Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
The Future of Ethics interprets the big questions of sustainability and social justice through the practical problems arising from humanity's increasing power over basic systems of life. What does climate change mean for our obligations to future generations? How can the sciences work with pluralist cultures in ways that will help societies learn from ecological change?
Traditional religious ethics examines texts and traditions and highlights principles and virtuous behaviors that can apply to particular issues. Willis Jenkins develops lines of practical inquiry through "prophetic pragmatism," an approach to ethics that begins with concrete problems and adapts to changing circumstances. This brand of pragmatism takes its cues from liberationist theology, with its emphasis on how individuals and communities actually cope with overwhelming problems.
Can religious communities make a difference when dealing with these issues? By integrating environmental sciences and theological ethics into problem-based engagements with philosophy, economics, and other disciplines, Jenkins illustrates the wide understanding and moral creativity needed to live well in the new conditions of human power. He shows the significance of religious thought to the development of interdisciplinary responses to sustainability issues and how this calls for a new style of religious ethics.
Synopsis
In a world of climate change and wicked social problems, including rampant inequality and poverty, what kinds of solutions can religious communities offer? Traditional religious ethics examines texts and traditions and highlights principles and virtuous behaviors that can apply to particular issues. Jenkins turns this tradition on its head by developing a strategy of "prophetic pragmatism," an approach to ethics that begins with concrete problems and adapts to changing circumstances, inventing the practices that sustain the possibility of love and justice in the face of social quagmires. This brand of pragmatism takes its cues from liberationist theology, with its emphasis on how individuals and communities actually live their lives, and Jenkins is deeply influenced by such figures as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Dietrich Bonhoeffer who prioritized practical justice over dusty theological formulations. The problems Jenkins addresses are enormous: climate change, intergenerational justice, human rights, and human development. Can religious communities make a real difference? They can, ultimately, by sustaining a love of justice.