Customer Reviews

Becoming Good: Building Moral Character

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David W. Gill's "Becoming Good: Building Moral Character" is a wonderful and potentially life changing book, the first in a series on Christian Ethics. Gill describes Christian ethics in layman's terms, with full explaination of his reasoning behind each point he makes. At no point is the reader left behind in a sweeping leap of logic, and no prior knowledge is needed to comprehend his discussion. I highly recommend the book, and eagerly await the publishing of the next one!

This is an excellent book on an important topic. I enjoyed both the style of the writing - which uses a conversational tone with a scholarly slant - and the topic itself. One of the most appealing features of the writing itself is the way the book is laid out with footnotes included on each page. This is an informative and helpful way to present information.

The topic itself is one that has much relevance today. I think that Dr. Gill attempted to take a somewhat objective approach by spelling out theories and data, and while presenting an opinion, was not "preachy" in doing so. I also know David personally, and can attest that the themes presented here are genuine and reflect his character.

One highlight in particular was the first couple chapters and the interesting way to look at Christian approaches to the "world". This is must reading for any Christian, regardless of denomination or background.

I recommend this book highly to anyone who has an interest in "becoming good".

I thoroughly enjoyed Dr. Gill's book, and its shortcomings have been previously mentioned. However, it needs to be emphasized that the author is Scriptural in his foundation-tenets, which make his recommendations all the more relevant.

Yes, the format is somewhat academic--personally, I saw this as strength, not a weakness. Not everyone (obviously) will agree. But the tone and voice of the author are pleasing, and I cannot imagine one person not being blessed by the instructions found within. The contents would also be an excellent study for parents in the instruction of children.

I can only recall one other book, "With Joseph in the University of Adversity", which spells out so clearly the things that make up character in the Christian life. While that book is more universal in its appeal and a significantly easier read, Gill by no means addresses a restricted audience. RECOMMENDED.

I enjoyed the thesis of this book, and it is a timely era to be considering ethics. The book has a theme, and uses scripture and prose well. Overall though, the style is a bit academic so I would recommend Oz Guiness (Steering Through the Chaos), or a local author here at the Denver Seminary who wrote a book called "Truth Decay". Both of these other books come at the concept of ethics from different platforms and the three styles and theories of what constitutes "truth" and as a result set the standard for behavior which is defined as "ethical", are all a good study. This book is good reading for Christians though, so I do recommend it.

This book argues that becoming a good person is a skill that takes practice and a community within which to build ones character. He grounds the community in its relationship to God. This books tone is pastoral. One gets the sense that David cares deeply about Christian formation and church life and this book is his contribution to our shared life. It is a good contribution!

Three aspects of the book will be useful to readers:

1. David Gill wrote the book very clearly. He does not use tons of unnecessary words and phrases, but says what needs saying consisely. He wrote this book with clear language as well. For example, he uses active verbs rather than passives which make sentences much easier to read. In addition this book contains very little jargon.

2. Along the way, the book includes periodic summary boxes that help the reader remember and recap the major points. Gill basically provides in these boxes an outline, the text filling in this outline. I found this helpful as a reminder.

3. Each chapter ends with a series of questions for reflection and discussion. I think these questions would make for good study material in groups. A study group could read a chapter each week or so and discuss the questions at the end of the chapter as a way to reflect on how their lives could become better.

This book would be useful for church groups (small groups, study groups, etc.); undergraduates who need a clear introduction to how virtue ethics makes sense of our lives and who are interested in reading people like Hauerwas, MacIntyre and others; it will also be of interest to seminary students for a similar reason.

Because David Gill uses the Bible so adeptly, this book makes for a good supplement and correction to the overly philosophical system that some people who write about virtue and character use (Alasdair MacIntyre for example). Gill clearly depends on these writers and has learnt from them, but he refuses to let any system of thought be more determinative then the church.

If and when I teach a course in ethics, I will use Gill's work and its companion Doing Good.

The thing that is most powerful in Gill's book is the fact that becoming good is not a matter of doing this or not doing that. Character must have a foundation - and never more so in a day when public officials "forget" to pay their taxes, and star athletes demonstrate "bad judgment."

I have never understood why authors write great footnotes and publishers bury them in the back of the book, where if you find them at all, you totally lose the context of what was saying - footnotes being written to amplify a point or to make a counter argument (which the honest author will do frequently - and David Gill does that: i.e., on page 20, he talks about moral Stalinism, and then gives a counter point that absolves some who feature those characteristics of the depth of depravity to which Iosef Dagoshavili degenerated). My thanks to IVP for including the footnotes with the text!

A criticism I have is that in the early going, specifically chapter one, and to a lesser extent in chapter two, Mr. Gill develops themes and then drops them with very little linkage. It is like, "I have a list and here it is, and I have another list, and here it is." When he moves into the discussion of "The Goodness of God," and "Pouring a New Foundation," the themes are developed without adding so much - often times - extemporaneous material.

Chapter 3, "The Reality of our Communities," reminds us that we are not individuals, but part of a society and that good character is reinforced by good communities. However, when I had reached the end of the chapter, I had forgotten why it was important to be in one. It would have made for a stronger chapter if he had returned to the idea of "Why community is crucial to character" after spending a lot of time describing the nature of communities.

The unabashed strength of this book is its constant reliance on God's Word, these themes being developed in the second half of the book.

I found David Gill's Becoming Good to be an insightful and eye-opening look at ethics through the lens of the Beatitudes. His writing style is both easily accessible and deep. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and coming to understand the depth and nuance found in the Beatitudes. Highly Recommended!

In a world where ethics and morality may sometimes seem unattainable or even irrelevant, David Gill provides guidelines for those of us who want to truly live out our faith. Gill's writing is scripturally based and academically solid, yet also refreshingly accessible. He gives us understandable definitions of character formation, holiness, faithfulness and courage, and exhorts us to become ambassadors of righteousness and reconciliation.

I read Becoming Good and its companion book, Doing Right, as a seminary student, and had the opportunity to experience Dr. Gill as both author and professor. He is not only a professor of applied ethics, but also a person of applied ethics. Through his writing and his life, David Gill gives us a model of biblical ethics that is pertinent to our lives, and to a world in desperate need of a moral compass.

David Gill's books can be a bit academic. At times you really have to want it to get through the books. But if you can do it, there is great wealth to be found.

I have experienced Gill as a professor and in his classes his passion emerges. He also teaches secular companies ethics, so don't pidgeon-hole him as some theologian with no relevance. He teaches secular companies ethical models that have people coming to him afterwards asking where he gets his insights from...and are surprised to find they are based on the 10 Commandments and/or The Beatitudes. So also please don't write him off as some left-leaning liberal (as another reviewer has done). He takes Biblical principles to secular places; we should all be this good.

Gill is a well-rounded man with irons of philosophy (esp. Jacques Ellul), theology, ethics, and secular reasoning in the fire.

He is worth a read if you have the time. I endorse him heartily.

I know David Gill. His writing comes from the substance of his person and represents the best of academic and moral reasoning. Rather than abstract theory, Gill places his ethics squarely in the Divine Imperative: love your neighbor as yourself. His explication of Jesus' Beatitudes is classic for its practical application to everyday life and forms an ethics that not only has God as its basis but is rooted in the pursuit of his holiness.