Abstract

Recognition of the narrative character of Christian convictions for the formation of the character of community and individuals is crucial for understanding how such convictions can be said to be true or false. In particular the truth of Christian convictions is revealed by their power to form and sustain a community capable of witnessing to the God of heaven and earth in a divided and violent world. The ethics of such a community contrasts sharply with those moral theories that ignore or deny the narrative nature of morality by seeking to free ethics from the traditions of historic communities. The recognition of the narrative quality of moral reflection does not destroy the possibility of moral confrontation between different sets of convictions. The church serves the world best by providing categories of interpretation that help us understand the often tragic but hopeful character of our existence