One might expect such a history to begin with the Bible, but Banner starts with a small work from the early Church: the Rule of St. Benedict (550 C.E.), which he claims is the paradigmatic framework with which to understand Christian ethics... Although Banner states that he does not intend to defend Christianity, his positive opinion of it emerges (which ... Read moreis not of itself a short-coming). (Philosophy in Review, August 2010) For a book so short, it is disproportionately powerful, and far from being an 'idiot's guide' it has its own distinctive voice and case to offer. (Regent's Reviews, April 2010) As the title of the present volume indicates, the aim of the book is to provide a brief history of Christian ethics. The author does this by engaging with key figures and their thought, including Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, and Martin Luther, which allows him to draw out the challenges to Christian ethics, which Nietzsche and other nineteenth-century thinkers as well as contemporary relativism have presented. (Journal of Contemporary Religion This book is part of a series that aims to present 'brief, accessible, and lively accounts of key topics within theology and religion.' This history of Christian ethics succeeds in all three aims. (CHOICE, October 2009) Show Less