The Extension Studies grading scheme for tutors states that the following is expected for A grades:
Work of the quality not expected at first year undergraduate level. Work at this level involves the use of reading beyond that required in the course, and often involves an element of creativity, flair and originality. It uses creative judgment, and is expressed carefully and structured clearly.
In order to aid ‘reading beyond that required in the course’ I have the following suggestions:
There is no substitute in ethics or theology for developing a distinctly Christian worldview. To that end, two books are indispensable:
Brian J Walsh and J Richard Middleton The Transforming Vision: Shaping a Christian Worldview (Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 1984)
Albert M Wolters Creation Regained: A Transforming View of the World (Leicester: IVP, 1986)
John Peck and Charles Strohmer Uncommon Wisdom (
Nancy Pearcey Total Truth (
General
Introductory texts
Arthur F. Holmes Ethics: Approaching Moral Decisions (Leicester: IVP, 1984)
Mel Thompson Ethical Theory (Access to Philosophy) (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1999) An A-level background reader.
Colin Brown Crash Course on Christian Ethics (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1998) A useful introductory book; it also has the advantage of being very readable.
Steve Wilkens Beyond Bumper Sticker Ethics: An Introduction to Theories of Right and Wrong (Downers Grove: IVP, 1995). An excellent and readable introduction to the major ethical theories; including: cultural relativism, utilitarianism, situation ethics and divine command theory.
Less introductory general texts
Richard B. Hays The Moral Vision of the New Testament: A Contemporary Introduction to New Testament Ethics (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1997); this is expensive but well worth getting from a library. The first part looks at the ethics of the NT; the second a synthesis of the NT view; the third a look at how to use the NT in ethics and the final several case studies (including homosexuality, abortion and divorce)
Harry Gensler Ethics (London: Routledge, 1998); a useful summary of several ethical positions. Develops the ‘Golden Rule’ idea.
An excellent, albeit expensive, resource. Each chapter provides a very good summary and critique of various ethical positions, including relativism, divine command theories, egoism, utilitarianism, Kantianism, right theories and virtue ethics. Each chapter has a series of discussion questions and a bibliographic essay.
Glenn H. Stassen and
The first third of the book develops the concept of kingdom ethics. The remainder examines contemporary ethical issues in the light of the kingdom.
Anthologies
Peter Singer (ed.) A Companion to Ethics (Blackwell Companions to Philosophy) (Oxford: Blackwell, 1991)
Contains 47 original articles dealing with everything from the roots of ethics, the history of ethics, the application and nature of ethics to the critiques of ethics. Includes short chapters on: Christian ethics, consequentialism, crime and punishment and how could ethics depend on religion. (Singer is a contemporary advocate of a form of utilitarianism.)
Robin Gill (ed.)
A useful collection of original articles on different aspects of Christian ethics. Includes articles by Rowan Williams on ‘Making moral decisions’, Stephen Barton on ‘The epistles and Christian ethics’ as well as articles on gender and ethics, liberation ethics, the arms trade, ecology and family.
Wayne Boulton, Thomas Kennedy and Allen Verhey (editors) From Christ to the World: Introductory readings in Christian ethics (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1994)
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