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From Flanders Fields to the Moviegoer
Philosophical Foundations for a Transcendent Ethical Framework
Imprint: Wipf and Stock
How do educators, clergy, attorneys, and the concerned public come to terms with meaningful, workable ethics in an age that eschews any attempt to define truth and error? Michael A. Milton has addressed that question in the new monograph, From Flanders Field to the Moviegoer: Philosophical Foundations for a Transcendent Ethical Framework. Milton draws on English literature, sociology, history, public policy, and theology to mark milestones in the cultural journey from the philosophical crisis after World War I, the end of modernity and the introduction of the "theater of the absurd" in post-modernity. Rather than merely a survey, this monograph proposes a "way forward" in teaching metaphysical ethics. Originally given as a paper before American and British defense leaders in Washington, DC, Milton's original paper is now expanded for use in undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate classrooms, as well as libraries and professional military education.
Michael A. Milton is the Provost and James H. Ragsdale Chair of Missions and Evangelism at Erskine Theological Seminary. The former Chancellor-President of Reformed Seminary, Milton is an ordained Presbyterian minister (PCA, ARP) and served as senior minister of the historic First Presbyterian Church, Chattanooga, and planted three churches in Kansas, Georgia, and North Carolina, as well as founded a preparatory academy in the Kansas City area. Milton is a retired chaplain (colonel) in the US Army after thirty-two years of service. Among other duties, Milton educated military officers in ethics and related subjects at the Army Chaplain School. Mike and his wife, Mae, reside in North Carolina.
“From Flanders Fields to the Moviegoer is a history of philosophical ethics between the world wars and down to the present. It focuses on the teaching of ethics in the military, with which Milton is especially familiar. . . . I learned much from his descriptions and evaluations. I hope this book gains a broad readership.”
—John M. Frame, Professor Emeritus of Systematic Theology and Philosophy, Reformed Theological Seminary
“Dr. Michael Milton offers a thoughtful, historical, and logical solution for some major challenges of the twenty-first-century military: suicides are increasing, PTSD is wanton, and modern ‘philosophies’ are not helping battle-scarred warriors. His proposal to return to a ‘transcendent ethic’ is convincingly ‘on target.’”
—Douglas E. Lee, Chaplain, Brigadier General, US Army (retired); executive director, Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty
“In the end, Milton has successfully pulled from his entire, distinguished career in the academy, church, and military to provide a concise but profound framework to answer the deep ethical questions facing today’s military service members—a bright ray of hope for those facing the dark challenges and memories of war.”
—Scott Manor, President and Associate Professor of Historical Theology, Knox Seminary