12 The Genetic Revolution 274

Historical Background 274

The Issues and the Terminology 278

Theological and Ethical Framework 279

Reflections on the Issues 284

13 Slavery, Race, and Racism in America 291

Slavery Comes to America 293

Slavery: The Use and Misuse of the Bible 296

Reconstruction and Jim Crow 303

From Booker T. Washington to Martin Luther King Jr. 311

The Post-Civil Rights Era 318

Glossary 325

Select Bibliography 329

Index of Persons 365

Index of Subjects 371

Index of Scripture 381

Editorial Reviews

I became an ordained pastor in 1985, the year Evangelical Ethics was first published. As I was serving a young and growing congregation serious about studying ethics, this book became my primary resource. Six years later, Dr. Davis and I served the same church, and my appreciation for his work only grew as I came to trust and value his personal integrity and pastoral wisdom. His comprehensive learning, accessible language, and unswerving commitment to the authority of Scripture is evident on every page. This fourth edition includes a chapter on slavery, race, and racism and will prove helpful to churches committed to healing the United States’ long-standing racial divisions. Every thoughtful Christian will want to keep this book close at hand.

Charles Malcolm Wingard

I am delighted that John J. Davis's Evangelical Ethics is appearing again in a new edition. I have used the text in my classes for years. I admire its faithfulness to Scripture and Reformed theology and its power to stimulate good discussion. . . . I recommend the book highly.

John M. Frame

I became an ordained pastor in 1985, the year Evangelical Ethics was first published. Serving a young and growing congregation serious about studying ethics, this book became my primary resource. Six years later Dr. Davis and I served the same church, and my appreciation for his work only grew as I came to trust and value his personal integrity and pastoral wisdom. His comprehensive learning, accessible language, and unswerving commitment to the authority of scripture is evident on every page. This fourth edition includes a chapter on slavery, race, and racism, and will prove helpful to churches committed to healing America’s long-standing racial divisions. Every thoughtful Christian will want to keep this book close at hand.

Charles Wingard