In this contemporary classic originally published in 1963, Paul Lehmann answers the central question posed time and again to Christians throughout the ages: what am I as a believer in Jesus Christ and a member of his church to do? Lehmann argues that while principles for moral action can be rules of thumb, there are no absolute moral norms beyond the general norm of love. Lehmann contends that Christians are to act in every situation in ways that are consistent with (...) God's humanizing purposes, but what that means changes from context to context and requires strong, faith-shaped discernment.The Library of Theological Ethics series focuses on what it means to think theologically and ethically. It presents a selection of important and otherwise unavailable texts in easily accessible form. Volumes in this series will enable sustained dialogue with predecessors though reflection on classic works in the field. (shrink)

“Unless the Lord builds the house,its builders will have toiled in vain.Unless the Lord keeps watch over a city,in vain the watchman stands on guard.”.

The connection between Scripture and ethics as an indispensable resource of humanness in the world is now being confirmed by the new awareness of cultural formations which move beyond hierarchy and equality in the direction of reciprocal responsibility.