The Decalogue and a Human Future

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This is a print on demand book and is therefore non- returnable. Building on a long career in the field of Christian ethics, Paul Lehmann here examines the role of the Ten Commandments in Christian life. Driven by the fundamental ethical question What am I as a believer in Jesus Christ and as a member of his church to do?, Lehmann moves beyond the inadequacies of both an ethic of law and a utilitarian ethic to his unique proposal of a contextual ethic grounded in the concept of koinonia. Part One discusses the commandments generally while focusing on insights from sociology regarding the structure of human life. Part Two takes up each commandment individually as a springboard for discussing critical issues in today's world. —Allan Boesak "This book displays all the depth, penetrating insight, and clarity of thinking that have become the hallmarks of Lehmann's writing. It mercilessly and wonderfully exposes the superficiality and frivolousness of many of the arguments surrounding the Decalogue. . . . Theologically instructive, intellectually satisfying, and spiritually uplifting."
Patrick D. Miller —Princeton Theological Seminary
"Paul Lehmann was one of the greatest of America's Christian ethicists and one of its most influential teachers. His work has had a profound impact on many persons, especially pastors and lay folk. This final work brings him back to some of his major themes — the relation of gospel and law, the commitment to a truly human life in this world that is shaped by God's just and loving activity in Jesus Christ, and the need for the gift of discernment to see what it is that makes human life human. . . . One does not expect to hear much that is fresh on such worked-over moral issues as abortion and homosexuality, but in these pages Lehmann makes us think afresh and challenges us even on those familiar topics. It is sad to think that we shall hear no more from this deeply Christian and moral thinker."
Charles Villa-Vicencio —University of Cape Town, South Africa
"This is vintage Lehmann. His koinonia ethic continues to make enormous sense — not least in South Africa and other transitional situations where people are seeking moral discernment amid complexity and ambiguity in the quest for social justice. This book's development of Lehmann's ethic around the Ten Commandments makes it more than a textbook for students. It is a book for pastors, the laity, and the general public. It is also a wonderful culmination to the work of a great theologian."

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