The moral vision of the New Testament : community, cross, new creation : a contemporary introduction to New Testament ethics

Richard Hays explores the ethical values and dynamics with which Jesus himself lived to show how the New Testament provides challenging moral guidance on some of the most important contemporary ethical issues. Dedication 8 Contents 10 Preface 14 Introduction: The Task of New Testament Ethics 22 Part One: The Descriptive Task: Visions of the Moral Life in the New Testament 34 1. Paul: The Koinōnia of His Sufferings 37 2. Developments of the Pauline Tradition 81 3. The Gospel of Mark: Taking Up the Cross 94 4. The Gospel of Matthew: Training for the Kingdom of Heaven 114 5. Luke-Acts: Liberation through the Power of the Spirit 133 6. The Gospel and Epistles of John: Loving One Another 159 7. Excursus: The Role of “the Historical Jesus” in New Testament Ethics 179 8. Revelation: Resisting the Beast 190 Part Two: The Synthetic Task: Finding Coherence in the Moral Vision of the New Testament 208 9. Diverse Voices in the New Testament Canon 208 10. Three Focal Images: Community, Cross, New Creation 214 Part Three: The Hermeneutical Task: The Use of the New Testament in Christian Ethics 228 11. How Do Ethicists Use Scripture? Diagnostic Questions 228 12. Five Representative Hermeneutical Strategies 236 13. How Shall We Use the Texts? Normative Proposals 312 Part Four: The Pragmatic Task: Living Under the Word: Test Cases 334 14. Violence in Defense of Justice 338 15. Divorce and Remarriage 368 16. Homosexuality 400 17. Anti-Judaism and Ethnic Conflict 428 18. Abortion 465 Conclusion 483 Works Cited 492 Permissions 506 Index of Scripture and Other Ancient Writings 507 Author Index 518 Topic Index 523 A leading expert in New Testament ethics discovers in the biblical witness a unified ethical vision -- centered in the themes of community, cross and new creation -- that has profound relevance in today's world. Richard Hays shows how the New Testament provides moral guidance on the most troubling ethical issues of our time, including violence, divorce, homosexuality and abortion. - Publisher