Ethics and Moral Reasoning: A Student's Guide (Mitchell)

From drone warfare to gay marriage, the modern world is full of ethical conundrums stemming from a plethora of amazing technological advances and dramatic cultural shifts.

Challenging the relativism so rampant in our society today, C. Ben Mitchell helps us thoughtfully engage our morally confused world in this introduction to ethics from a distinctly Christian perspective. Drawing on insights from key historical figures and modern Christian ethicists such as Stanley Hauerwas and N. T. Wright, this book will help you embrace a holistic approach to moral reasoning that is founded on Scripture and informed by history.

Table of Contents:

Introduction: Why Ethics Matter
1.  The Challenges of a Relativist World
2.  The History of Moral Reasoning
3.  The History of Moral Reasoning (Part 2)
4.  Enlightenment Ethics
5.  Evangelical Ethics
6.  Using the Bible in Moral Decision Making

Author

C. Ben Mitchell (PhD, University of Tennessee) holds the Graves Chair of Moral Philosophy at Union University in Tennessee, and serves as the editor ofEthics & Medicine: An International Journal of Bioethics. He is a senior fellow in the Academy of Fellows of the Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity and previously served as its executive director. Additionally, for more than ten years he served as a faculty member at Trinity International University. He is the author of numerous scholarly articles examining the intersection of science and ethics, and has contributed to a number of books.

Endorsements

“I cannot think of a subject more important to this generation than ethics; and no person better to treat it than C. Ben Mitchell. I’m very happy to recommend this welcome and important volume.” — Eric Metaxas, New York Times best-selling author, Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy

“In a world filled with test tube babies, living wills, and drone warfare, Christian ethics can seem like quicksilver, with positions irrelevant almost as soon as they are articulated due to fast-changing circumstances. This book demonstrates why and how every believer is called to Christ-conformed ethical reasoning. C. Ben Mitchell, one of the most significant Christian ethicists of our age, shares C. S. Lewis’s gift for communicating complex issues in easily understood terms. This book brims with insight that transcends the ethical squabbles of any given moment. Most importantly, this book shows us how to be moral without surrendering to mere moralism by rooting and grounding our ethics in the gospel that saves.” — Russell D. Moore, President, The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission; author, Tempted and Tried

“C. Ben Mitchell has written what a volume appearing in a student’s guide series should be. Both concise and precise, his guide to ethics and moral reasoning within the Christian tradition will give readers a sense of the questions they should explore and the resources to use in that exploration. For students whose cultural context leaves them adrift in a sea of conflicting moral claims, Mitchell is a seasoned, reliable navigator.” — Gilbert Meilaender, Duesenberg Professor in Christian Ethics, Valparaiso University

“C. Ben Mitchell has written a concise surefooted guide to ethics and moral reasoning from an evangelical perspective that takes both the Scriptures and the history of ethical discussion seriously. The text is written with admirable clarity and scholarly competence. For Mitchell, the triune God’s divine design for human life is our flourishing as persons who are members of a moral community. This short book contributes to that flourishing, and I commend it enthusiastically.”  — Graham A. Cole, Anglican Professor of Divinity, Beeson Divinity School

“Every beginning student of ethics should rejoice at the publication of this book. Mitchell excels at describing our complicated ethical landscape without sacrificing depth or accuracy. I wish this introduction had been available when I was an undergraduate!” — Christina Bieber Lake, Clyde S. Kilby Professor of English, Wheaton College