Review Of "American Protestant Ethics And The Legacy Of H. Richard Niebuhr" By W. Werpehowski

Document Type

Book Review

Publication Date

5-1-2003

Published In

Choice

Abstract

Niebuhr was one of the most influential Protestant ethicists of the first half of the 20th century. Werpehowski (Villanova Univ.) examines Niebuhr's impact on four prominent contemporary ethicists: Paul Ramsey, Stanley Hauerwas, James Gustafson, and Kathryn Tanner. This study successfully brings them into dialogue with Niebuhr and each other, thus leading the reader to a deeper appreciation of their distinctive emphases and the key issues that each addresses. Among the issues discussed are just war and pacifism, medical ethics and the right to life, and the relationship between Christianity and contemporary culture. This book provides a concise account of much of the best thinking on these problems. Werpehowski does not merely report and criticize; he also develops his own constructive position. Well written, informative, and insightful, this study is often closely argued, making it most useful to those with some background in these topics. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students through faculty.

Comments

This work is freely available courtesy of Choice Reviews. The review has been reproduced in full in the abstract field.

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