Longing for the Good Life: Virtue Ethics after Protestantism

This book argues that Protestant theological ethics not only reveals basic virtue ethical characteristics, but also contributes significantly to a viable contemporary virtue ethics. Pieter Vos demonstrates that post-Reformation theological ethics still understands the good in terms of the good life, takes virtues as necessary for living the good life and considers human nature as a source of moral knowledge.

Vos approaches Protestant theology as an important bridge between pre-modern virtue ethics, shaped by Aristotle and transformed by Augustine of Hippo, and late modern understandings of morality. The volume covers a range of topics, going from eudaimonism and Calvinist ethics to Reformed scholastic virtue ethics and character formation in the work of S ren Kierkegaard. The author shows how Protestantism has articulated other-centered virtues from a theology of grace, affirmed ordinary life and emphasized the need of transformation of this life and its orders. Engaging with philosophy of the art of living, Neo-Aristotelianism and exemplarist ethics, he develops constructive contributions to a contemporary virtue ethics.

Author: Pieter Vos
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Published: 05/19/2022
Pages: 224
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.70lbs
Size: 9.21h x 6.14w x 0.47d
ISBN13: 9780567696830
ISBN10: 0567696839
BISAC Categories:
- Religion | Christian Theology | Ethics
- Religion | Theology
- Religion | Ethics

About the Author
Pieter Vos is Professor of Military Chaplaincy Studies and Associate Professor of Ethics at the Protestant Theological University, the Netherlands.