Description
‘With one exception, each article or essay in this book was first published in Faith and Freedom: A Journal of Christian Ethics between 1992 and 1998. During this period, Faith and Freedom also explored the following social and ethical issues: Aboriginal land rights following the High Court’s recognition of native title on 3 June 1992; ‘Aboriginal reconciliation’; the role of women within the leadership structures of the various churches; Christian feminism; child sexual abuse; the AIDS crisis; ministry among sex workers; euthanasia; gene therapy; environmental, health and business ethics; the power of money; conflict resolution; Arab Christian perspectives on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; religious liberty; ministry within the church and discipleship; and Australian spirituality. Most of the articles addressing these issues were written for their day and are now dated, even if the issues themselves continue to be important.’ From the Introduction Australian Christians live in a pluralist culture. This makes the issues of faith, freedom and their interrelationship all the more critical. In a pluralist context, Christian faith and freedom must be expressed and embodied in a coherent rather than discordant way. The authors of these reflections on key ethical concerns represent the Anabaptist, Anglican, Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic and Uniting Church traditions, yet there is harmony within this plurality of theological and ecclesialogical voices.
