The role of agape in Christian ethics has been a major concern for twentieth century ethicists. In America, the dominant ethical position has stressed other-regard--often pressed to the point of significant personal sacrifice--as the content of agape. Feminist ethicists are now criticizing an exclusive emphasis on other-regard. They are stressing the need for a healthy self-regard and hence they are exploring mutuality as the most appropriate image of Christian love.

Essays discuss the division of household labor, anti-semitism, violence against women, reproductive freedom, parenting, friendship between women, and feminist theology.

Clerical workers are an important segment of the work force. Catholic social teachings and eucharistic practice shed useful morallight on the increase in contingent work arrangements among clerical workers. The venerable concept of “the universal destination of the goods of creation” and a newer understanding of technology as “a shared workbench” illuminate the importance of good jobs for clerical workers. However, in order to apply Catholic social teachings to issues concerning clerical work as women’s work, sexist elements in traditional Catholic (...) social teachings must be critically assessed. Participation in the Eucharist helps share a moral stance of inclusivity and sensitivity to forms of social marginalization. While actual practice fails fully to embody gender or racial inclusivity, participation in the inclusive table fellowship of the Eucharist should make business leaders question treating contingent workers as a peripheral work force. (shrink)

Intellectual property rights present an increasingly important challenge to social ethicists. An analysis of ethical issues raised by TRIPS—the international agreement protecting intellectual property rights—can illuminate an insufficiently acknowledged shift in Catholic thought about property rights. Vatican statements on AIDS drugs are one example of how intellectual property policies can be held accountable to the "option for the poor" and the common good.

Work is purposeful human activity oriented toward a useful outcome, particularly, but not exclusively, activity directed toward the satisfaction of human needs. It is distinguished from leisure, which encompasses human activity undertaken primarily for enjoyment or relaxation. Work includes both wage labor and uncompensated activities that, nevertheless, provide human beings with useful goods and services. Nurturing labor – sustaining the lives of children and preparing them for mature participation in society – is work, too.

THE CREATION OF FAMILY-FRIENDLY DEPARTMENTS IS A JUSTICE ISSUE affecting primary caregivers and their dependents as well as the academic profession as a whole. This essay asks: "How do conflicts between work and family care affect the profession, the Society of Christian Ethics, and ultimately scholarship in ethics?".

"The Journal of Religious Ethics " subscribes to a triple mission of publishing work in theoretical, historical, and comparative areas of religious ethics. Social ethics has not been an explicit feature of this publication profile and so was not a subject of comment in Ronald Green's RSR review of the journal. Whether the JRE can and should do more in the area of social ethics is the subject of consideration in this evaluative essay. After reviewing the JRE's performance in the (...) domain of social ethics, noting both what is and is not to be found in these pages, the author reflects that the JRE is well placed to provide unity for a fragmented field, comparative treatments of divisive issues in a pluralistic culture, and leadership in social ethics considered as public discourse. (shrink)