{"id":6283,"date":"2010-05-15T13:29:16","date_gmt":"2010-05-15T13:29:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/jesuscreed\/2010\/05\/saturday-afternoon-book-review-13.html"},"modified":"2010-05-15T13:29:16","modified_gmt":"2010-05-15T13:29:16","slug":"saturday-afternoon-book-review-13","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/jesuscreed\/2010\/05\/saturday-afternoon-book-review-13.html","title":{"rendered":"Saturday Afternoon Book Review: Wesley Vander Lugt"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Library.jpg\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Samuel Wells and Ben Quash, Introducing Christian Ethics<\/a>\"\"
\n<\/strong><\/em>.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Reviewed by Wes Vander Lugt<\/a><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

PhD Candidate, University of St Andrews<\/span><\/p>\n

Samuel Well and Ben Quash indicate in the Preface to Introducing Christian Ethics<\/i> that their desire in writing this book was to “offer an overview of the whole field of Christian ethics,” one that is accessible to students and even general readers. Their approach in presenting such an overview is unique, not only by synthesizing authorial, theoretical and practical approaches, but also offering their own schema to make sense of the dizzying array of positions and proposals in Christian ethics. They divide Christian ethics into three camps–universal, subversive, and ecclesial–and give us brief glimpses at a range of ethical issues through this trifocal lens.<\/span><\/p>\n

Universal ethics is “ethics for everyone,” discovering universally applicable laws or principles for actions or their outcomes. Notable figures championing this approach are diverse as Thomas Aquinas, Richard Hooker, Thomas Hobbes, Immanuel Kant, Albrecht Ritschl, Jeremy Bentham, Joseph Fletcher, G. W. F. Hegel, Karl Marx, Reinhold Niebuhr, John Rawls, and the papal encyclicals. Whereas many ethics textbooks contrast deontological ethics (principles for right action) and consequentalist ethics (principles for the best outcome), Wells and Quash show how these approaches stem from a similar concern for a universal ethic.<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/p>\n

Subversive ethics
\nis “ethics for the excluded,” seeking to deconstruct universal, oppressive
\napproaches and construct methods more aware of and sensitive to matters of
\nclass, race, gender, disability, and age. Strong voices in this ethical chorus
\ninclude Latin American liberation theologians Leonardo and Clodivis Boff and
\nGustavo Guti?rrez, African American theologians James Cone and Cornel West, the
\nSouth African Kairos Document, Caribbean William Watty, feminist theologians
\nPhyliss Trible and Schussler Fiorenza, womanists Alice Walker and Delores
\nWilliams, and many others. Most of these approaches begin with praxis and work
\ntoward ethical theory, rather than the other way around, making each expression
\nof subversive ethics intrinsically local and contextual.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ecclesial ethics
\nis “ethics for the church,” focusing more on the character-forming narratives
\nand communities that make ethical decisions possible. In describing this
\napproach, Wells and Quash weave fascinating connections between Karl Barth,
\nGeorge Lindbeck, Hans Frei, Alasdair MacIntyre, John Milbank, Stanley Hauerwas,
\nOliver O’Donovan, and John Howard Yoder (Wells and Quash would also identify
\nmost closely with this group). While possessing notable differences, these
\nscholars share a similar commitment to character formation, church practices,
\nand the narrative (or dramatic) context of Christian ethics.<\/span><\/p>\n

After tracing
\nthese three approaches to Christian ethics, Wells and Quash test their schema
\nby demonstrating how each approach differs in practical issues relating to good
\norder, good life, good relationships, good beginnings and endings, and good
\nearth. One clear example is their description of a pregnant woman considering
\nan abortion (p. 192). The universal approach discerns principles for action or
\nconsiders the outcome of each choice. The subversive approach recognizes the
\ninfluence of the woman’s personal, social and cultural situation in making a
\n“good” decision. The ecclesial approach shares these concerns but asks several
\nother key questions, for example: “How did the pregnancy come about, and did it
\narise from habitual behavior or a turn of events that was out of character? Is
\nthe women part of a community in which these events are connected with a larger
\nstory than her own?” In short, ecclesial ethics starts from the character of
\nthe woman and her context, exploring the habits and community that play an
\nenormous role in her decision.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wells and Quash
\naddress a host of other practical issues in the book, but it may be more helpful
\nto offer an evaluation and to encourage you to read the book yourself for further
\ndetails. Do Wells and Quash succeed in explaining and demonstrating an
\nappropriate schema for Christian ethics? In my view, the
\nuniversal-subversive-ecclesial schema is a brilliant way to understand the
\nstory of Christian ethics, contemporary debates, and the range of approaches to
\nChristian ethics today. It is, of course, impossible for Wells and Quash to
\ncover everything and everyone in such a slim volume, but their overview is
\nquite comprehensive despite their limitations, and a glossary of names at the
\nback helps to fill in some gaps. It was refreshing to read an introduction to
\nChristian ethics that outlines the lay of the land as well as suggests several
\nways to approach pressing ethical issues. Some readers may be frustrated that
\nthe book is more summative than constructive, but each section definitely
\nsuggests how a constructive approach to practical issues could be developed.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is my hope that
\nthe presentation of Christian ethics provided in this book will create a
\nplethora of conversations where its “durability and comprehensiveness” may be tested,
\nas Wells and Quash hoped. As conversations arise, I surmise that some key
\nquestions may include the following: What do these three approaches to
\nChristian ethics have to learn from other, and to what extent are they
\ncompatible or incompatible? How can all of these approaches to Christian ethics
\nbe enriched by interaction with other disciplines such as the arts, sociology,
\npsychology, economics, etc.? Is it appropriate to lump all non-Western ethics with
\nsubversive ethics, especially given the shift in hegemony within the Christian
\nworld to the Southern hemisphere? Are all approaches to Christian ethics that
\nseek to be thoroughly local and contextual inevitably subversive? What does it
\nlook like to maintain biblical authority while pursuing a universal,
\nsubversive, or ecclesial ethic? These are just a few questions that may help to
\nguide the conversation forward regarding the insightful proposal Wells and
\nQuash have offered. Introducing Christian
\nEthics<\/i> is one of the best textbooks on Christian ethics to date, and I
\nrecommend it to anyone attempting to grasp the big picture of Christian ethics
\nand to gain wisdom for navigating difficult ethical issues.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Samuel Wells and Ben Quash, Introducing Christian Ethics . Reviewed by Wes Vander Lugt PhD Candidate, University of St Andrews Samuel Well and Ben Quash indicate in the Preface to Introducing Christian Ethics that their desire in writing this book was to “offer an overview of the whole field of Christian ethics,” one that is accessible to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":70,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6283","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-gospel"],"yoast_head":"\nSaturday Afternoon Book Review: Wesley Vander Lugt - Jesus Creed<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/jesuscreed\/2010\/05\/saturday-afternoon-book-review-13.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Saturday Afternoon Book Review: Wesley Vander Lugt - Jesus Creed\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Samuel Wells and Ben Quash, Introducing Christian Ethics . 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