Introducing Christian Ethics -- A New Textbook from David Gushee

 

INTRODUCING CHRISTIAN ETHICS: Core Convictions for Christians Today. By David P. Gushee. Foreword by Ruben Rosario Rodriguez. Front Edge Publishing, 2022. 368 pages. 

What does it mean to be an ethical person? What does Christianity have to do with ethics? These are questions that have been asked down through the ages. Among those who have sought to answer these questions is David Gushee. Having taught Christian ethics at colleges and seminaries over the course of a lifetime, he is to my mind one of the leading voices on such matters. I've read many of his books over the years, and even contributed a study guide to one -- Changing Our Mind. 

In recent years, largely since the publication of Changing Our Mind, which signaled his change of mind on the full inclusion of LGBTQ folks in church and society, he has found himself needing to address what it means for him as one who had been seen as the leading evangelical ethicist to find himself as a post-evangelical. We saw this present in his recently published book  After Evangelicalism: The Path to a New Christianity.  

David, however, remains at heart and vocationally, a Christian ethicist. He is the co-author of a major ethics text -- Kingdom Ethics, which he co-authored with the late Glen Stassen. Now, he has written a completley new textbook on Christian ethics: Introducing Christian Ethics: Core Convictions for Christians Today, (Read the Spirit Books, an imprint of Front Edge Publishing). This is a textbook that is accessible and useful not only for the classroom but for the church. One of the unique elements of the book is that it offers video and audio versions. Each chapter provides QR codes, that will take you to the video/audio elements. 

While I could write up a traditional review of the book, I had the opportunity to engage David in a fruitful conversation about the book and its context.  My interview with David allows him to tell potential readers what's in the book, why he wrote it, and of course the context of our times. We covered a number of bases, including the nature of God's realm, the way of Jesus, important ethical concerns, as well as the question of truthfulness in a post-truth age. 

I recorded the interview some time ago, which according to David, makes this the first interview he did regarding the book. Other interviews have been done since, but I think you will enjoy our conversation. 

And whether you are an ethics professor or student, or more importantly a Christian who seeks to understand what it means to live an ethical life, you will want to check out David Gushee's Introducing Christian Ethics.  Though this book is designed to be used in classrooms, it can also be used very fruitfully in congregational settings. That's where the video option will truly come in handy. 

As I post this, the book is now available for pre-order. So, invite you to watch the video and mark your calendars for January 11, 2022 when the book will be available for pre-order. 

 

 Here is a bit more information from the publisher about David and the book: 

 A leading Christian ethicist, Dr. David P. Gushee takes his many years of teaching and experience to offer a fresh vision of the Christian moral life for today's turbulent world. Written for seminary students, educators, pastors, small groups, and Christians everywhere, this 25- chapter, easy-to-digest multimedia book is a reliable guide to finding core Christian convictions in a post-evangelical world. Drawing on Gushee's own life and work, and a richly diverse set of sources, Introducing Christian Ethics covers principles like virtues, truthfulness, love, and justice, as well as issues like creation, patriarchy, white supremacy, abortion, sexuality, marriage, politics, crime, and more. Readers will have links to the audio and video presentation of each chapter.

Dr. David P. Gushee (Ph.D., Union Theological Seminary, New York) is Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics at Mercer University, Chair of Christian Social Ethics at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and Senior Research Fellow at International Baptist Theological Study Centre. Gushee is the elected Past-President of both the American Academy of Religion and Society of Christian Ethics, signaling his role as one of America’s leading Christian ethicists. He is the author, co-author, editor, or coeditor of over 25 books and approximately 175 book chapters, journal articles, and reviews. His most recognized works include Righteous Gentiles of the Holocaust, Kingdom Ethics, and The Sacredness of Human Life, and more recently, Changing Our Mind, Still Christian and After Evangelicalism. Over a 28-year career, he’s been a devoted teacher, scholar, and activist on such issues as climate, torture, and LGBTQ inclusion. Dr. Gushee and his wife Jeanie live in Atlanta. You can connect with him and subscribe to his newsletter at davidpgushee.com or follow @dpgushee on social media.