| Description |
xxi, 324 pages ; 22 cm. |
| Series |
New studies in Christian ethics |
|
New studies in Christian ethics.
|
| Contents |
1. Metaethics: meaning and justification. The definitional approach. Definition and existence. Definition and the open-texture of concepts. Causal definition. Definition and justification. Connotation: another interpretation of definition. The role of imagination in ethics. Imagination and normative ethics. Conclusion -- 2. Initial elucidation of rights-language. General analysis of rights-language. Specific analysis: Hohfeld's distinctions. An ethical translation of the Hohfeldian distinctions. Some controversies in the language of rights. Conclusion -- 3. Conceptual scepticism and rights. The correlativity objection. The interests objection. The justificatory objection. Rights and moral principles. Scepticism and 'Human Rights'. Conclusion -- 4. Moral and theological scepticism. The egoistic objection. The adversarial objection. Can a good man be harmed? The Franciscan tradition. Christian pacifism. Answering scepticism. Conclusion -- 5. Imagination, metaethics and rights. The role of imagination. Models and metaphors. Main characteristics of models. Models: possible abuses and dangers. Two initial metaphors for rights. Freedom and power as metaphorical. Rights and freedom. Rights and power. Conclusion -- 6. Theological imagination and rights. Freedom and rights in a Christian context. F. Gerald Downing: freedom as a threat. Donal Murray: human rights and religious freedom. Colin Gunton: rights, heteronomy and autonomy. Conclusion -- 7. Rights, power and covenant. Rollo May and the psychology of power. The power of God. The stature of waiting. Waiting for rights. A covenant model of rights. The nature of a covenant relationship. Two further types of covenant. Covenant and universalism. Promisory and law covenants. Covenant law as the basic moral standard. Covenant and contract. Conclusion -- 8. Theological foundations of rights-language. The distinctiveness of Christian ethics. The 'content' of Christian ethics. Motives and reasons in relation to content. Christian reasons for respecting rights. God's rights. 'Rights' against God. Grounding rights in human dignity. Dignity and the image of God. The image of God in scripture. Conclusion. |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 272-318) and index. |
| Subject |
Christian ethics.
|
|
Human rights.
|
| Indexed Term |
Christianity Ethics |
|
Rights |
| ISBN |
0521418895 hardcover |
|
