Ministerial Ethics: Moral Formation for Church Leaders, 2nd ed.

by James E. Carter; Joe E. Trull

Publisher:

Baker

, 2004

Overview

Ministerial Ethics seeks to teach students the unique moral role of ministers and the ethical responsibilities clergy should assume in their personal and professional lives. The authors deal with family life, confidentiality, truth-telling, political involvement, working with committees, and relating to other church staff members. This fully revised and updated edition has expanded sections on theological foundations, the role of character, confidentiality, and clergy sexual abuse.

Perfect for students, pastors, church leaders, and laypeople alike, the Logos edition of this volume is fully searchable and easily accessible. Scripture passages link directly to your favorite Bible translation, and important theological concepts link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of resources in your digital library.

Key Features

• Examines the moral role of ministers and their ethical responsibilities
• Discusses a wide variety of topics, including family life, honesty, and politics
• Includes lists of suggested reading for further study specific to each chapter’s topic

Contents

• The Minister’s Vocation: Career or Profession?
• The Minister’s Moral Choices: Endowed or Acquired?
• The Minister’s Personal Life: Incidental or Intentional?
• The Minister’s Congregation: Friend or Foe?
• The Minister’s Colleagues: Cooperation or Competition?
• The Minister’s Community: Threat or Opportunity?
• A Major Ethical Issue: Clergy Sexual Abuse
• A Ministerial Code of Ethics: Help or Hindrance?

Top Highlights

“To summarize, then, we can now define a professional as a broadly educated person with highly developed skills and knowledge who works autonomously under the discipline of an ethic developed and enforced by peers, who renders a social service that is essential and unique, and who makes complex judgments involving potentially dangerous consequences.⁵² A professional is more concerned with communal interest than with self and with services rendered than with financial rewards.⁵³ The question we must now answer is this: Does the minister’s vocation fit this general characterization of a profession?” (Page 36)

“Although a minister’s primary loyalty is to God, this devotion must never be an excuse for avoiding pastoral duties. Ministry involves both privilege and responsibility. A minister’s calling always must be fleshed out in some kind of community, usually a local congregation. One cannot serve Christ without serving people, for to serve people is to serve Christ (Matt. 25:31–46).” (Page 25)

“Third, a code of ethics can support and protect an individual minister.” (Page 197)

“Jesus emphasized again and again that character precedes conduct and that morality is a matter of the heart (5:3–48). It” (Page 47)

“1. Most ministers want to be persons of integrity, persons whose professional lives uphold the highest ethical ideals.” (Page 17)

Praise for the Print Edition

The church is in an ethical free fall because of the conduct of its leaders. It has become an embarrassment to all Christians. Ministerial Ethics addresses this issue and offers clear, candid, and comprehensive helps to both pastors and churches.

—Paul Powell, emeritus dean, George W. Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University

Since its publication in 1993, Ministerial Ethics has served as the core textbook for my courses in pastoral ethics. I therefore greet warmly the appearance of this revised version. Like its predecessor, the second edition will set the standard for reflective engagement with this crucial topic.

—Stanley J. Grenz, former Pioneer McDonald Professor of Theology, Carey Theological College

Since the first edition of this book came out in 1993, I have used it as my core text in both undergraduate and seminary courses in ministerial ethics. The book’s many strengths include strong grounding in pastoral experience, mature engagement with research in both ethics and ministry, and a clear and concrete articulation of moral norms, including an exceptionally strong treatment of ministerial codes of ethics. The authors exhibit a courageous and independent spirit in treating sensitive subjects; their expanded treatment of clergy sexual abuse is perhaps the best example of this spirit. I strongly recommend Ministerial Ethics for both classroom and church use.

—David P. Gushee, distinguished university professor of Christian ethics, Mercer University

Trull and Carter have given us a book that no ministry may ignore and every minister will be thankful for. It is required reading for every minister. I am thankful to God for its publication.

—Lewis B. Smedes, former professor of theology and ethics, Fuller Theological Seminary

For good reasons, I have adopted this revision as a required textbook for my new seminary course in pastoral ministry ethics. . . . This is a ministerial ethics grounded in biblical ethics, which I commend and other readers surely will also. . . . Ministerial Ethics in its revised edition promises to be a usable seminary textbook and a useful reference tool for ministers.

—Christian Ethics Today

Joe Trull and James Carter have provided the ethical helps pastors need. . . . Ministerial Ethics provides an overview of the entire scope of ministerial ethics. This book would make an excellent textbook for ministerial students.

—Enrichment Journal

Product Details

• Title: Ministerial Ethics: Moral Formation for Church Leaders
• Authors: James E. Carter, Joe E. Trull
• Edition: Second Edition
• Publisher: Baker
• Print Publication Date: 2004
• Logos Release Date: 2013
• Pages: 288
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subjects: Clergy › Professional ethics; Clergy › Conduct of life
• ISBNs: 9781441256171, 9780801027550, 1441256172, 0801027551
• Resource ID: LLS:MNSTRLETHCS
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-30T01:34:15Z

About the Authors

Joe E. Trull (ThD, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is editor of Christian Ethics Today and formerly served as professor of Christian ethics at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

James E. Carter (PhD, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary), a veteran pastor with over 30 years of experience, is the former director of the Division of Church-Minister Relations in the Louisiana Baptist Convention.