Abstract

The modest Preface to this distinguished volume claims to ‘set forth the essentials of the subject’—the distinctive moral practice and perspective of the Christian believer in a divided world—in this systematic collection of signed contributions which range from a relevant essay to a concise paragraph, with select bibliographies for further study, upon the common topics and terms of ethical discussion. The collaborating team is composed of some eighty experts, equally divided between the United States and Britain, whose Christian belief is mainly Protestant or Anglican, but also extends to Catholic, Orthodox and Jewish faith. In it philosophers analyse the basic ethical concepts and theories; theologians examine the roots of Christian morality in divine revelation and Church tradition; and both join behavioural scientists in presenting contemporary issues which range from international and industrial relations to drugs and birth-control. The Editor thus sums up his purpose