Our collection of EWP Talks on Ethics will help your students explore the way we strive to live as followers of Jesus, and what we hope for – and will work for – when it comes to economic systems and practices. Perhaps the toughest part, these talks will help convey why we want what we do in those areas. Real human flourishing is productive but also relational, intrinsically good and responsive to human needs, setting high standards but working to repair what is broken rather than destroy it.
This semester, consider assigning your students a talk from our growing library!
Because all fields in theological education speak into ethics and human flourishing, talks from this list have an especially wide range of relevance – theology, biblical studies, pastoral leadership, cultural studies and more have to think about these critical questions. (And, of course, in addition to our Ethics playlist, we also have collections of talks on Theology, New Testament, Old Testament, Culture, Spiritual Formation, Pastoral Leadership and History.)
Here’s a closer look at some of the talks in our Ethics collection:
Andy Crouch | A Pruned Life: Isaiah’s Posterity Gospel
Drawing on Isaiah 5, Andy Crouch speaks about the challenge of separating real flourishing from mere material prosperity in the midst of economic growth and technological innovation. In a world of instant gratification, what is of lasting importance?
Consider assigning in: Culture, Ethics, Spiritual Formation, Old Testament
Joshua Jipp | Jesus the Economic Teacher
In this highly personal talk, Joshua Jipp of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School shares stories of his grandfather on the Iowa farm where he grew up. Grandpa Wayne had absorbed key economic teachings from Jesus, prioritizing contentment, productivity and community.
Consider assigning in: New Testament, Ethics
Christopher Brooks | Rethinking Urban Poverty: Context, Data and Collaboration
Christopher Brooks of Moody Theological Seminary, merging theology with his pastoral experience in Detroit, argues that poverty need not be permanent; the truth of the gospel and the imperatives of discipleship demand constructive solutions to poverty.
Consider assigning in: Pastoral Leadership, Ethics, Culture
Keith Reeves | Family and Opportunity in the Law and the Prophets
Keith Reeves of Azusa-Pacific University describes the connection between the household, family structure, land ownership and economic opportunity in the Old Testament law and prophets, and how these connections apply today.
Consider assigning in: Old Testament, Ethics, History
Chris Armstrong | “Vocation? Whatever!” From Work/Life Balance to a Seamless Life
Chris Armstrong of Wheaton College evokes key moments from church history, and from his personal history of struggle with attitudes about rest, home and work, to offer a compelling vision for why a theology of vocation must be central to the life of faith.
Consider assigning in: Ethics, Spiritual Formation, History
Tom Nelson | If We Would Be Faithful: Fruitfulness Matters
Made to Flourish President Tom Nelson speaks on the integral relationship between faithfulness and fruitfulness, reviewing passages including the Genesis creation account, Proverbs 31 and the teachings of Jesus.
Consider assigning in: Spiritual Formation, Pastoral leadership, Theology, Old Testament, New Testament, Ethics
And Many More:
Anthony Bradley | Christian Personalism: How to Preach a Public Faith without Making Atheists
Darrell Bock | Luke and Money: Surrendering into Stewardship
Eric Tully | Proverbs and Money: You’re Not Playing Monopoly
Bruce Fields | A Humble Dignity: Striving in His Image Is Flourishing
Chris Armstrong | God’s People, Christ’s Body, Spirit’s Temple: Being a Sacred Church
Vincent Bacote | Sending Disciples to a Pluralistic World: Imagination, Hospitality and Hope
Mark Roberts | All Good Work: Creation and Parenthood
W. Bradford Wilcox | The Ball and Chain Myth: Marriage and Sacrifice
Check out these talks and those in our other topical areas – it’s always a good time to point your students to good resources on these challenging issues!
