Ethics as Worship: The Pursuit of Moral Discipleship (Liederbach)

Ethics as Worship examines the biblical, theological, and philosophical foundations and application of Christian ethics, offering an ethical system that emphasizes the worship of God as motivation, method, and goal of the ethical endeavor. It concludes with an exploration of how worship ought to shape a response to particular ethical topics and issues most relevant in our day: from race, justice, and environmental ethics, to sexuality, reproductive technologies, and other important issues related to life and death.

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Ethics as Worship is designed as a textbook for classroom use by two expert teachers, formally trained in theological ethics and ethical theory, who have extensively field tested its contents in various classes on multiple campuses for over a decade. In addition to its engaging, highly informative text and its twenty-six figures and sixty-two tables, Ethics as Worship includes these end-of-chapter helps:

• Key terms and concepts
• Key Scriptures
• Study questions
• For Further Reading

as well as these end-of-book helps:

• Glossary
• Bibliography
• Index of Scripture
• Index of Subjects and Names

Table of Contents

Foreword by Ligon Duncan

A Word from Daniel L. Akin

Preface: Worship and Ethics

Part 1: An Introduction to Ethics 

1. What Is Christian Ethics?

Part 2: Revealed Reality: The Metaethical Foundations of Ethics as Worship

2. Revealed Reality: Ethics as Worship through the Lens of Creation

3. Revealed Reality: Ethics as Worship in Light of the Fall, Redemption, and Restoration

4. Worship in Spirit and Truth: The Role of the Holy Spirit in Ethics as Worship

5. Worship in Spirit and Truth: The Role of the Bible in Ethics as Worship

Part 3: Revealed Morality: The Normative Formulation of Ethics as Worship 

6. The Normative Methodology for Ethics as Worship: Part 1

7. The Normative Methodology for Ethics as Worship: Part 2

8. The Problem of Moral Dilemmas: Ethics as Worship in Morally Complex Contexts

Part 4: The Application of Ethics as Worship

9. Justice and Social Engagement

10. Race, Ethnicity, and Kingdom Diversity

11. Wealth and Poverty

12. Creation Care and Environmental Stewardship

13. Capital Punishment

14. War

15. Abortion

16. Euthanasia, Physician-Assisted Suicide, and End-of-Life Decision-Making

17. Biblical Sexuality and Disordered Sexuality

18. Marriage and Divorce

19. Contraception, Birth Control, and Reproductive Technologies

Endorsements

“The very first course I taught as a newly minted Systematic Theology professor at Reformed Theological Seminary was 'Pastoral and Social Ethics.' I wish I had had this volume to help me put that course together. Numerous features in this book stand out to me. For one, the tables sprinkled throughout the book are especially useful, for students and teachers alike, and I can see this volume as providing great assistance to both.”

—Ligon Duncan, Chancellor and CEO, Reformed Theological Seminary, in his foreword to the book

“This is ultimately a book about God, his worthiness, and the praise that he is due. . . . I hope and pray that it will become a standard in the field of ethics for years to come—it is that well done.”

—Daniel L. Akin, President, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

“Ethics as Worship provides desperately needed ballast for our souls amid a sea of ethical confusion.”

—David Platt, Author, Radical, Follow Me, and Counter Culture 

“Mark Liederbach and Evan Lenow get to the heart of ethics. . . . Their work is an asset to the field of Christian ethics and will be a valuable resource for years to come.”

—Rashan Frost, Executive Director, 1 Charleston

“This excellent volume . . . is exactly the kind of book that we need. . . . Christians of every perspective will want to read and digest this book.”

—Jamie Dew, President, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

“Ethics as Worship is an excellent and comprehensive work that orients and overlays ethics as an expression of worship to the glory of God.”

—Mark Dalbey, President, Covenant Theological Seminary

“Mark Liederbach and Evan Lenow demonstrate clearly from Scripture that ethics is about God and our whole-person worship of him. This volume is God-centered, biblically rigorous, pastorally helpful, and delightfully refreshing.”

—C. Ben Mitchell, Senior Fellow, The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity

“This comprehensive text not only has a firm biblical foundation but fairly and effectively engages with our broader cultural context and its countervailing perspectives. This is a work of serious scholarship and of immense worth in practical application.”

—Karen Swallow Prior, Author, On Reading Well and Cultural Engagement 

“Ethics is often a manipulative game to justify what our group wants to do. . . . The unique foundation [of basing ethics on our relationship with the Lord], careful metaethical development, and wise application in the most difficult issues make this [book] a magnificent contribution to worshipful living.”

—Gerry Breshears, Professor of Theology, Western Seminary