William Schweiker & David A. Clairmont 
Religious Ethics 
Meaning and Method

An inclusive and innovative account of religious ethical thinking and acting in the world.

Rather than merely applying existing forms of philosophical ethics, Religious Ethics defines the meaning of the field and presents a distinct and original method for ethical reflection through comparisons of world religious traditions. Written by leading scholars and educators in the field, this unique volume offers an innovative approach that reveals how religions concur and differ on moral matters, and provides practical guidance on thinking and living ethically.

The book’s innovative method–integrating descriptive, normative, practical, fundamental, and metaethical dimensions of reflection–enables a far more complex and nuanced exploration of religious ethics than any single philosophical language, method, or theory can equal. First introducing the task of religious ethics, the book moves through each of the five dimensions of reflection to compare concepts such as good and evil, perplexity and wisdom, truth and illusion, and freedom and bondage in various theological contexts.

* Guides readers on understanding, assessing, and comparing the moral teachings and practices of world religions

* Applies a disciplined, scholarly approach to the subject of religious ethics

* Explores the distinctions between religious ethics and moral philosophy

* Provides a methodology which can be applied to comparative ethics for various religions

* Compares religious traditions to illuminate each of the five dimensions of ethical and moral reflection

Religious Ethics: Meaning and Method will help anyone interested in the relation between religion and ethics in the modern world, including those involved in general and comparative religion studies, religious and comparative ethics, and moral theory.

Table of Content

Preface vi

Acknowledgments viii

Note on Sources, Dates, and Language Conventions x

Introduction 1

1 The Task of Religious Ethics 7

2 Blindness and Insight: Descriptive Dimension 27

3 Good, Evil, and Beyond: Normative Dimension

Part 1 59

Part 2 87

4 Perplexity and Wisdom: Practical Dimension 115

5 Freedom and Bondage: Fundamental Dimension 155

6 Truth and Illusion: Metaethical Dimension 195

7 The Point of Religious Ethics 237

Glossary and Additional Concepts in the Study of Religious Ethics 267

Bibliography 296

Index 311

About the author

WILLIAM SCHWEIKER is Edward L. Ryerson Distinguished Service Professor of Theological Ethics at the University of Chicago. He is past President of the Society of Christian Ethics, and author of several books including Theological Ethics and Global Dynamics, nominated for the prestigious Grawemeyer Award.

DAVID A. CLAIRMONT is Associate Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame, and is author of Moral Struggle and Religious Ethics. His articles have appeared in numerous publications including the Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics and the Journal of the American Academy of Religion.