Ethics

How should the contemporary church engage with postmodernism? And what constitutes a successful church? Is there any encouragement for churches with small congregations and limited resources? Jane, Mike and Stephen discuss the church and mission, and also ask if there can ever be forgiveness without repentance.

Nigel Biggar, Regius Professor of Moral and Pastoral Theology at the University of Oxford, joins the GodPod team this week. How might Christians approach debates about ethical issues, such as euthanasia and abortion, in the public square? And what about the place of forgiveness and reconciliation between communities in troubled areas like Northern Ireland?

Paul Woolley, Director of Christian think tank Theos, joins Graham and Mike to discuss the place of religion in secular society and matters of environmental and medical ethics. They consider the growth of the global church, as well as the privatisation of faith in the context of secular humanism and world religions. How should Christians be involved in the political sphere and the criminal justice system? And how does what we believe about life after death influence what we think about cremation or burial practices, the donation of organs to medical science, and our stewardship of the environment?

Nick Spencer, Director of Studies at the Christian think tank Theos, joins Graham, Mike and Jane to debate the ethics of Christian approaches to immigration and military conflict.