Different Eyes by Steve Chalke and Alan Mann is an awesome must read for anyone who is interested in Christian ethics. Rather than write a book which argues a position on an ethical topic and tries to convince the reader that this is what they should believe, Chalke and Mann write in a way that should inspire the reader to try and live differently in the world, or as they say live beautifully. There are no answers on what is right in this book. There are however, many suggestions on how the Christian life is to be lived, which should help you make the "big" ethical decisions.The book is made up of four parts. The first two sections work on explaining what it means to live beautifully in the world and laying out the foundation for us in what God has done and how God has worked in the world. At the end of each part there are two letters written by people on opposing sides of an ethical issue with some discussion questions at the end. Chalke and Mann never come out and take a clear position on any issue (although I think that for most of them you can guess what they think). This may be frustrating for some readers, but I found it refreshing. This would be a great book for discussing in small groups, Sunday school, or with some friends in a coffee shop.
Part way through reading the book I had to stop and find our what theological stream these guys were writing from, I honestly thought that they might be Anabaptists, *sigh* this is not the case, but there are certainly some similarities to be found.
If you are looking for a scholarly work on Christian ethics, this is not the book for you. However, if you are looking for something that is short, easy to read, and a great way to start thinking about ethics than this book is a must read.
If you are interested just click HERE for a sample chapter.
(A free copy was given to me by Zondervan for the purpose of reviewing. I was under no obligation to write a positive review... The book just kicked butt)
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