Review by Choice Review
Also author of Biomedical Research and Beyond (CH, Dec'08, 46-2128), Tollefsen (philosophy, Univ. of South Carolina) explores whether it is ever permissible for Christians to lie. He argues that it is never permissible, because honest communication is necessary for social order and Christians must be counted on as trustworthy, as offering the "absolute view." Tollefesen defines lying in the opening chapter and then moves into theological arguments against lying in Augustine and Aquinas. He refutes those who have argued that Christians can lie in certain circumstances--early Christian monk and theologian John Cassian, Protestant thinkers Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Reinhold Niebuhr. Tollefesen then turns explicitly to Catholic moral theology--appealing specifically to John Paul II's encyclical Veritatis Splendor ("The Splendor of Truth") to argue for moral absolutes--in so doing making his case less convincing to the non-Catholic. He goes on to argue that Christians can use "deceptive" strategies, such as omissions or saying truthful things in a way that would lead a hearer to make false assumptions or draw false conclusions. Though this last argument does not convince this reviewer, overall the book offers a serious and sustained theological look at the real consequences of lying from the viewpoint of Catholic moral theology. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates; graduate students. --Aaron Wesley Klink, Duke University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
