Kevin J. Brown s Designed for Good is a study of classical virtue
ethics from a Christian perspective. This book shows Christians
that their faith contains resources to help them recover the
idea of virtue in the face of our modern moral bewilderment.
Although we may not realize it, we live in a world that is full of
competing ethical systems. Appeals to rights, personal freedom,
or even equality often come with their own meta-values. Each
of these values has something in common with the Christian
message, but none of them tells the whole story.
In this Christian take on classical virtue ethics, Brown weaves in
modern-day examples from economics, politics, and pop culture
to create a relevant framework that relates faith to contemporary
ethical questions. Brown argues that true virtue the kind we can
actually strive for in our day-to-day lives requires a holistic vision
of the good life, not a list of rules determined by our preferences
or the latest market trends. Instead, it is precisely what we were
designed for by our Creator: life in the community of Christ s body,
the church. Virtue then becomes the pursuit of wholeness in
harmony with God s design.
Brown introduces the problem of modern ethics and analyzes
common meta-values that readers will likely have encountered in
their workplaces, schools, and possibly even churches. Readers will
especially resonate with the second half of the book, where Brown
outlines the foundations of the holistic, Christian concept of virtue:
to act justly, and love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.
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