Textbook

Understanding Religious Ethics

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This accessible introduction to religious ethics focuses on the major forms of moral reasoning encompassing the three ‘Abrahamic’ religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Draws on a range of moral issues, such as examples arising from friendship, marriage, homosexuality, lying, forgiveness and its limits, the death penalty, the environment, warfare, and the meaning of work, career, and vocation
Looks at both ethical reasoning and importantly, how that reasoning reveals insights into a religious tradition
Investigates the resources available to address common problems confronting Abrahamic faiths, and how each faith explains and defends its moral viewpoints
Offering concrete topics for interfaith discussions, this is a timely and insightful introduction to a fast-growing field of interest

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Table of Contents

Acknowledgments.

Introduction: Conviction and Argument.

Part I: Preliminaries.

1 God and Morality.

2 Jewish Ethics.

3 Christian Ethics.

4 Islamic Ethics.

Part II: Personal Matters.

5 Friendship.

6 Sexuality.

7 Marriage and Family.

8 Lying.

9 Forgiveness.

Part III: Social Matters.

10 Love and Justice.

11 Duty, Law, Conscience.

12 Capital Punishment.

13 War (I): Towards War.

14 War (II): In War.

15 Religion and the Environment.

Part IV: The Last Things.

16 Pursuits of Happiness: Labor, Leisure, and Life.

17 Good and Evil.

Conclusion: What's So Funny ’bout Peace, Love, and Understanding?

Notes.

Index.

Excerpts

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Author Information

Charles Mathewes is Associate Professor of Religious Ethics at the University of Virginia. He is the author of Evil and the Augustinian Tradition (2001), A Theology of Public Life (2007), and several edited volumes.

Hallmark Features

Introduces religious ethics by focusing on the major forms of moral reasoning encompassing the three ‘Abrahamic’ religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
Looks at both ethical reasoning and importantly, how that reasoning reveals insights into a religious tradition
Draws on a range of moral issues, such as examples arising from friendship, marriage, homosexuality, lying, forgiveness and its limits, the death penalty, the environment, warfare, and the meaning of work, career, and vocation
Investigates the resources available to address common problems confronting Abrahamic faiths, and how each faith explains and defends its moral viewpoints
Offering concrete topics for interfaith discussions, this is a timely and insightful introduction to a fast-growing field of interest

Reviews

"This splendid volume—from a distinguished scholar and teacher—is the best available general introduction to comparative religious ethics. Unlike many arid textbooks, it offers a lively examination of the moral life by initiating readers into the diverse beliefs and practices that animate Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Adherents of these traditions and their critics will find much wisdom in these pages. The serious treatment of classical questions and contemporary problems is a needed antidote to many lazy discussions of controversial issues."
—Eric Gregory, Princeton University

"Comparative, comprehensive and highly readable, Matthewes' book provides an overview of religious ethics in three traditions without sacrificing the specificity of each ethical system. The author effortlessly enlightens the reader as to how Judaism, Christianity and Islam deals with highly relevant topics such as family, love, sexuality, lying, war, capital punishment and many more themes in a provocative and graceful manner."
—Ebrahim Moosa, Duke University