How to Do Good and Avoid Evil: A Global Ethic from the Sources of Judaism

In 1993, the World Parliament of Religions endorsed the "Declaration towards a Global Ethic" composed by Hans Küng. In it, representatives from all the world's religions agreed on principles for a global ethic and committed themselves to directives of non-violence, 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 HOW TO DO GOOD AND AVOID EVIL, Küng, probably the most famous living Roman Catholic theologian, and Rabbi Walter Homolka, head of Germany's rabbinical seminary and distinguished professor, draw on the Jewish tradition to show the riches that Judaism can offer people of all faiths and non-believers in achieving these directives. The authors make the case for binding values and basic moral attitudes, which can be found in Judaism's universal message of a better world where actions speak louder than words. 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.