Finding Virtue: Justice
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8) Justice is the easiest virtue because … Continued
Finding Virtue: Prudence
Prudence is often listed as the first of the virtues because it is intellectual. Prudence is a term reflective of discernment. It is a cousin of wisdom but not its twin. Sometimes wisdom is a broad category describing knowledge of … Continued
Four Views of Divine Knowledge
This weekend I’ll be preaching on the story of Joseph, including one fascinating phrase, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20). The passage touches on the issue of divine providence, God … Continued
Finding Virtue: Courage
Courage (or fortitude) is easy to admire, just as cowardice is easy to despise. Even in a morally reversed culture, bravery remains cherished, if misunderstood. The challenge for the Christian is to find it in the life of faith and … Continued
Finding Virtue: Temperance
In the pastoral epistles, temperance (or “self-control”) is a chief virtue. Every man and woman is to learn it (1 Timothy 2:9, 15; Titus 2:2, 5-6). Every church leader is to model it (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:8). But what … Continued
Finding Virtue
Every person makes ethical choices, and they do so using an ethical model they have either intentionally chosen or thoughtlessly inherited. Here, we are not speaking about the standard of right and wrong so much, but rather the method by … Continued
Virtue Ethics: Objections Considered
In a previous post in this series, I proposed a virtue ethics approach to the question of divorce and remarriage. I advocated sustaining second marriages as pivotal for developing the virtue of faithfulness. In this post, I want to consider … Continued
Virtue Ethics: Application to Remarriage Question
Christian teachers are surprisingly unified in opposition to divorce in principle. In contrast, the practical application of this view on the ministry level is shockingly diverse, even within shared traditions and fellowships. Subsequent marriages after a divorce and the question … Continued
Virtue Ethics: Is It Christian?
In a previous post, I introduced the idea of virtue ethics and suggested it was compatible with Christian ideals. However, that isn’t going to be enough for most of us. We want to know if it has been taught by … Continued
Virtue Ethics: An Introduction
As long as people have asked questions, one of them as been about ethics, how to determine right and wrong. One of the oldest and most useful answers to that line of inquiry is found in virtue ethics. The conception … Continued