Addictive disorders are characterised by a division of the will, in which the addict is attracted both by a desire to continue the addictive behaviour and also by a desire to stop it. Academic perspectives on this predicament usually come from clinical and scientific standpoints, with the 'moral model' rejected as outmoded. But Christian theology has a long history of thinking and writing on such problems and offers insights which are helpful to scientific and ethical reflection upon the nature of addiction. Chris Cook reviews Christian theological and ethical reflection upon the problems of alcohol use and misuse, from biblical times until the present day. Drawing particularly upon the writings of St Paul the Apostle and Augustine of Hippo, a critical theological model of addiction is developed. Alcohol dependence is also viewed in the broader ethical perspective of the use and misuse of alcohol within communities.
- Presents a critical theological model of addiction
- Engages seriously with both scientific and theological literature on the subject
- Contrasts the ethical challenges of alcohol use and misuse to individuals and society
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Reviews & endorsements
Review of the hardback: 'With moral theologian, doctor, and then policy maker in mind, this book goes a good distance in making plausible how addiction can be better understood when the natural social sciences' are brought together with theology.' Studies in Christian Ethics
Review of the hardback: 'The author, psychiatrist and Anglican priest Christopher Cook, indeed succeeds in illuminating this contribution in a scholarly, thorough, and readable light.' Journal of Addictive Diseases
Review of the hardback: '… the extra work required for non-theologians to engage fully with this book pays off in richer understanding of how the world's largest religion continues to grapple with one of the world's greatest public health challenges.' Addiction
Review of the hardback: 'This is an entirely praiseworthy attempt by Chris Cook to open the ethical debates on alcohol questions amongst Christians after many years of embarrassed silence.' A Theology of the Use and Misuse of Alcohol
Review of the hardback: '[Christopher Cook's] expertise with both theology and addiction psychiatry is reflected in this well-argued work, combining up-to-date psychiatry and public health with theology built on Biblical and patristic foundations.' The British Journal of Psychiatry
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Product details
- Date Published: December 2008
- format: Paperback
- isbn: 9780521091343
- length: 236 pages
- dimensions: 229 x 152 x 14 mm
- weight: 0.35kg
- availability: Available
Table of Contents
Preface
1. Alcohol, addiction and Christian ethics: introduction
2. An addiction in context: the use, misuse and harmful use of alcohol
3. Drunkenness as vice in the New Testament
4. Drunkenness as intemperance: Augustine, Aquinas, Luther and Whitefield
5. Temperance redefined: the nineteenth century temperance movement
6. Addiction as sin and syndrome: the divided self
7. Alcohol, addiction and Christian ethics
8. Conclusions.
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Author
Christopher C. H. Cook, University of Durham
Chris Cook is chaplain of St Chad's College Durham and Professorial Research Fellow in the Department of Theology and Religion, Durham University. He is co-author of Treatment of Drinking Problems, 4th Edition (2003).