Category Archives: Ethics

The Virtue of Wisdom

Posted on February 4, 2012 by Jim Spiegel

An exciting new book has recently been released.  It is entitled Being Good: Christian Virtues for Everyday Life (Eerdmans), edited by Michael Austin and Douglas Geivett.  The book features chapters on eleven different virtues—faith, open-mindedness, wisdom, zeal, hope, contentment, courage, … Continue reading →

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Is God a Moral Monster?—A Book Review

Posted on August 19, 2011 by Jim Spiegel

Anyone familiar with the writings of the new atheists is aware of their penchant for taking potshots at Old Testament ethics.  Their moral objections target such things as:  (1) God’s desire to be worshipped, (2) God’s preferential treatment of the … Continue reading →

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Taylor University: Central States Region Ethics Bowl Champions!

Posted on November 11, 2010 by Jim Spiegel

For the last ten years I have had the privilege and joy of coaching the Taylor University Ethics Bowl team.  Ethics Bowl is an intercollegiate debate competition focusing on moral issues.  Each Fall semester teams are given fifteen cases dealing … Continue reading →

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Homosexuality, State Dogma, and the Censoring of Christians

Posted on July 31, 2010 by Jim Spiegel

A lot of attention is being given to two recent legal cases regarding Christian counseling students who are being censored because of their views on homosexuality.  Last week a federal court upheld Eastern Michigan University’s expulsion of Julea Ward, a … Continue reading →

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Evidence for an Innate Moral Sense?

Posted on May 15, 2010 by Jim Spiegel

In the book of Romans the Apostle Paul writes, “when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since … Continue reading →

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Why Illegal Drug Use is Immoral

Posted on April 21, 2010 by Jim Spiegel

From time to time I am approached by students who have sincere questions about why illegal drug use is wrong.  They come to me, I suppose, because I sometimes mention in class that in my pre-Christian days (now over thirty … Continue reading →

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God Judges Animals?

Posted on March 13, 2010 by Jim Spiegel

Amy and I have practiced what we call a “cruelty-free diet” for more than a decade.  We do this out of a conviction that it’s the least we can do to avoid moral complicity with the factory farming system in our … Continue reading →

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The Discipline of Fasting

Posted on September 23, 2009 by Jim Spiegel

Recent years have seen a significant increase of interest among evangelicals in spiritual formation.  Authors such as Richard Foster, Dallas Willard, and John Ortberg have led the way in reminding us that personal sanctification is not properly a passive affair.  … Continue reading →

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Midlife, Mortality, and Faith

Posted on August 13, 2009 by Jim Spiegel

I recently turned 46, which happens to be the average age of onset of midlife crises for American men.  As for signs of this event in my own life, so far so good.  I haven’t experienced any sudden impulses to … Continue reading →

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The Devil’s in the Details

Posted on April 4, 2009 by Amy Spiegel

Greetings from Asia!  Bailey and I are visiting my sister and her family who work at an international school in Taichung, Taiwan. This is Bailey’s first international experience and it has been interesting to watch him processing the sights, sounds, … Continue reading →

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