An Examination of Christian Ethics

Honest to Goodness: an Ethical and Spiritual Odyssey, Martin Prozesky, Eugene, OR, Resource Publications, 2019

The Christian church is in a quandary. Our disagreements and arguments have changed from communion and baptism to same sex relationships, the widening gap between the rich and the poor, the treatment of refugees and how to address systemic racism (among a host of other issues). Christians are found on all sides of these issues. All believe they are advocating for and living out the ethics and values of Jesus Christ.

Martin Prozesky, in his book Honest to Goodness, takes a critical, in depth look at Christian ethics. In a method that is personal, scholarly, historical and multi-faceted, Prozesky seeks to shed light on ethics of the historical Jesus and how those ethics have been expressed through the centuries. He attempts to be even handed in his critique of the various branches of Christianity. I think he does an admirable job and succeeds.

Thought Provoking

The result of Prozesky’s work is educational, thought provoking, remorseful and possibly life-changing. As he reflects on his own spiritual journey, he inspires self-reflection and soul searching in readers of the book. By the time readers reach the end of the book, they not only have much to think about, but also some possible paths on which to begin a new journey.

This a scholarly work. It is well researched and heavily footnoted. The book is not something that you can skim in the hope of picking up some of its main ideas. Reading the book takes effort, but it is well worth it. This book is worthy of your time.

I received this book free from the author and/or publisher through the Speakeasy blogging book review network. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.