Moral Choices - 4th Edition by Scott Rae (Hardcover)

About the Book

The fourth edition of this foremost college ethics text helps students form a basis for practical, ethical decision making in contemporary culture. Substantial updates and revisions include three new chapters and discussions on important contemporary issues including gun control, race, gender, diversity, immigration, refugees, and creation care.

Book Synopsis

Outlining the distinctive elements of Christian ethics, Moral Choices is the standard text for college ethics courses.

Moral questions are at the core of life's most vital issues. But today, we see a breaking down of humanity's ability to distinguish between right and wrong. After describing a seven-step procedure for thinking through ethical dilemmas, author Scott Rae uses case studies to address some of today's most challenging ethical and social issues. He guides students in thinking critically and biblically about issues, including:

• Abortion
• Euthanasia
• Capital Punishment
• Sexual Ethics
• War
• Technologies, including reproductive and genetic
• Ethics and Economics
• Creation Care and Animal Rights
• Gun-Control
• Race, Gender, and Diversity
• Immigration, Refugees, and Border Control

This book also introduces other ethical systems and their key historical proponents, including Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, and Immanuel Kant.

With its unique union of theory and application and its well-organized, easy-to-use design, the fourth edition of Moral Choices also offers extensive updates, revisions, and three brand new chapters all designed to help students develop a sound and current basis for making ethical decisions in today's complex postmodern culture.

FEATURES:

• Relevant Case Studies throughout
• Discussion questions at the end of each chapter
• Sidebars with case studies for discussion
• Recommended further reading

Review Quotes

'I regard Scott Rae's latest book, the fourth edition of Moral Choices, as the most impressive work on Christian ethics that I have read in the last few decades. Written by an outstanding teacher and scholar, this is the one book that I would recommend to students, church leaders, and political decision-makers who want a sophisticated but easy-to-read guide through the maze of modern ethical decision-making. Situating ethics within an overall framework of worldview, this work masterfully explains and evaluates the various ethical systems, provides a suggested model for moral decision-making, and offers up-to-date and real life working examples of some sensible and satisfying solutions available to modern ethicists.'--Peter Hastie, principal, Presbyterian Theological College, Melbourne, Australia

'In my twenty years of teaching Christian Ethics, Moral Choices has been very helpful for my students because it is biblically grounded, clear, and engaging, and it helps readers both to think through the process of Christian moral reasoning and to apply such reasoning to the issues of our day. This updated and expanded fourth edition is timely, with new chapters on "Creation Care and Environmental Ethics," "Violence and Gun Control," "Race, Gender, and Diversity," and "Immigration, Refugees, and Border Control." Readers may disagree with some of Dr. Rae's conclusions, but all will benefit from his work on critical moral issues.'--Ken Magnuson, professor of Christian ethics, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

'In this highly readable and well-referenced book, Scott Rae patiently works through some of the most relevant and perplexing moral questions of the twenty-first century. Given the nature of these issues, this is not an easy task. His careful analysis is illustrated with many enlightening analogies. Beyond that, many readers will appreciate his answers to foundational questions such as why the topic matters in the first place, how to think morally and the variety of ways people do so, and what distinguishes a Christian approach to ethical analysis from a nonchristian one. Those who desire to navigate the perplexing maze of moral questions and various viewpoints on them will find this book invaluable.'--Paul Chamberlain, professor of ethics and leadership, director of Institute of Christian Apologetics, Trinity Western University

'Moral Choices is a fine presentation of an Evangelical perspective on normative and applied ethics. Although, as a Catholic, I part ways with Professor Rae on several issues, his arguments and insights are important in helping all of us to think more deeply and carefully about the most important moral and social issues of our time.'--Francis J. Beckwith, Professor of Philosophy & Church-State Studies, Baylor University; 2018 President, American Catholic Philosophical Association

'Moral Choices is a treasure. After giving a tour on how to think about ethics, Rae walks us through the array of moral choices one faces in the modern world. Loaded with example scenarios and all kinds of data, this book travels through the labyrinth of moral decisions one faces, especially in the area of medical ethics. Anyone reading this book will not get lost in how to wrestle with such choices and will possess a solid guide on how to think about them.'--Darrell Bock, senior research professor of New Testament, executive director of cultural engagement at the Hendricks Center, Dallas Theological Seminary

'Moral Choices is my go-to book on helping students think through challenging ethical issues. I recently took a group of advanced high school students through it, and they loved it. It is clear, compelling, and biblical. I'm thrilled about this update and am honored to offer it my highest recommendation.'--Sean McDowell, PhD, speaker, author, associate professor, Biola University