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. 2) 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. In Vol. 2 the author applies the theological and philosophical conclusions arrived at in Vol. 1 to several specific modern ethical issues, including marriage, suicide, and the allocation of resources in famine and in biomedical research. He seeks to develop an ethical outlook in which divine purpose is the basis of moral activity. Volume One is also available (#31111).