Churchgoing and Christian Ethics: 15 (New Studies in Christian Ethics, Series Number 15) - Hardcover

Gill, Robin

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0521570581 ISBN 13: 9780521570589

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 1999

Synopsis

Robin Gill argues that once moral communities (such as churchgoers) take centre stage in ethics - as they do in virtue ethics - then there should be a greater interest in sociological evidence about these communities. This book, first published in 1999, examines evidence gathered from social attitude surveys about church communities, in particular their views on faith, moral order and love. It shows that churchgoers are distinctive in their attitudes and behaviour. Some of their attitudes change over time, and there are a number of obvious moral disagreements between different groups of churchgoers. Nonetheless, there are broad patterns of Christian beliefs, teleology and altruism which distinguish churchgoers as a whole from non-churchgoers. However, the values, virtues, moral attitudes and behaviour of churchgoers are shared by many other people as well. The distinctiveness of church communities in the modern world is thus real but relative, and is crucial for the task of Christian ethics.

About this title

Review:

'Churchgoing and Christian Ethics is both original and elegant in its argument.' Journal of Religion

'Gill's challenge to vague and idealized accounts of Christian communities, driven by theological presuppositions, is very welcome ...'. Scottish Journal of Theology

Book Description:

This 1999 book examines evidence about church communities, showing that churchgoers are distinctive in their attitudes, beliefs and behaviour. However, these are shared by many non-churchgoers as well. The distinctiveness of church communities in the modern world is thus real but relative, and is central to Christian ethics.

About this edition

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0521570581
• ISBN 13: 9780521570589
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 292