Jesus and Virtue Ethics: Building Bridges between New Testament Studies and Moral Theology
All too often, biblical exegesis and moral theology go their separate ways, without any deep commitment to dialogue between the two disciplines. For this reason in particular, one must hail this new book by Fr. Daniel Harrington and Fr. James Keenan as an important step forward in the development of contemporary Catholic theology. (John P. Meier, University of Notre Dame)With Daniel Harrington and James Keenan having solidly established themselves as sensitive interpreters of the Bible and ethics, there are few others I would want to read for a collaborative discussion on bridging New Testament studies with moral theology. This clearly written volume with discussion questions and suggested readings at the end of each chapter is well designed for class, adult discussion groups, personal reflection, and homily preparation. (Richard M. Gula, S.S., Professor of Moral Theology, Franciscan School of Theology/Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, CA)Rarely does such a pair of stellar scholars lend their expertise to an introduction, then accomplish the results with such facility of style. Centering their presentation around an important new theological trend, "virtue ethics," they cover all the key questions in their respective fields. (Lisa Sowle Cahill, J. Donald Monan Professor of Theology, Boston College)[A] most helpful volume on New Testament Ethics... an excellent text. (The Bible Today)Readers of this book will envy the students who took part in the authors' team-taught seminars.... Let us hope their work encourages other scholars to contribute to spanning the academic divide between Scripture and the moral life. (America)Daniel Harrington, S.J., and James Keenan, S.J., have taken a giant step toward narrowing the gap between moral theology and exegesis. With Harrington presenting the biblical perspective and Keenan moral and theological reflections, these seasoned authors have engaged in a fruitful dialogue between exegesis and moral theology. Clearly and elegantly written,Jesus and Virtue Ethicsprovides a model of what it means to "build bridges" between exegesis and moral theology. Here is a work that responds to the needs of pastors and interested laity as well as theological students. (Frank J. Matera, Professor of New Testament, The Catholic University of America)