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The Moral Meaning of Nature: Nietzsche’s Darwinian Religion and Its Critics
by Peter J. WoodfordWhat, if anything, does biological evolution tell us about the nature of religion, ethical values, or even the meaning and purpose of life? The Moral Meaning of Nature sheds new light on these enduring questions by examining the significance of an earlier—and unjustly neglected—discussion of Darwin in late nineteenth-century Germany. We start with Friedrich Nietzsche, whose writings staged one of the first confrontations with the Christian tradition using the resources of Darwinian thought. The lebensphilosophie, or “life-philosophy,” that arose from his engagement with evolutionary ideas drew responses from other influential thinkers, including Franz Overbeck, Georg Simmel, and Heinrich Rickert. These critics all offered cogent challenges to Nietzsche’s appropriation of the newly transforming biological sciences, his negotiation between science and religion, and his interpretation of the implications of Darwinian thought. They also each proposed alternative ways of making sense of Nietzsche’s unique question concerning the meaning of biological evolution “for life.” At the heart of the discussion were debates about the relation of facts and values, the place of divine purpose in the understanding of nonhuman and human agency, the concept of life, and the question of whether the sciences could offer resources to satisfy the human urge to discover sources of value in biological processes. The Moral Meaning of Nature focuses on the historical background of these questions, exposing the complex ways in which they recur in contemporary philosophical debate.
A Moral Ontology for a Theistic Ethic: Gathering the Nations in Love and Justice (Routledge Revivals Ser.)
by Frank G. KirkpatrickThis title was first published in 2003. This book develops a moral ontology for a theistic ethic that engages the work of contemporary moral and political philosophers, and reaffirms the relevance of a theistic tradition of God's relation to the world reflected in the fundamental teachings of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Drawing on recent thought in the non-religious fields of psychology and political and moral philosophy, which build around the concept of human flourishing in community, Kirkpatrick argues that a theistic ethic need not be the captive of parochial or sectarian theological camps. He proposes a common or universal ethic that transcends the fashionable ethnocentric 'incommensurate differences' in morality alleged by many post-modern deconstructionists. In the wake of ethnic religious strife post September 11th 2001, this book argues for a common morality built on the inclusivity of love, community, and justice that can transcend sectarian and parochial boundaries.
A Moral Ontology for a Theistic Ethic: Gathering the Nations in Love and Justice (Routledge Revivals Ser.)
by Frank G. KirkpatrickThis title was first published in 2003. This book develops a moral ontology for a theistic ethic that engages the work of contemporary moral and political philosophers, and reaffirms the relevance of a theistic tradition of God's relation to the world reflected in the fundamental teachings of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Drawing on recent thought in the non-religious fields of psychology and political and moral philosophy, which build around the concept of human flourishing in community, Kirkpatrick argues that a theistic ethic need not be the captive of parochial or sectarian theological camps. He proposes a common or universal ethic that transcends the fashionable ethnocentric 'incommensurate differences' in morality alleged by many post-modern deconstructionists. In the wake of ethnic religious strife post September 11th 2001, this book argues for a common morality built on the inclusivity of love, community, and justice that can transcend sectarian and parochial boundaries.
The Moral Panics of Sexuality
by Breanne Fahs, Mary L. Dudy and Sarah StageA provocative feminist analysis of the moral panics of sexuality, this interdisciplinary edited collection showcases the range of historical and contemporary crises we too often suppress, including vagina dentata, vampires, cannibalism, age appropriateness, breast cancer, menstrual panics, and sex education.
Moral Pedagogies for Africa: From Ethnic Enmity to Responsible Cohabitation (Studies in World Christianity and Interreligious Relations)
by Theodros A. TekluThis volume engages with issues of moral responsibility and multiethnic co-existence in the context of contemporary Africa. Post-colonial African states are by and large ethnically diverse. Constructively managing ethnic diversity, however, has always been a challenge to these states, which often fail to be democratic and all-inclusive. As a result, ethnic enmity and conflicts that obliterate bonds of togetherness between ethnic communities have been rampant throughout the continent. In dialogue with Africa’s cultural and religious assets, this interdisciplinary multi-authored book aims at articulating the need to interpret past and present ethnic hostilities in Africa, and generating moral resources of togetherness to foster a social pedagogy of responsible cohabitation for Africans. The chapters of this volume, categorized into two parts, are framed according to these two niches.
Moral Pedagogies for Africa: From Ethnic Enmity to Responsible Cohabitation (Studies in World Christianity and Interreligious Relations)
by Theodros A. TekluThis volume engages with issues of moral responsibility and multiethnic co-existence in the context of contemporary Africa. Post-colonial African states are by and large ethnically diverse. Constructively managing ethnic diversity, however, has always been a challenge to these states, which often fail to be democratic and all-inclusive. As a result, ethnic enmity and conflicts that obliterate bonds of togetherness between ethnic communities have been rampant throughout the continent. In dialogue with Africa’s cultural and religious assets, this interdisciplinary multi-authored book aims at articulating the need to interpret past and present ethnic hostilities in Africa, and generating moral resources of togetherness to foster a social pedagogy of responsible cohabitation for Africans. The chapters of this volume, categorized into two parts, are framed according to these two niches.
Moral Philosophy on the Threshold of Modernity (The New Synthese Historical Library #57)
by Jill Kraye Risto SaarinenOver the past twenty years the transition from the late Middle Ages to the early modern era has received increasing attention from experts in the history of philosophy. In part, this new interest arises from claims, made in literature aimed at a less specialist readership, that this transition was responsible for the subsequent philosophical and theological problems of the Enlightenment. Philosophers like Alasdair MacIntyre and theologians like John Milbank display a certain nostalgia for the medieval synthesis of Thomas Aquinas and, consequently, evaluate the period from 1300 to 1700 in rather negative terms. Other historians of philosophy writing for the general public, such as Charles Taylor, take a more positive view of the Reformation but nevertheless conclude that modernity has been shaped by 1 conflicts which stem from early modern times. Ethics and moral thought occupy a central place in these theories. It is assumed that we have lost something – the concept of virtue, for instance, or the source of common morality. Yet those who put forward such notions do not treat the history of ethics in detail. From the historian’s perspective, their far-reaching theoretical assumptions are based on a quite small body of textual evidence. In reality, there was a rich variety of approaches to moral thinking and ethical theories during the period from 1400 to 1600.
Moral Powers, Fragile Beliefs: Essays in Moral and Religious Philosophy
by James Carter Daniel Whistler Joseph CarlisleInternationally renowned philosophers and up-and-coming researchers explore the intersection of philosophy of religion and moral philosophy.
Moral Practices Vol 6
by D.Z. Phillips H.O. MounceThis is Volume VI of nine in a collection of studies in Ethics and the Philosophy of Religion. Originally published in 1970, this volume looks at moral practices and the question which has puzzled philosophers: whether any value judgement can follow logically from the facts, can follow in such a way that someone who assents to the facts is bound in logic to assent also to the value judgement based upon them.
Moral Practices Vol 6
by D.Z. Phillips H.O. MounceThis is Volume VI of nine in a collection of studies in Ethics and the Philosophy of Religion. Originally published in 1970, this volume looks at moral practices and the question which has puzzled philosophers: whether any value judgement can follow logically from the facts, can follow in such a way that someone who assents to the facts is bound in logic to assent also to the value judgement based upon them.
The Moral Psychology of Clement of Alexandria: Mosaic Philosophy (Studies in Philosophy and Theology in Late Antiquity)
by Kathleen GibbonsIn The Moral Psychology of Clement of Alexandria, Kathleen Gibbons proposes a new approach to Clement’s moral philosophy and explores how his construction of Christianity’s relationship with Jewishness informed, and was informed by, his philosophical project. As one of the earliest Christian philosophers, Clement’s work has alternatively been treated as important for understanding the history of relations between Christianity and Judaism and between Christianity and pagan philosophy. This study argues that an adequate examination of his significance for the one requires an adequate examination of his significance for the other. While the ancient claim that the writings of Moses were read by the philosophical schools was found in Jewish, Christian, and pagan authors, Gibbons demonstrates that Clement’s use of this claim shapes not only his justification of his authorial project, but also his philosophical argumentation. In explaining what he took to be the cosmological, metaphysical, and ethical implications of the doctrine that the supreme God is a lawgiver, Clement provided the theoretical justifications for his views on a range of issues that included martyrdom, sexual asceticism, the status of the law of Moses, and the relationship between divine providence and human autonomy. By contextualizing Clement’s discussions of volition against wider Greco-Roman debates about self-determination, it becomes possible to reinterpret the invocation of “free will” in early Christian heresiological discourse as part of a larger dispute about what human autonomy requires.
The Moral Psychology of Clement of Alexandria: Mosaic Philosophy (Studies in Philosophy and Theology in Late Antiquity)
by Kathleen GibbonsIn The Moral Psychology of Clement of Alexandria, Kathleen Gibbons proposes a new approach to Clement’s moral philosophy and explores how his construction of Christianity’s relationship with Jewishness informed, and was informed by, his philosophical project. As one of the earliest Christian philosophers, Clement’s work has alternatively been treated as important for understanding the history of relations between Christianity and Judaism and between Christianity and pagan philosophy. This study argues that an adequate examination of his significance for the one requires an adequate examination of his significance for the other. While the ancient claim that the writings of Moses were read by the philosophical schools was found in Jewish, Christian, and pagan authors, Gibbons demonstrates that Clement’s use of this claim shapes not only his justification of his authorial project, but also his philosophical argumentation. In explaining what he took to be the cosmological, metaphysical, and ethical implications of the doctrine that the supreme God is a lawgiver, Clement provided the theoretical justifications for his views on a range of issues that included martyrdom, sexual asceticism, the status of the law of Moses, and the relationship between divine providence and human autonomy. By contextualizing Clement’s discussions of volition against wider Greco-Roman debates about self-determination, it becomes possible to reinterpret the invocation of “free will” in early Christian heresiological discourse as part of a larger dispute about what human autonomy requires.
Moral Rationalism and Shari'a: Independent rationality in modern Shi'i usul al-Fiqh (Culture and Civilization in the Middle East)
by Ali-Reza BhojaniMoral Rationalism and Sharī'a is the first attempt at outlining the scope for a theological reading of Sharī'a, based on a critical examination of why 'Adliyya theological ethics have not significantly impacted Shī'ī readings of Sharī'a. Within Shī'ī works of Sharī 'a legal theory (usūl al-fiqh) there is a theoretical space for reason as an independent source of normativity alongside the Qur’ān and the Prophetic tradition. The position holds that humans are capable of understanding moral values independently of revelation. Describing themselves as 'Adliyya (literally the people of Justice), this allows the Shī 'a, who describe themselves as 'Adiliyya (literally, the People of Justice), to attribute a substantive rational conception of justice to God, both in terms of His actions and His regulative instructions. Despite the Shī'ī adoption of this moral rationalism, independent judgments of rational morality play little or no role in the actual inference of Sharī 'a norms within mainstream contemporary Shī'ī thought. Through a close examination of the notion of independent rationality as a source in modern Shī'ī usūl al-fiqh, the obstacles preventing this moral rationalism from impacting the understanding of Sharī 'a are shown to be purely epistemic. In line with the ‘emic’ (insider) approach adopted, these epistemic obstacles are revisited identifying the scope for allowing a reading of Sharī'a that is consistent with the fundamental moral rationalism of Shī'ī thought. It is argued that judgments of rational morality, even when not definitively certain, cannot be ignored in the face of the apparent meaning of texts that are themselves also not certain. An 'Adliyya reading of Sharī'a demands that the strength of independent rational evidence be reconciled against the strength of any other apparently conflicting evidence, such that independent judgments of rational morality act as a condition for the validity of precepts attributed to a just and moral God.
Moral Rationalism and Shari'a: Independent rationality in modern Shi'i usul al-Fiqh (Culture and Civilization in the Middle East)
by Ali-Reza BhojaniMoral Rationalism and Sharī'a is the first attempt at outlining the scope for a theological reading of Sharī'a, based on a critical examination of why 'Adliyya theological ethics have not significantly impacted Shī'ī readings of Sharī'a. Within Shī'ī works of Sharī 'a legal theory (usūl al-fiqh) there is a theoretical space for reason as an independent source of normativity alongside the Qur’ān and the Prophetic tradition. The position holds that humans are capable of understanding moral values independently of revelation. Describing themselves as 'Adliyya (literally the people of Justice), this allows the Shī 'a, who describe themselves as 'Adiliyya (literally, the People of Justice), to attribute a substantive rational conception of justice to God, both in terms of His actions and His regulative instructions. Despite the Shī'ī adoption of this moral rationalism, independent judgments of rational morality play little or no role in the actual inference of Sharī 'a norms within mainstream contemporary Shī'ī thought. Through a close examination of the notion of independent rationality as a source in modern Shī'ī usūl al-fiqh, the obstacles preventing this moral rationalism from impacting the understanding of Sharī 'a are shown to be purely epistemic. In line with the ‘emic’ (insider) approach adopted, these epistemic obstacles are revisited identifying the scope for allowing a reading of Sharī'a that is consistent with the fundamental moral rationalism of Shī'ī thought. It is argued that judgments of rational morality, even when not definitively certain, cannot be ignored in the face of the apparent meaning of texts that are themselves also not certain. An 'Adliyya reading of Sharī'a demands that the strength of independent rational evidence be reconciled against the strength of any other apparently conflicting evidence, such that independent judgments of rational morality act as a condition for the validity of precepts attributed to a just and moral God.
Moral Re-Armament: The Reinventions of an American Religious Movement
by D. SackWith its mixture of American evangelicalism, popular psychology and show business, Moral Re-Armament attracted men and women on six continents. This book traces Moral Re-Armament's reinventions over fifty years, from its Ivy League beginnings to its spiritual heirs, Up With People and Alcoholics Anonymous.
Moral Struggle and Religious Ethics: On the Person as Classic in Comparative Theological Contexts
by David A. ClairmontMoral Struggle and Religious Ethics offers a comparative discussion of the challenges of living a moral religious life. This is illustrated with a study of two key thinkers, Bonaventure and Buddhaghosa, who influenced the development of moral thinking in Christianity and Buddhism respectively. Provides an important and original contribution to the comparative study and practice of religious ethics Moves away from a comparison of theories by discussing the shared human problem of moral weakness Offers an fresh approach with a comparison of the understanding of the problem of moral weakness between the two key thinkers, Bonaventure and Buddhaghosa Written by a highly respected academic in the dynamic and fast-growing field of comparative religious ethics
Moral Struggle and Religious Ethics: On the Person as Classic in Comparative Theological Contexts
by David A. ClairmontMoral Struggle and Religious Ethics offers a comparative discussion of the challenges of living a moral religious life. This is illustrated with a study of two key thinkers, Bonaventure and Buddhaghosa, who influenced the development of moral thinking in Christianity and Buddhism respectively. Provides an important and original contribution to the comparative study and practice of religious ethics Moves away from a comparison of theories by discussing the shared human problem of moral weakness Offers an fresh approach with a comparison of the understanding of the problem of moral weakness between the two key thinkers, Bonaventure and Buddhaghosa Written by a highly respected academic in the dynamic and fast-growing field of comparative religious ethics
Moral Systems and the Evolution of Human Rights (SpringerBriefs in Sociology)
by Bruce K. FriesenThis volume offers a comprehensible account of the development and evolution of moral systems. It seeks to answer the following questions: If morals are eternal and unchanging, why have the world’s dominant religious moral systems been around for no more than a mere six thousand of the two hundred thousand years of modern human existence? What explains the many and varied moral systems across the globe today? How can we account for the significant change in moral values in one place in less than 100 years’ time? Using examples from classical civilizations, the book demonstrates how increasing diversity compromises a moral system’s ability to account for and integrate larger populations into a single social unit. This environmental stress is not relieved until a broader, more abstract moral system is adopted by a social system. This new system provides a sense of belonging and purpose for more people, motivating them to engage in prosocial (or moral) acts and refrain from socially disruptive selfish acts. The current human rights paradigm is the world’s first universal, indigenous moral system. Because moral systems can be expected to continue to evolve, this book points to current boundaries of the human rights paradigm and where the next major moral revolution might emerge.
Moral Theology for the 21st Century: Essays in Celebration of Kevin T. Kelly
by Bernard Hoose Julie Clague Gerard MannionThis book is a tribute to Kevin Kelly, who has been one of the most influential British theologians for a number of decades. On its own merits, however, it is groundbreaking collection of essays on key themes, issues and concepts in contemporary moral theology and Christian ethics. The focus is on perspectives to inform moral debate and discernment in the future. The main themes covered are shown in the list of contents below. Several of the of the contributors are from the United States, three others live and work in Continental Europe and the rest are from various parts of the British Isles. Many of the authors are among the best known in their fields on both sides of the Atlantic.
Moral Vision of the New Testament: A Contemporary Introduction To New Testament Ethics
by Richard HaysRichard Hays explores the ethical values and dynamics with which Jesus himself lived to show how the New Testament provides challenging moral guidance on some of the most important contemporary ethical issues.
Morality: Restoring the Common Good in Divided Times (Continuum Compact Ser. #Vol. 1990)
by Jonathan SacksWe are living through a period of cultural climate change. We have outsourced morality to the markets on the one hand, and the state on the other. The markets have brought wealth to many, and the state has done much to contain the worst excesses of inequality, but neither is capable of bearing the moral weight of showing us how to live. This has had a profound impact on society and the way in which we interact with each other. Traditional values no longer hold, yet recent political swings show that modern ideals of tolerance have left many feeling rudderless and adrift. In this environment we see things fall apart in unexpected ways - toxic public discourse makes true societal progress almost unattainable, a more divisive society is fuelled by identity politics and extremism, and the rise of a victimhood mentality calls for 'safe spaces' but stifles debate. The influence of social media seems all-pervading and the breakdown of the family is only one result of the loss of social capital. Many fear what the future may hold.Delivering a devastatingly insightful critique of our modern condition, and assessing its roots and causes from the ancient Greeks through the Reformation and Enlightenment to the present day, Sacks argues that there is no liberty without morality, and no freedom without responsibility.If we care about the future of western civilisation, all of us must play our part in rebuilding our common moral foundation. Then we will discover afresh the life-transforming and counterintuitive truths that a nation is strong when it cares for the weak, and rich when it cares for the poor.Here is an inspiring vision of a world in which we can all find our place, and face the future without fear.
Morality After Calvin: Theodore Beza's Christian Censor and Reformed Ethics (Oxford Studies in Historical Theology)
by Kirk M. SummersIn Morality After Calvin, Kirk M. Summers examines the development of ethical thought in the Reformed Orthodox tradition immediately following the death of Calvin. Framed around a previously unstudied poetic work of French theologian Theodore Beza, the Cato Censorius Christianus (1591), and read in conjunction with the works and correspondence of Beza and his colleagues, the book reveals the theoretical underpinnings of the disciplinary activity during the period. The poems of the Cato show that the moral fervor of the latter half of the sixteenth century had its genesis in a well-formulated theology that viewed a Christian's sanctification as a process of restoration to an original order created by God. For Beza the Christian life does not end with grace and salvation, but begins there. The principles of morality, in this theoretical framework, look back to the very moment of creation, when God structured human relationships, established a certain order in nature, and issued commands. The Mosaic Law and Christ himself embody these principles, which include an ethos of listening, sincerity of life, engagement with one's calling, love of neighbor, respect for divine order, and a desire for the purity of the flock. With insight and dexterity, as well as the use of previously unavailable sources, Summers contributes this significant volume to the study of Beza and his place in the history of the Reformed Orthodoxy.
Morality After Calvin: Theodore Beza's Christian Censor and Reformed Ethics (Oxford Studies in Historical Theology)
by Kirk M. SummersIn Morality After Calvin, Kirk M. Summers examines the development of ethical thought in the Reformed Orthodox tradition immediately following the death of Calvin. Framed around a previously unstudied poetic work of French theologian Theodore Beza, the Cato Censorius Christianus (1591), and read in conjunction with the works and correspondence of Beza and his colleagues, the book reveals the theoretical underpinnings of the disciplinary activity during the period. The poems of the Cato show that the moral fervor of the latter half of the sixteenth century had its genesis in a well-formulated theology that viewed a Christian's sanctification as a process of restoration to an original order created by God. For Beza the Christian life does not end with grace and salvation, but begins there. The principles of morality, in this theoretical framework, look back to the very moment of creation, when God structured human relationships, established a certain order in nature, and issued commands. The Mosaic Law and Christ himself embody these principles, which include an ethos of listening, sincerity of life, engagement with one's calling, love of neighbor, respect for divine order, and a desire for the purity of the flock. With insight and dexterity, as well as the use of previously unavailable sources, Summers contributes this significant volume to the study of Beza and his place in the history of the Reformed Orthodoxy.
