Kirjahaku

Darryl W. Stephens suggests that human dignity and equality under God can be used to address the most intractable moral problems of our time: war, sexual abuse, racism, environmental degradation, and more. This work examines Christian ethics sensitive to the trauma histories that are already present individually and collectively in and among our faith communities. Stephens encourages us to see that Christian ethics is real, perspectival, dialogical, participatory and purposeful – he reconceives the entirety of Christian ethics through trauma-informed lens, recognizing that many people wrestle with significant trauma histories every day. He explores the theological implications of trauma-informed approach to a wide range of social issues, and engages with Wesleyan, feminist and liberationist perspectives.Designed for classroom use, it includes a number of pedagogical features, such as case studies and questions for discussion, engaging with key areas of contemporary concern.

Darryl W. Stephens suggests that human dignity and equality under God can be used to address the most intractable moral problems of our time: war, sexual abuse, racism, environmental degradation, and more. This work examines Christian ethics sensitive to the trauma histories that are already present individually and collectively in and among our faith communities. Stephens encourages us to see that Christian ethics is real, perspectival, dialogical, participatory and purposeful – he reconceives the entirety of Christian ethics through trauma-informed lens, recognizing that many people wrestle with significant trauma histories every day. He explores the theological implications of trauma-informed approach to a wide range of social issues, and engages with Wesleyan, feminist and liberationist perspectives.Designed for classroom use, it includes a number of pedagogical features, such as case studies and questions for discussion, engaging with key areas of contemporary concern.

Sexual health is an essential part of maintaining professional relationships in ministry. Focusing on implications for the practice of ministry, this book engages all dimensions of theological education and academic disciplines. Each chapter includes an analysis of common ministry situations, discussion questions, practical guidelines, and resources for further study. The volume is ideal for use in courses on professional ethics for ministry, advanced leadership training, and continuing education for clergy. The book includes generous use of case studies throughout and addresses major issues such as power, pornography, and social media as they relate to sexual ethics in congregations.

Methodist Morals offers keen insight into the public church, interpreting the United Methodist Social Principles as a dynamic discourse about morality and human rights in light of faith. Revised every four years by the General Conference of the United Methodist Church, the Social Principles exposes the moral deliberations of this distinctly American and increasingly “worldwide” church as it struggles to achieve community across multiple languages and cultures. Perhaps no other document provides as rich a depiction of Protestants participating in the moral argument of public life. This is the first full-length study of Methodist social teachings in over fifty years. Examining official Methodist teachings from institutional, historical, and cross-cultural perspectives, Darryl Stephens provides a rich analysis of this case study of Protestant social witness, drawing on his expertise in church polity, Methodist history, and Christian social ethics. A wide range of comparisons— with documents of the United Nations, with moral debate in Germany and Zimbabwe, and with historical Methodist statements of social witness—shows the Social Principles to be a unique form of social witness. The issues of war,abortion, human sexuality, and marriage illustrate the messiness of democratic deliberation in an ecclesial context and the evolution of a people ever concerned with the sin of “worldliness” even as they become more attuned to transforming social structures. Stephens also contrasts this conception of the public church with the ecclesiologies of prominent Methodist ethicists Stanley Hauerwas and Paul Ramsey.Intended for students of Methodism, ecumenical church leaders, and scholars of Christian social ethics and contemporary US mainline religion, this work reveals the challenges to and possibilities for achieving moral community in an increasingly global and diverse world.

Imagine God's Justice and Lead with CompassionLove. Justice. Solidarity. Living as siblings in the "kin-dom" of God requires bold faith. Women in the United Methodist tradition have courageously led ministries in race relations, creation care, substance abuse, sexual orientation and inclusion, poverty, relationships with indigenous nations, and other concerns. However, The United Methodist Church and its predecessors have a sometimes-uneven history of resisting the evil and violence that damage the world. This book explores this history, empowering us to imagine God's justice and to lead with compassion. Together, we bear witness to God's gracious presence in ways that make a material difference to all of creation, all persons, especially victims of injustice and those who are most vulnerable. This is the moral witness of the church.