WHO SETS THE STANDARDS?

Behavior, Society, and the Church

Haskell M. Miller

During this time of shifting values and great change, society is inundated by a flood of behaviors that ranges from the merely nontraditional, to the socially disapproved, to the destructive. Sletconfused by this and desperately needs guidance and tak from the Christian church-help that the church s-prepared to give. This volume examines the reasons His inadequacy on the part of the church and seeks ways in ich to overcome it.

Haskell Miller believes the church must be more than a conserver of values; the church shouk help people funétion creatively as valuers. Rather than censure humans for their failures and wrongdoings as defined in terms of traditiat have evolved from other cultural contexts, the churchild encourage and assist people in the struggle to knie is best for them in the present context.

This does not imply a disregard of values de from scriptural and cultural traditions, but it requires consideration of them in the dynamics of ongoing value responsibility Cre ative faith in the living, creator od makes it necessary that traditions be supplemented by reason and experience.

HASKELL M. MILLER is Professor Emeritus of Sociology and Social Ethics at Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington