Ethics from a Theocentric Perspective, Volume 2: Ethics and Theology

by James M. Gustafson

Gustafson's two-volume work has been hailed as a major contribution to Christian ethics. In this second volume, Gustafson considers marriage, suicide, and the allocation of resources in famine and in biomedical research to develop an ethical outlook in which divine purpose is the basis of moral activity.

"Breadth and subtlety, wisdom and insight . . . Gustafson is a first-rate theologian."— Commonweal

"The two-volume work, now complete, will be a benchmark for discussions of Christian ethics for years to come. With it Gustafson becomes one of the thinkers by whom others can, by agreement or divergence, define their own ethics."—Roger L. Shinn, Christianity and Crisis

"Gustafson's theocentrism is an original and creative contribution to modern ethical discussion."—Douglas Sturm, Ethics

Genres: Philosophy

333 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

Reviews

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this for class... I've decided after a bit of debate that class books are OK additions to goodreads, if they're something I would have wanted to read anyhow.

That said, after spending many hours with this book (the end result of that being the writing of an unfortunately mediocre paper) I find myself using Gustafson's language to express my own beliefs about God and God's relation to the world... "the power that bears down up us and sustains us" remains both apt and poignant.

I'm waiting for the season where I'll have the time to sit down and absorb the second volume, which sadly hasn't happened yet.

[Drew Correll · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, I have to read this book for class. This was a book that I felt said a lot of words for a little amount of things. I didn’t think the author was super clear on what he was arguing and often found myself getting lost in the process of his argumentation. He makes some good points about our cultural anthropocentrism, which is helpful I think through. All in all, I agree that God should be the center of everything we do, and sadly we make ourselves the center of it.

[Joe · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author does an extensive review of the process, but not very much with the substance, of theological influence into ethics. The book is almost entirely focused on a Christian perspective, with only cursury acknowledgement of the author's lack of understanding and knowledge of non-Christian religions.

[Brynna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read for Foundations in Ethics

[Katherine francis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book says that God is so amazing and huge and wonderful that nothing else matters.....not Christ or other religions. But it really can be good for affirming that Sovereignty of God bit. THe best part is that it seems as though he uses Calvin to validate everything (which works for many Presbyterians). Poor Calvin- would turn over in his grave. I enjoyed reading it because it was so crafty.