Ken Magnuson. Invitation to Christian Ethics: Moral Reasoning and Contemporary Issues. 544p., $44.99, Kregel Academic.

Invitation to Christian Ethics is an indispensable guide for helping pastors, counselors, and everyday Christians navigate today’s difficult moral questions. Readers will benefit from Ken Magnuson’s survey of ethics from a biblical perspective as well as contemporary theories of moral reasoning. This survey is followed by twelve chapters devoted to some of the thorniest issues Christians encounter today, such as:

• Sexuality, including homosexuality, sexual identity, and gender
• Marriage and divorce
• Infertility and assisted reproductive technologies
• Abortion
• Physician-assisted suicide
• Race relations
• Creation care
• Capital punishment
• Just war, pacifism, and the use of lethal force

Magnuson provides biblical insight into each topic and presents key moral considerations. He also answers specific, practical questions that arise and concludes with a summary of his recommended approach to each issue. Readers will learn how to grapple with difficult moral questions and will receive guidance for some of life’s most challenging ethical conundrums.