How to Do Good and Avoid Evil: A Global Ethic from the Sources of Judaism » (New Edition)

Explore how the principles of a global ethic can be found in Judaism and how they can provide the ethical norms for all religions to work together toward a more peaceful humankind.

In 1993, the Parliament of the World's Religions endorsed the "Declaration toward a Global Ethic" composed by Hans Kung. In it, representatives from all the world's religions agreed on principles for a global ethic and committed themselves to directives of nonviolence, respect for life, solidarity, a just economic order, tolerance, and equal rights and partnership between men and women. But the declaration was just the first step.

In this impressive volume, Hans Kung, probably the most famous living Roman Catholic theologian, and Rabbi Walter Homolka, head of Germany's Abraham Geiger rabbinical seminary and distinguished professor, draw on the Jewish tradition to show the riches that Judaism can offer people of all faiths and nonbelievers in achieving these directives.

Presenting key sacred texts and theological writings, the authors make the case for binding values and basic moral attitudes that can be found in Judaism's universal message of a better world. Exploring Judaism's focus on ethical conduct over declarations of faith, the authors show that making ethical decisions is indispensable in an ever-changing world.

Publishers Weekly

After years of investigating whether basic ethical principles are shared by all people, Küng, a leading Catholic theologian, brought to the World Parliament of Religions in 1993 the issue of ethical universality. The parliament endorsed a “Declaration Toward a Global Ethic,” which is reprinted at the end of this book. Küng recognized the centrality of ethics in Judaism and worked with Homolka, a Jewish scholar and head of a Jewish seminary in Germany, to demonstrate how Jewish tradition contributes to worldwide values. Six core ethics are identified: the value of the human being; the golden rule; peace; justice; truth and tolerance; equal rights between men and women. For each one, quotations from Jewish sources are presented. The result is a potpourri that shows the authors' diligence in selecting useful references while also demonstrating that stringing together loosely connected citations falls short of creative scholarship. (Sept.)

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction Walter Homolka 1

Judaism and a Global Ethic Hans Küng 7

Judaism's Universal Gift: An Ethic for Humankind Walter Homolka 19

Core Ethic 1 The value of the human: every human being must be treated humanely.

Sacred Image of Man Abraham J. Heschel 43

Primary Sources 50

Core Ethic 2 The golden rule: do not do to another what you would not want to be done to you.

Love of Neighbor Samson Hochfeld 65

Primary Sources 69

Core Ethic 3 Peace: commitment to a culture of nonviolence and reverence for all life.

The Tent of Peace Hermann Cohen 85

Primary Sources 89

Core Ethic 4 Justice: Commitment to a culture of justice and a just economic order.

Public Prosperity Salomo Samuel 103

Primary Sources 107

Core Ethic 5 Truth and Tolerance: commitment to a culture of tolerance and a life in truthfulness.

Truthfulness Leo Baeck 125

Primary Sources 129

Core Ethic 6 Equal Rights: Commitment to a culture of equal rights and a partnership between men and women.

Standing Again at Sinai Judith Plaskow 143

Primary Sources 147

Afterword: A Vision of Hope

Religious Peace and a Global Ethic Hans Küng 163

Declaration toward a Global Ethic: Council of the Parliament of the World's Religions, Chicago, September 1993 167

Glossary 185

Sources 187

Notes 189

Credits 201