Shortly after beginning my first pastorate, I was
called upon to help a family in the midst of making decisions about declining
medical treatment. Realizing that there was some difference of opinion among
family members, as well as uncertainty about what the hospital would be willing
to accommodate, I knew that I would need to have clarity with regard to what my
pastoral counsel should be. I would also need to be able to communicate that
counsel compassionately and convincingly to a hurting family.
Of course, I had thought about those issues in the
abstract, but being confronted with a real situation was different, and I have
to confess that I initially felt completely lost. Fortunately, a former
seminary professor answered my late night call and walked me through the
issues, helping me to apply biblical truth to my specific situation. While I am
grateful for that professor, it occurs to me that I could have also been helped
by a book such as Introducing
Christian Ethics, a newly published book written by Scott
B. Rae.
Dr. Rae, who holds a Ph.D. from the University of
Southern California, teaches ethics to business students at Biola University
and to seminary students at Talbot School of Theology.
The opening four chapters of the book are foundational
in nature, establishing the sources of ethical authority from a Christian
perspective and placing the Christian understanding of ethics in the context of
other contemporary views. These introductory chapters conclude with a helpful model
for ethical decision making, particularly in complex situations where ethical
considerations seem to conflict. In that chapter, Rae develops an example of a
manager attempting to determine the right course when obligations to his
employer and to his friend seem to be in conflict.
The remaining chapters develop a Christian
understanding of a variety of contemporary ethical concerns: abortion, the use
of reproductive technology, genetics and biotechnology, issues related to death
and assisted suicide, capital punishment, war, sexual ethics, and economics and
the value of work. For each of these, the author develops realistic examples in
order to identify areas of ethical impact, lay out the Christian position(s),
and answer objections.
Because this is an introduction, and, as the title
indicates, a “short guide,” one should not expect an in depth treatment –
obviously, each of these issues could take up its own volume. For those wanting
a deeper understanding, each chapter provides a bibliography of two or three other
works that the reader might consult.
Rae points out that Christian ethics requires that we
learn to think through what we believe: “Often we focus on what position
someone holds on a specific moral issue. That’s important, but it’s also
critical to identify how they think about right and wrong more generally and
how they justify their position.” This book will help the reader to think as
Rae suggests we should.
This book could be useful in a variety of ways.
Because it is not overly technical, it is accessible for both pastors and
laymen. As such, it could be consulted by pastors developing sermons on these
issues or looking for a quick guide for his pastoral work. It could also be
used by small groups, and to that end each chapter has a list of review
questions that could be used for group discussion.
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