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Evangelical Ethics: Issues Facing the Church Today
For two decades, Evangelical Ethics has been regarded as one of the best treatments of contemporary ethical problems facing Christians. John Jefferson Davis brings mature biblical thought to issues such as homosexuality, genetics, abortion, euthanasia, war and peace, the environment, divorce and remarriage.
This third edition has new chapters on environmental ethics and the genetic revolution, and other chapters have been revised and updated.
This third edition has new chapters on environmental ethics and the genetic revolution, and other chapters have been revised and updated.
359 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
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June 20, 2011
This is a book for the early 1980s. I’m being clear because it claims to be an “updated and revised” edition from 2004. While a couple very short chapters were added, the old material is mostly untouched. Since half the chapters are on medical issues it is sad to see almost no medical research cited past 1983. Besides the outdated and sometimes false claims, this leads to archaic statements like, “In-vitro Fertilization represents a form of experimentation exposing human subjects to as yet unknown risks.” The author managed to insert “9/11” into the war chapter as a justification for the continued need for nuclear weapons, but failed to add a single word in that whole chapter about not torturing prisoners or avoiding the killing of innocents.
The book claims to target the ethical issues likely to come up for the Evangelical pastor or lay person today. In some respects it does that – issues like divorce, the environment, and civil disobedience aren’t covered in similar books. But why is there nothing at all on money, poverty, or business ethics? What we do with our money and how we act towards the poor are among the great ethical issues of the Bible, appearing more than any other modern moral problem. How can that be missing from a book on evangelical ethics? Issues of race and immigration are curiously absent as well.
It was distressing to see homosexuality covered but not premarital sex (which is happening more in the average evangelical congregation?), and have the death penalty covered but nothing at all about the rest of the justice system.
For the stuff that is covered, the information reads more like a legal brief for one side than a fair exploration of ethical issues from a Christian perspective. Statistics and studies are presented in an out-of-context and misleading manner. The arguments are inconsistent – in the IVF chapter even a “small risk” of grave injury is considered “morally unacceptable”, but in the death penalty chapter the risk of innocent people being executed is considered irrelevant to the morality question. In the abortion chapter it is strongly stated that even if there’s only a possibility that innocent lives are being ended, the procedure must be made illegal, but the war chapter go to lengths to justify the Godly use of nuclear weapons without even mentioning the hundreds of thousands of innocent lives that would be ended instantly. Creative solutions to difficult problems and “third ways” between two opposite options are rarely explored – apparently the authors only care whether the answer is “yes” or “no”, and how to actually deal with difficult ethical situations is irrelevant.
Finally, the Bible is twisted and selectively quoted to meet the author’s ends. Judges is quoted more often than the book of Mark, and Romans alone is quoted almost as often as all four Gospels combined. Three verses in psalm 139 are quoted 10 times across the book, yet the three chapters of Christ’s Sermon on the Mount only get 3 quotes total (once on divorce, once to claim Matthew 5:18 lends support to the death penalty, and once to claim the entire passage is irrelevant to war). Genesis 9:6 is interpreted as a divine command that holds true today and singlehandedly shows the death penalty is Biblical (even though you’d have to kill EVERY person who kills someone – even involuntary manslaughter – if it were taken as a divine command), while every relevant command of Jesus is explained away as metaphorical, irrelevant or just plain ignored. Matthew 5:9 isn’t even mentioned, while Revelation 19:11 supposedly shows that Jesus condones even nuclear war!
In the end, the author appears to adhere to an odd blend of Reformed Theology, right-wing American political aims, and an ethic of “the ends justify the means” in order to support his positions. If you want some out-of-context Bible verses and a bunch of research from the 1960s and 1970s to prop up a pro-Republican argument for one of these moral issues, then it’s a good resource. But if you’re honestly exploring these moral questions for yourself and want to understand them in a Godly and Biblical way, look elsewhere.
Last note – I was disturbed a number of times to see a study cited authoritatively, and then turn to the footnotes to find that the author was not actually quoting the study, but was actually quoting only a mention of the study in some journalist’s editorial. That is very poor research – if you’re using newspaper and magazine editorials to glean research for an academic book, you’re taking too many shortcuts.
The book claims to target the ethical issues likely to come up for the Evangelical pastor or lay person today. In some respects it does that – issues like divorce, the environment, and civil disobedience aren’t covered in similar books. But why is there nothing at all on money, poverty, or business ethics? What we do with our money and how we act towards the poor are among the great ethical issues of the Bible, appearing more than any other modern moral problem. How can that be missing from a book on evangelical ethics? Issues of race and immigration are curiously absent as well.
It was distressing to see homosexuality covered but not premarital sex (which is happening more in the average evangelical congregation?), and have the death penalty covered but nothing at all about the rest of the justice system.
For the stuff that is covered, the information reads more like a legal brief for one side than a fair exploration of ethical issues from a Christian perspective. Statistics and studies are presented in an out-of-context and misleading manner. The arguments are inconsistent – in the IVF chapter even a “small risk” of grave injury is considered “morally unacceptable”, but in the death penalty chapter the risk of innocent people being executed is considered irrelevant to the morality question. In the abortion chapter it is strongly stated that even if there’s only a possibility that innocent lives are being ended, the procedure must be made illegal, but the war chapter go to lengths to justify the Godly use of nuclear weapons without even mentioning the hundreds of thousands of innocent lives that would be ended instantly. Creative solutions to difficult problems and “third ways” between two opposite options are rarely explored – apparently the authors only care whether the answer is “yes” or “no”, and how to actually deal with difficult ethical situations is irrelevant.
Finally, the Bible is twisted and selectively quoted to meet the author’s ends. Judges is quoted more often than the book of Mark, and Romans alone is quoted almost as often as all four Gospels combined. Three verses in psalm 139 are quoted 10 times across the book, yet the three chapters of Christ’s Sermon on the Mount only get 3 quotes total (once on divorce, once to claim Matthew 5:18 lends support to the death penalty, and once to claim the entire passage is irrelevant to war). Genesis 9:6 is interpreted as a divine command that holds true today and singlehandedly shows the death penalty is Biblical (even though you’d have to kill EVERY person who kills someone – even involuntary manslaughter – if it were taken as a divine command), while every relevant command of Jesus is explained away as metaphorical, irrelevant or just plain ignored. Matthew 5:9 isn’t even mentioned, while Revelation 19:11 supposedly shows that Jesus condones even nuclear war!
In the end, the author appears to adhere to an odd blend of Reformed Theology, right-wing American political aims, and an ethic of “the ends justify the means” in order to support his positions. If you want some out-of-context Bible verses and a bunch of research from the 1960s and 1970s to prop up a pro-Republican argument for one of these moral issues, then it’s a good resource. But if you’re honestly exploring these moral questions for yourself and want to understand them in a Godly and Biblical way, look elsewhere.
Last note – I was disturbed a number of times to see a study cited authoritatively, and then turn to the footnotes to find that the author was not actually quoting the study, but was actually quoting only a mention of the study in some journalist’s editorial. That is very poor research – if you’re using newspaper and magazine editorials to glean research for an academic book, you’re taking too many shortcuts.
March 3, 2020
Good introduction to the subject. Future editions should be renamed: "Evangelical Ethics: American Edition," or something like that--most chapters are consumed with American history, case law, experience and application of these ethics.
May 13, 2020
Good introduction book to various ethical issues in the world. Does a good job of explaining these issues and what the Scriptures say about them. Mainly written in the 80's so some info needs to be updated but the 4th edition contains more modern issues than the previous editions.
August 29, 2021
Thoughtful and well researched book that looks at pressing current ethical issues from a well reasoned and biblical framework.
July 20, 2016
Although I was only required to read chapter 1 for graduate school, the book may be worth going back to read in whole because of the way that it sets out to deal with issues facing the Church today. Here is a summary of chapter 1:
Evangelical Ethics – Chapter 1: Dimensions of Decision Making
In his book, Evangelical Ethics, John Jefferson Davis explores some of the pressing issues that modern-day Christians are forced to take a stance on. In regards to the moral law, Davis points out that Romans 13:10 insists that genuine Christian love inspires believers to fulfill the requirements of the moral law. Furthermore, he believes that, “The teachings of Scripture are the final court of appeal for ethics.” Davis writes that Christian ethics must be descriptive of human behavior and prescriptive, “in the sense of discerning the will of God in concrete situations, and the specific duties that follow from it.” Evangelical ethics is about obligations, not personal preference and feelings. Although Scripture is the ultimate authority in evangelical ethics, human reason also plays a role. When discussing moral obligations, Davis quotes the nineteenth century theologian, Charles Hodge, who stated that, “occasionally a higher obligation suspends a lower one.” In addition, “There are a number of illustrations in Scripture of the principle that obedience to God takes precedence over the normal obligation to obey the government.” When discussing evangelical ethics for today’s Americans, Davis reminds readers that God demands an account from nations who violate the basic moral principles revealed in creation and conscience.
Evangelical Ethics – Chapter 1: Dimensions of Decision Making
In his book, Evangelical Ethics, John Jefferson Davis explores some of the pressing issues that modern-day Christians are forced to take a stance on. In regards to the moral law, Davis points out that Romans 13:10 insists that genuine Christian love inspires believers to fulfill the requirements of the moral law. Furthermore, he believes that, “The teachings of Scripture are the final court of appeal for ethics.” Davis writes that Christian ethics must be descriptive of human behavior and prescriptive, “in the sense of discerning the will of God in concrete situations, and the specific duties that follow from it.” Evangelical ethics is about obligations, not personal preference and feelings. Although Scripture is the ultimate authority in evangelical ethics, human reason also plays a role. When discussing moral obligations, Davis quotes the nineteenth century theologian, Charles Hodge, who stated that, “occasionally a higher obligation suspends a lower one.” In addition, “There are a number of illustrations in Scripture of the principle that obedience to God takes precedence over the normal obligation to obey the government.” When discussing evangelical ethics for today’s Americans, Davis reminds readers that God demands an account from nations who violate the basic moral principles revealed in creation and conscience.
July 23, 2016
Important book. Brings clarity to a lot of tough ethical issues. Well-written and well researched. Deeply theological and anchored in biblical theology. My one criticism is that chapters from earlier editions seem untouched (cf. the sources are all still from before 1985). Although I think it shows the continuing relevance of the original arguments made, it would have been nice if Davis interacted with more recent publications, research, and statistics.
October 9, 2019
Evangelical Ethics is an attempt to look at various issues from an Evangelical (read Conservative) Christian perspective. John Jefferson Davis does a fairly wide treatment of various issues, like Contraception, Reproductive Technology, Divorce, Capital Punishment, but is hardly exhaustive in his topics. While the idea behind the book has merit, I feel that the book has a number of things weighing it down.
First, the title alone is going to tip you off as to where Davis is going to land on a lot of these topics if you pay any attention to Evangelical political positions. I could pretty much predict where he was going to land and what arguments he was going to use for each issue and he didn't really disappoint, in both the good and bad way you could take that.
Second, connected to the first is that the arguments that Davis use are rather one sided. He has his opinion worked out and is just leading you to it. There is little ambiguity and not really much of a willingness to say Christians are divided on these issues and there may be more than one way to approach this. He kind of does say this, but often dismisses these dissenting opinions in favor of presenting his own interpretation.
Third, the book is simply outdated. Even this newer edition that I have is now 15 years old and even with that the studies referenced are from twenty to thirty years before that. So this book wouldn't be one that I really recommend for that, and honesty his analysis of Scripture isn't so amazing to recommend the book based simply upon that.
Finally, the way he reaches his conclusion just seems contradictory. For example, in the chapter on reproductive technology he warns about the potential dangers of IVF and basically says that it isn't worth the potential risk, but later on supports the death penalty even though he acknowledges that there is a potential danger of innocent people being put to death wrongly. This just seems like it isn't very consistent in terms of application. I think I'd be more worried about an innocent being put to death wrongly than unknown risks for the chance to create life, but maybe that's just me.
Overall, I just didn't really like Evangelical Ethics it was a book that held no surprises for me and wasn't particularly well done in my opinion. The real death knell in my mind for a book like this is that the research referenced is just so outdated that it's hard to make conclusions on due to that. Maybe the new data backs those studies up, but using scientific data that's now at this point almost 40-50 years old just isn't going to cut it and makes it a book that I can't really recommend at all especially since I didn't even feel that his use of Scripture was all that great in making his cases either.
First, the title alone is going to tip you off as to where Davis is going to land on a lot of these topics if you pay any attention to Evangelical political positions. I could pretty much predict where he was going to land and what arguments he was going to use for each issue and he didn't really disappoint, in both the good and bad way you could take that.
Second, connected to the first is that the arguments that Davis use are rather one sided. He has his opinion worked out and is just leading you to it. There is little ambiguity and not really much of a willingness to say Christians are divided on these issues and there may be more than one way to approach this. He kind of does say this, but often dismisses these dissenting opinions in favor of presenting his own interpretation.
Third, the book is simply outdated. Even this newer edition that I have is now 15 years old and even with that the studies referenced are from twenty to thirty years before that. So this book wouldn't be one that I really recommend for that, and honesty his analysis of Scripture isn't so amazing to recommend the book based simply upon that.
Finally, the way he reaches his conclusion just seems contradictory. For example, in the chapter on reproductive technology he warns about the potential dangers of IVF and basically says that it isn't worth the potential risk, but later on supports the death penalty even though he acknowledges that there is a potential danger of innocent people being put to death wrongly. This just seems like it isn't very consistent in terms of application. I think I'd be more worried about an innocent being put to death wrongly than unknown risks for the chance to create life, but maybe that's just me.
Overall, I just didn't really like Evangelical Ethics it was a book that held no surprises for me and wasn't particularly well done in my opinion. The real death knell in my mind for a book like this is that the research referenced is just so outdated that it's hard to make conclusions on due to that. Maybe the new data backs those studies up, but using scientific data that's now at this point almost 40-50 years old just isn't going to cut it and makes it a book that I can't really recommend at all especially since I didn't even feel that his use of Scripture was all that great in making his cases either.
May 16, 2017
This book was decent. I appreciated its devotion to Biblical evaluation of all the issues, and even better, from a reformed author, but didn't appreciate the sloppy organization and lack of contemporary statistics/citations. The book is organized in a way so that each chapter stands on its own more or less. There isn't much of an introduction or conclusion, though at least the content of the chapters flow well. The outdated statistics and references are unacceptable though. This book was last updated in 2004, and yet apart from a few (and I mean maybe 5) references in the 21st century and the addition of the chapter on genetics, the book looks like it is still stuck in the 1980's. When the content is heavy in medicine, genetics, reproductive issues, sociology, etc. the citations need to be current because the technology and landscape in these fields change rapidly. I also didn't agree with his endorsement of the "life-of-the-mother" view of abortion, where when the doctors determine that the life of the mother is in danger by the continued life of her child, it then justifies the murder of the child. However, I believe it is the current evangelical consensus, so perhaps I'm the one in the wrong for protesting his view being included in the book. I don't know what textbook would be better for undergraduates, perhaps Feinberg or Giesler (haven't read anything but Davis) but I would only use this one if I corrected and updated the student's interaction with the text. 3.5 stars.
October 8, 2023
Note: This is a review of the 4th Edition (2015) rather than the 3rd (2004).
In the work, Davis surveys thirteen contemporary societal ethical issues prevalent to Americans. While the title of the book is misleading, the content is well written, researched, and explained. The work covers topics as varied as abortion, the environment, and genetics. In each category, Davis seeks to explain the history behind such contemporary issues. While the author doesn’t spend significant time arguing for the ethical morality or immortality of certain practices, the history of each issue and the current actions surrounding it typically provide such a decisive judgment that Davis’ conclusions will already be arrived at prior to any Biblical or ethical evaluations. Simply put, the author assumes his readers have a Christian worldview such that when the fog is pulled back from contemporary issues, the verdict becomes evident. The result is a work that wonderfully informs its readers despite its poorly chosen title.
In the work, Davis surveys thirteen contemporary societal ethical issues prevalent to Americans. While the title of the book is misleading, the content is well written, researched, and explained. The work covers topics as varied as abortion, the environment, and genetics. In each category, Davis seeks to explain the history behind such contemporary issues. While the author doesn’t spend significant time arguing for the ethical morality or immortality of certain practices, the history of each issue and the current actions surrounding it typically provide such a decisive judgment that Davis’ conclusions will already be arrived at prior to any Biblical or ethical evaluations. Simply put, the author assumes his readers have a Christian worldview such that when the fog is pulled back from contemporary issues, the verdict becomes evident. The result is a work that wonderfully informs its readers despite its poorly chosen title.
June 11, 2020
A helpful introduction to Evangelical Ethics. Davis describes 12 pressing ethical issues in our day, with brief evaluations of various views on each topic and with his appraisal of the biblical perspective on each. Definitely whets the appetite for more in-depth treatments of some of the issues. A worthwhile read.
May 20, 2021
This probably would have been four or five stars 35 years ago. The ethical positions that Davis argues for are good and true, but they apply to issues that are not really big issues today, or for the issues that do apply for our society today, the statistics and facts are very old and outdated. The subtitle should read "Issues facing the church in the 90's."
June 29, 2023
Academic and Accessible
This is a great intermediate book on Christian Ethics from a conservative evangelical perspective. It is academic but also accessible and can be a help academically and pastorally. I am glad I read this book and will return to it again in various ministry situations.
This is a great intermediate book on Christian Ethics from a conservative evangelical perspective. It is academic but also accessible and can be a help academically and pastorally. I am glad I read this book and will return to it again in various ministry situations.
May 20, 2019
This was a really great book and covered a lot of relevant ethical issues that Christians are facing today. If you have not spent much time with Christian ethics, this would be a great start. Easy to read and relatable.
March 22, 2020
Great treatment of ethical issues in the first two thirds of the book. Thorough enough to be a one-stop-shop for those issues.
The last third seemed to be more historical or narrative than critical; I felt like he had less to offer or more to avoid saying. Good notes, though.
The last third seemed to be more historical or narrative than critical; I felt like he had less to offer or more to avoid saying. Good notes, though.
May 11, 2020
This was a seminary read, it was well written and raised a lot of good points however it’s an academic read and not something I would have picked up just to read/understand better. Very dry at times.
November 13, 2020
This was a book I had to read for school. The historical information of each topic was interesting, but the current information is outdated and the book feels aged. A new edition and many updates need to be made for this to remain a relevant resource.
June 3, 2017
Read this book in a seminary course on ethics. Good read.
July 29, 2018
A helpful resource that I will probably come back to. Covers nearly every major ethical issue that face Christians today. Solid book, just a bit dry to read through from cover to cover.
December 21, 2019
This is a good overview of a lot of difficult ethical questions we face today.
March 3, 2021
A solid book on ethics that is accessable to the lay member in the pew
June 7, 2021
Good summary of necessary information all Christians should have regarding ethics. Not particularly engaging, but also relatively informative.
August 2, 2021
This is a great book for Christians who want to begin building an ethical framework. Davis’ explanation of the history and legal history of ethical questions is very helpful.
January 1, 2023
A great source book for Christians trying to wade through this world's madness and find the truth they need to survive.
November 2, 2023
I found the book an accesible intro to evangelical ethics, focused on todays issues.
July 15, 2023
This book offers a collection of outstanding essays covering a diverse range of subjects, including sexuality and the concept of personhood, among others. I had the pleasure of reading it as part of my Christian Ethics course at MBTS, and I found Davis' approach particularly captivating. Throughout the book, Davis skillfully incorporates theological, biblical, and church historical perspectives to support his arguments on each topic.
February 21, 2016
Many of today's ethical concerns are not directly addressed in the Bible, which was written in a different cultural context with a different level of technological advancement. If we desire to live according to the Bible, how do we apply it to our modern context? Do we become Luddites and live an ancient standard of living according to ancient values? Not at all, we extract general principles from biblical teaching and use them to educate our decision making. For example, the Bible says nothing about just how fast to drive a car. Why would it? Cars did not exist when the Bible was written, and any discussion about driving a car would have had absolutely no relevance to the people at that time. Even so, the Bible commands us to obey our earthly rulers, provided their edicts don't contradict God's laws. Given that our government just happen to set speed limits, the biblical answer to how fast to drive a car is to obey posted speed limits.
The ethical subjects Mr. Davis addresses are:
- Contraception
- Reproductive technologies
- Divorce and remarriage
- Homosexuality
- Abortion
- Infanticide and euthanasia
- Capital punishment
- Civil disobedience and revolution
- War and peace
- Environmental ethics
- Genetics
Mr. Davis does not shy away from controversial issues, choosing to tackle them head on. I appreciated his insights. One controversial issue within the church is the status of second marriages that happened prior to a conversion. Some churches accept them, and others consider them adulterous. The controversy relates to statements by Jesus that a man who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery. Does a subsequent conversion sanctify that second marriage, or is the remarried person obligated to end the second marriage? Most arguments I have heard justifying continuance of the second marriage pertain to family stability, etc. I consider them to be mere handwaving that fail to address God's opinion in the matter. Mr. Davis approaches the text in its original language and makes his argument from the linguistics, and by consequence, Jesus' intended meaning.
On the other hand, there are some holes in Mr. Davis' reasoning. In dealing with civil disobedience, he insists on a public proclamation that civil disobedience is a protest of an unjust law. This is not always practical and may not meet the intent of the civil disobedience. During the Holocaust, for example, some people hid Jews to protect them from deportation to concentration camps. Their purpose was to save their lives, and a public announcement that they were hiding Jews to protest the Nazis' unjust treatment of the Jews would be counterproductive. Sometimes civil disobedience is simply doing the right thing when the government commands us to do otherwise.
In summary, Mr. Davis provides some good insights, but he sometimes misses the mark.
The ethical subjects Mr. Davis addresses are:
- Contraception
- Reproductive technologies
- Divorce and remarriage
- Homosexuality
- Abortion
- Infanticide and euthanasia
- Capital punishment
- Civil disobedience and revolution
- War and peace
- Environmental ethics
- Genetics
Mr. Davis does not shy away from controversial issues, choosing to tackle them head on. I appreciated his insights. One controversial issue within the church is the status of second marriages that happened prior to a conversion. Some churches accept them, and others consider them adulterous. The controversy relates to statements by Jesus that a man who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery. Does a subsequent conversion sanctify that second marriage, or is the remarried person obligated to end the second marriage? Most arguments I have heard justifying continuance of the second marriage pertain to family stability, etc. I consider them to be mere handwaving that fail to address God's opinion in the matter. Mr. Davis approaches the text in its original language and makes his argument from the linguistics, and by consequence, Jesus' intended meaning.
On the other hand, there are some holes in Mr. Davis' reasoning. In dealing with civil disobedience, he insists on a public proclamation that civil disobedience is a protest of an unjust law. This is not always practical and may not meet the intent of the civil disobedience. During the Holocaust, for example, some people hid Jews to protect them from deportation to concentration camps. Their purpose was to save their lives, and a public announcement that they were hiding Jews to protest the Nazis' unjust treatment of the Jews would be counterproductive. Sometimes civil disobedience is simply doing the right thing when the government commands us to do otherwise.
In summary, Mr. Davis provides some good insights, but he sometimes misses the mark.
February 14, 2008
It has been easy for me to slip into the mentality that engagement in ethical issues is not the priority of the Christian individually or the Church as a whole. To be honest, as I consider the past eight years of my Christian life, I can say that most of the time I have spent in seriously pondering the truth of Christianity and its application, I have narrowed in primarily on issues that relate directly to me. To my shame, I admit that I have engaged in little significant ethical reflection in regards to how I am called, as a Christian, to think and interact Biblically on moral issues in society.
'Evangelical Ethics,' by John Jefferson Davis, is a much-needed corrective in my own life and, I would trust, for Christ’s Church as well. In just my first reading, I have been profoundly encouraged to not only engage the significant ethical issues facing the Church, but to not rest content until I understand those issues in light of Scripture. This is not easy work, but it is an essential work. Jesus calls us to be salt and light.
After opening the book with a chapter on decision making, Davis examines eleven major ethical issues facing Christians and the Church today: contraception, reproductive technologies, divorce and remarriage, homosexuality, abortion, infanticide and euthanasia, capital punishment, civil disobedience, war and peace, environmental issues, and genetic enhancement and manipulation. In each section, Davis presents the historical and legal background of the particular issue, providing thick documentation from the relevant sources. He then examines each issue in light of Scripture, bringing the reader to what he considers a clear Biblical position, or, at least, a place where the reader can use the given information to begin to think more clearly about that specific issue.
Davis’ work is also highly accessible. The book itself, not including the end notes, is only 288 pages. It is not an exhaustive treatment of each subject; rather, it is a helpful introduction to the major ethical issues presently facing the church. Though thoroughly researched and documented, Davis’ work is straightforward, clear, and will benefit pastors, scholars and laypeople alike.
'Evangelical Ethics' has been tested in over two decades of readership and is now in its third edition. Since it was first published in 1985, Davis’ treatment of contemporary ethical problems has been a standard in churches and Christian classrooms. Having read and profited from Davis’ book, I now understand why this is the case. It is well-researched and well-written, and it provides a sure foundation from which to start thinking about these important issues. I highly recommend it.
'Evangelical Ethics,' by John Jefferson Davis, is a much-needed corrective in my own life and, I would trust, for Christ’s Church as well. In just my first reading, I have been profoundly encouraged to not only engage the significant ethical issues facing the Church, but to not rest content until I understand those issues in light of Scripture. This is not easy work, but it is an essential work. Jesus calls us to be salt and light.
After opening the book with a chapter on decision making, Davis examines eleven major ethical issues facing Christians and the Church today: contraception, reproductive technologies, divorce and remarriage, homosexuality, abortion, infanticide and euthanasia, capital punishment, civil disobedience, war and peace, environmental issues, and genetic enhancement and manipulation. In each section, Davis presents the historical and legal background of the particular issue, providing thick documentation from the relevant sources. He then examines each issue in light of Scripture, bringing the reader to what he considers a clear Biblical position, or, at least, a place where the reader can use the given information to begin to think more clearly about that specific issue.
Davis’ work is also highly accessible. The book itself, not including the end notes, is only 288 pages. It is not an exhaustive treatment of each subject; rather, it is a helpful introduction to the major ethical issues presently facing the church. Though thoroughly researched and documented, Davis’ work is straightforward, clear, and will benefit pastors, scholars and laypeople alike.
'Evangelical Ethics' has been tested in over two decades of readership and is now in its third edition. Since it was first published in 1985, Davis’ treatment of contemporary ethical problems has been a standard in churches and Christian classrooms. Having read and profited from Davis’ book, I now understand why this is the case. It is well-researched and well-written, and it provides a sure foundation from which to start thinking about these important issues. I highly recommend it.
July 2, 2014
I read this book for one of my seminary classes. It does have some positive qualities despite the blah overall rating. To begin with the positive, the book has an attractive cover and the layout is easy to navigate and the font is eye-pleasing. Davis has included a subject index, an author index, and a Scripture index, and the presence of the indices also contribute to navigability. As the title implies, the book focuses upon the ethical dimensions of the faith, divided into categories that he feels are most illustrative and/or important due to their controversial nature. As you might expect, issues such as homosexuality and abortion are herein, but Davis has also included less covered issues such as euthanasia and reproductive technologies. This edition (the 3rd) has been expanded to include timely issues such as environmental ethics.
I give complete kudos to the author for acknowledging that it is not so much current opinion and culture that should determine the Christian's response to these issues but, rather, what the Bible says and/or implies about the issue. I say "implies" because the Bible, of course, does not mention certain issues by name, such as genetics, but the concepts can be teased from Scripture. In keeping with this theme, Davis uses Scripture for his arguments. Overall, I think he does a good job at this.
I do have a couple of issues. First, I take away one star for Davis' error in including the Roman Catholic religion into the overall corpus of Christianity. For someone promoting using the Bible as the basis for truth, it is sadly ironic that he considers a religion that does not recognize the truth of the Bible to be part of the faith. He should apply his ethical lenses to transubstantiation and other RC dogmata that demonstrate the unbiblical and anti-biblical aspects of the religion. I also take away one star for Davis' nearly constant use of outdated scientific research. The biblical tenets and concepts are pretty much timeless. Science, in contrast, is very much a timely field. I understand using new facts and figures would add a good deal of work to the new edition, but I think it should have been done.
This book is very much a niche product. It is for Christians grappling with these issues and those in leadership positions that might need to instruct others regarding these issues. Of course, students who have been assigned the book are also interested :) Non-Christians will probably not be interested unless they are seeking a biblical view on the subject for some reason.
I give complete kudos to the author for acknowledging that it is not so much current opinion and culture that should determine the Christian's response to these issues but, rather, what the Bible says and/or implies about the issue. I say "implies" because the Bible, of course, does not mention certain issues by name, such as genetics, but the concepts can be teased from Scripture. In keeping with this theme, Davis uses Scripture for his arguments. Overall, I think he does a good job at this.
I do have a couple of issues. First, I take away one star for Davis' error in including the Roman Catholic religion into the overall corpus of Christianity. For someone promoting using the Bible as the basis for truth, it is sadly ironic that he considers a religion that does not recognize the truth of the Bible to be part of the faith. He should apply his ethical lenses to transubstantiation and other RC dogmata that demonstrate the unbiblical and anti-biblical aspects of the religion. I also take away one star for Davis' nearly constant use of outdated scientific research. The biblical tenets and concepts are pretty much timeless. Science, in contrast, is very much a timely field. I understand using new facts and figures would add a good deal of work to the new edition, but I think it should have been done.
This book is very much a niche product. It is for Christians grappling with these issues and those in leadership positions that might need to instruct others regarding these issues. Of course, students who have been assigned the book are also interested :) Non-Christians will probably not be interested unless they are seeking a biblical view on the subject for some reason.
September 13, 2016
As a Christian, I’ve always liked John Frame’s definition of theology — “the application of the whole Bible to the whole of human life.” A case in point, this book by John Jefferson Davis is one of those that seeks to apply the word of God to all areas of our life.
Within this book, Davis tackles 13 contemporary topics. Some of the topics includes the usual like reproductive technologies, divorce and remarriages, abortions, etc… As a pastor these will be topics that one day you need to discuss or wrestle with with your congregation.
Unlike most books, Davis does not give readers a direct answer to their questions. Rather, David wants the readers to examine the questions historically, biblical and applicationally. He takes readers through the historical trends of each topics, then he examines the relevant pages of the bible and makes his observations and interpretation clear to his readers. Next, he comes to the topic at hand and gives his thoughts on it. Throughout the book, I felt that Davis was able to present the topics and his thoughts clearly, but not impose his conclusions onto the readers. I was clearly given the opportunity to think through the topic myself and come to a conclusion based on what I thought was biblical.
Pastors, especially those living in the united states will benefit most from this book since this was written from that perspective, and primarily for christians living in those settings. However, this book can still be useful for pastors living elsewhere as they provide clear starting points for pastors who are beginning to think about these issues.
Rating: 4 / 5
Disclaimer: I was given this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Within this book, Davis tackles 13 contemporary topics. Some of the topics includes the usual like reproductive technologies, divorce and remarriages, abortions, etc… As a pastor these will be topics that one day you need to discuss or wrestle with with your congregation.
Unlike most books, Davis does not give readers a direct answer to their questions. Rather, David wants the readers to examine the questions historically, biblical and applicationally. He takes readers through the historical trends of each topics, then he examines the relevant pages of the bible and makes his observations and interpretation clear to his readers. Next, he comes to the topic at hand and gives his thoughts on it. Throughout the book, I felt that Davis was able to present the topics and his thoughts clearly, but not impose his conclusions onto the readers. I was clearly given the opportunity to think through the topic myself and come to a conclusion based on what I thought was biblical.
Pastors, especially those living in the united states will benefit most from this book since this was written from that perspective, and primarily for christians living in those settings. However, this book can still be useful for pastors living elsewhere as they provide clear starting points for pastors who are beginning to think about these issues.
Rating: 4 / 5
Disclaimer: I was given this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
November 2, 2013
I liked the way Davis has organized the book. He covers a wide variety of topics that are important for Christians to be knowledgeable about.
It was first published in 85, revised in the 90s, and this edition was published 2004. The book says: "Revised and expanded," which is not true at all. Most of the statistics in the book are from the 70s/80s. The chapter on war was written from the perspective of the world still being in the Cold War. I was born after the Cold War had even started. The statistics relating to Bioethics are all 3 decades old, which I think is unacceptable when Davis calls this edition "revised and expanded."
I would instead recommend:
David VanDrunen - Bioethics and the Christian Life
Timothy Demy and J. Daryl Charles - War, Peace, and Christianity
I do, unfortunately, not know of a good book that covers a wide range of topics like Evangelical Ethics.
It was first published in 85, revised in the 90s, and this edition was published 2004. The book says: "Revised and expanded," which is not true at all. Most of the statistics in the book are from the 70s/80s. The chapter on war was written from the perspective of the world still being in the Cold War. I was born after the Cold War had even started. The statistics relating to Bioethics are all 3 decades old, which I think is unacceptable when Davis calls this edition "revised and expanded."
I would instead recommend:
David VanDrunen - Bioethics and the Christian Life
Timothy Demy and J. Daryl Charles - War, Peace, and Christianity
I do, unfortunately, not know of a good book that covers a wide range of topics like Evangelical Ethics.
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