An Introduction to Christian Ethics: Goals, Duties, and Virtues

by Robin W. Lovin

A few years ago, the first distinction that ethicists drew was the line between Christian ethics and philosophical ethics. However, in our global context, Christian ethicists must now, in addition, compare and contrast various ethics. Christian ethics has become increasingly multivocal not only because of a plurality of faiths but also because of a plurality of Christianities.

Beginning with five key ideas about God’s relationship to humanity and history, Dr. Lovin shows how these work together to shape the Christian stance. In the first three chapters, he then shows how those ideas took shape in relation to other ways of thinking about ethics in the world of early Christianity and identifies four major Synergy, Integrity, Realism, and Liberation. The six remaining chapters cover historical and contemporary developments in the three ways of thinking about moral teleology, deontology, and areteology. Test cases are also included.

The purpose of the book is to indicate what is possible in Christian ethics, rather than to prescribe one way that it ought to be done. The aim is not to get readers to choose one among the Christian possibilities and use it exclusively, but use this introduction as a resource to arrive at their own ways of thinking about moral problems in order to act with integrity.

Genres: Theology, Philosophy, Religion, School

288 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2010

Reviews

[Keri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a hard time rating books I read for classes, but this book was a comprehensive guide to Christian ethics.

[Faith High · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovin presents a compelling introduction to different ethical systems and the value they have to offer Christian ethics.
Lovin caught my attention and I nearly forgot I was reading a textbook.

[Vic · Rating 5 out of 5]

So grateful for this book. Blazed through it for my Theological Ethics exam on Tuesday but couldn’t have done it without Lovin’s clear and engaging style. The narrative he charts with succinct summaries and regular recaps made it an incredibly beneficial read that I’ve soaked up so much knowledge and wisdom from.

I am most grateful for the way he frames Christian ethics with the Christian “stance”, that is the “meta-narrative” starting from Creation, then the problem Sin and the Fall, resolving from incarnation, through redemption, to resurrection destiny. His critical appropriation of this framework (set forth originally by his colleague Charles Curran) to explain the variations on the Christian stance was revolutionary in my own understanding on the spectrum of opinions found within the vast Christian tradition. It makes perfect sense to me that varying emphases on these different parts of the Christian meta-narrative result in the plethora of opinions that vie for our attention and allegiance. Indeed, as Lovin concludes, wisdom lies in being able to adopt a particular stance which a specific situation calls for (although someone who vouches for hardline Integrity might object to such willingness to vary one’s stance!)

Overall, I’m sure the book has its flaws and biases (the author seems to support Realism most) but regardless I am a happy beneficiary of Lovin’s amazing work. I hope to retain Lovin and Curran’s frameworks in all my future reading of philosophy and theology. Highly highly recommended as a primer in Christian Ethics and Christian Theology in general.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was not excited about having to take Christian Ethics, but it’s been great. My professor is excellent and this book is an in depth intro. Deep reading takes a while, but it’s very good and worth the time investment. I’d say every Christian should read it. I found that some ethics (like the stance of integrity) doesn’t match those who claim the Bible’s inerrancy.

There is a lot to be confused about, but having finished the book I feel like I can make some connections better and wish I had really thought about how the book is put together. So, if you’re going to read it remember the -ology chapters go through the stances for that particular -ology (the three moral reasonings). And the chapters within the particular-ology has subsets of that -ology. It’s kind of confusing at first, but there are three moral reasonings, 4 stances.

You’ll recognize a lot of names and realize they’ve had a lot to do with ethics for a very long time.

Also, Aristotelian is pronounced aris-ta-telian.

[Drew · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent introduction overall, though the section on deontology was a real slog for me. He emphasizes the Niebuhrs more than many others, though this isn’t a fault necessarily. His use of the phrase “resurrection destiny” throughout is idiosyncratic and unclear.

[Lonita Shirk Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has a concise overview of Christian ethics in language that the average person can understand.

[Emma Di Pace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for a class—helpful overview/ intro of Christian ethics and very accessible

[Terri Milstead · Rating 2 out of 5]

Third book of four that was required reading for my ethics class and, for me, it is splitting too many hairs to hold my interest or for me to truly comprehend the material. Instead, when reading material like this, I just wonder what makes people so curious about these sorts of abstract ideas that they would develop all of these models and, then, what about them is meaningful to me and/or my ministry.

[Dave Pettengill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave this book 4 stars not because I really loved reading it, but because I felt the author did a very good job articulating a very complex topic in a way that the reader could understand. I read this for my seminary class on Christian Ethics and found it to be an interesting book.

[Nitzchiya Mutiso]

Great introductory book for Christian Ethics

[_ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had to read this for a Christian Ethics class. Pretty easy read, lots of good examples for his themes and concepts. But very repetitive.