the too-tender trappings of christianity is something i always fall back on from time to time. i am, unfortunately, a perennial atheist; but the religion that has so pervaded my childhood haunts me now, in these later years, in moments when i least expect it.

this book is a perfect encapsulation of christian thought and belief in regards to the construction of morality—or, perhaps, more accurately: the characterisation of christian ethics. it offers so much theological nuance that it’s almost a treasure trove, as well as being liturgically rich and brimming with christian doctrine and dogma.

the essays are written beautifully. there’s something about reading the redemptive power of the saviour that just hits that sweet spot for me: it’s a bygone promise that i look at still with some fondness. yet, with the promise of salvation, too, comes the burden of responsibility—as well as endless iterations about how we, always and unfailingly, fall short of Perfection.

in sum: all these writers—and they are all very accomplished, intelligent people—have elaborated on the idea of a christian ethics much more eloquently than i could ever hope for. though different in perspectives, there is one shining moment of clarity that i received while reading this that makes me almost feel as if perhaps they’ve already stumbled on a great Truth that i unfortunately have yet to find. still, even as an outsider looking in, there is beauty still in their words and in their way of thinking. i am grateful that i had the chance to spend some time with them, even if only for a little while.