Ethics in Religion Commons^™

Book Review: Daniel M. Bell, Jr., Just War As Christian Discipleship: Recentering The Tradition In The Church Rather Than The State, Brian Stiltner

Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies Faculty Publications

From his conversations in church settings and classrooms, Daniel M. Bell, Jr. has observed that Christians by and large do not know the church’s just war tradition very well, but that they are receptive to learning about it. Most theologians would likely agree that they know a number of Christians who are hungry to see better thinking and more effective action in response to war in our time. Bell, a Lutheran seminary professor and ordained elder in the United Methodist Church, wrote this book to interpret ‘the just war tradition in terms of concrete practices that might contribute to the …

Shrewd As A Snake, Innocent As A Dove: The Ethics Of Missionary Dissimulation And Subterfuge, Larry Poston

Bible & Religion Educator Scholarship

Whenever I quote the above passage to my students as an illustration of the Bible’s ambiguity with respect to ethics, reactions always seem to be directed toward the phrase: “do not be overwicked…” The question is raised, usually with a timid smile: “Does this mean I can be a little bit wicked, then?”

Many Christians would have no trouble answering such a query: it would never be permissible to be “a little bit wicked.” More thoughtful Christians will ask the question, “What did Solomon mean by this statement? Why would he seemingly indicate that one can be ‘overly …

Christian Realism And Immigration Reform, Victor C. Romero

Journal Articles

Drawing upon President Barack Obama’s admiration of Reinhold Niebuhr’s work, this Essay outlines a Protestant, Christian realist approach toward immigration policy, with specific focus on the role of the executive in providing providential leadership. Embracing realism in its political, moral, and theological dimensions, Christian realism offers a pragmatic, yet optimistic, alternative to secular liberalism’s faith in reason by striving instead to adhere to God’s guidance on matters, taking into account the fundamentally flawed nature of man. The specific policy prescriptions described here mirror the twin virtues of Christian realism by promoting the hope in pursuit of the peaceable kingdom and …