James M. Gustafson has had a long and acclaimed career as a writer and professor of Christian Ethics (the study of morality and the question of right and wrong in human behavior). In ETHICS FROM A THEOCENTRIC PERSPECTIVE, (a two volume work of which this is Vol. 1) he sets out to explore in a philosophical discussion whether the human-centered nature of most theology and ethics is sufficient. He maintains that ethics must take into consideration that God is God of the entire created universe, not just of humanity, and the morality of behavior must be analyzed theocentrically and not merely anthropocentrically. He seeks to develop an ethical outlook in which divine purpose is the basis of moral acti vity. Gustafson pays special attention to the Reformed theological tradition in this study. Volume Two is also available (#31113). Gustafson is the Henry R. Luce Professor of Humanities and Comparative Studies at Emory University.
