Love Your Neighbor: Thinking Wisely about Right and Wrong (Paperback)

~ (Author), Ryan P. Snuffer (Author)
Key Phrases: absolutist ethical systems, graded absolutist, unqualified absolutism, Old Testament, New Testament, Grand Rapids (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

-I-ve never seen a single book that covers the waterfront of ethical issues in a biblically faithful way at a level available to high school readers. That is, until now. Love Your Neighbor is clear, concise, broad, biblical, and readable.-
J. P. Moreland, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University

-Those who are looking for simplistic answers will not find them here; those willing to grapple with both the Bible and real life will welcome this opportunity to think carefully about the choices that confront us every single day.-
Erwin Lutzer, Senior Pastor, The Moody Church, Chicago

-Though they tackle head-on the key philosophical questions, Geisler and Snuffer write in a style that will be easily understood and greatly appreciated by youth and adults alike.-
Josh D. McDowell, author and speaker

-Geisler and Snuffer show how the triune God and -the greatest commandment- help us navigate through the array of difficult questions that challenge us today. Students will find this resource both helpful and accessible.-
Ravi Zacharias, author and speaker

-Addresses the great issues of our day from a distinctly biblical position. How encouraging to see subjects like lying, cheating, and stealing addressed once again, to say nothing of the more obvious issues that most people think about.-
Paige Patterson, President, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

-Love Your Neighbor avoids telling us what to believe or how to behave in any given situation, but presents clear guidelines to help us determine where the high ground can be found.-
John F. Ankerberg, President, Ankerberg Theological Research Institute

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Description

Readers are challenged to think biblically and critically through several specific ethical issues, such as war, poverty, ecology, capital punishment, stem cell research, human cloning, and more.

Love Your Neighbor is a concise introduction to Christian ethics. It begins with a look at the biblical basis for morality, defines and describes various philosophical approaches to the subject of ethics, then connects biblical morality with the idea of absolute truth in philosophy.

The book then moves from its philosophical basis to a practical application of Christian ethics, considering a wide range of social, biomedical, and personal issues. It does not take a partisan or denominational approach to these issues, but squarely faces them with an open mind and open Bible.

Because it is based on sound biblical and philosophical reasoning, does not tell readers what to think but encourages them to think biblically and critically through these issues, and covers a broad range of issues, Love Your Neighbor has the potential to become a standard text used by youth groups, high schools, and churches around the world.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Crossway Books (July 9, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581349459
• ISBN-13: 978-1581349450
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #455,044 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thought Provoking and Challenging, July 24, 2007

By	God Reader - See all my reviews

There are many books on the market that target certain ethical issues. What makes this book different is that it covers 19 different ethical categories, and it does so without being too brief. Each chapter feels like a book of its own. Geisler and Snuffer also write an extensive introduction covering the basis and true purpose of law and ethics. This serves as a great foundation to understanding the role of ethics in the life of the Christian and society.
A refreshing element of the book is the addition of several current issues that have been sorely lacking in intelligent discussion in the Christian community. Where else can you find a biblical view of civil disobedience, economic justice, ecological issues, stem-cell research, war and capital punishment that didn't sound like it was written by the Republican party? Geisler and Snuffer skillfully examine the issues and communicate truth seasoned with grace, mercy and compassion. Their views on these subjects alone make it a book that is unique for our times and should be required reading for anyone who understands the call to be culturally engaged.
An excellent book that hopefully opens the door for more discourse on some very timely and controversial topics. At the same, very challenging in how it can be applied to our personal lives and worldview.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Introduction to Christian Ethics, May 12, 2009

By	Adam T. Calvert (OH, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a great little book on ethics from a Christian worldview. I'd recommend it to all young adults (high school and up), especially those who want to be more informed on social/political issues and how to evaluate them.

Geisler and Snuffer do a great job of presenting opposing views and the reasoning behind them, while themselves maintaining a Christian perspective and showing why it is a better view.

Chapters 1-8 were pretty decent on how to determine morality. I was not really convinced on how they separated God's infinite attributes from his moral attributes. But other than that, this was a great foundation on which to build the rest of the book, familiarizing the reader with the nature of ethics and the current ethical systems of today.

Chapters 9-26 take the issues head on, covering the "simple" things like lying, cheating, and stealing, to all the other (and more controversial) topics, such as civil disobedience, economic injustice, homosexual sin, heterosexual sin, pornography, marriage and divorce, ecological issues, ethics and politics, abortion, euthanasia, cloning, stem cell research and "other biomedical issues," capital punishment, war, and substance abuse.

Appendix A on Christian Liberty was a little bit of a let down. There was no chapter that concluded the book, and in the appendix I did not agree with Snuffer's division of "nonessential doctrines."

Appendix B would be very useful for teachers using this book to lead small groups or student classes.

For a small book (158 pages, 8 1/2" by 5 1/2"), this work does a great job of introducing the importance of ethics and its role in society to the Christian who wants to know more about how to live in this age. It gave clear, concise presentations and helped me to think more broadly and more accurately about the issues of today. It not only sharpened my understanding of the Christian worldview but also helped me better understand the opposing worldviews and how they attempt to justify their actions.

A very great read!

It made me want to get Geisler's bigger work, Christian Ethics: Options and Issues. I look forward to reading that in the future.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Read, June 3, 2008

By	S. Rogers (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is a great read. Ordered it for school but really enjoyed it personally. Would recommend it for everyday reading regarding the right and wrongs of life.