You could say that Timothy J. Geddert, Professor of New Testament at MB Biblical Seminary's campus in Fresno, California, has been working on his newest book for twenty years. All Right Now: finding consensus on ethical questions, published this summer by Herald Press, reflects the work Geddert has done in the areas of biblical interpretation, the nature of the church, and ethics. Throughout two decades of teaching and conducting seminars for churches and associations, Geddert says these are the three most commonly requested themes, and his newest book deals with all of them.
In the preface to his book, Geddert states, "This book aims to offer concrete help to Christian communities as they struggle with ethical questions and try to determine appropriate ethical guidelines." Divided into three parts – Basics, Examples, and Attitudes – the book begins by discussing an approach to the biblical text and the implications that has for developing a biblical ethic. Geddert's primary focus in this book is to encourage congregations to work out their ethics together by turning first to the Word of God.
Although the title includes the phrase "finding consensus," Geddert does not attempt to set forth "right" answers to ethical questions; he endeavors instead to set forth methods of biblical interpretation and discussion that will give practical help to groups dealing with today's contemporary ethical issues. He says that, "when discussing ethical issues, we need to pay careful attention to our hermeneutics (how we use the Bible) AND to our ecclesiology (what role the church plays in this and how it does that)."
All Right Now was first published in German by Neufeld Verlag in 2004. The English version has slightly different chapters and includes a final section entitled "Bottom Lines" which is not in the German translation. Geddert also made several minor changes to engage a North American audience more effectively. The book is written for a wide audience and is conversational in tone and style. Each chapter has discussion questions and further reading suggestions, making the book appropriate for personal study or group discussion.
MB Biblical Seminary celebrated the publication of All Right Now, on September 3 in their chapel service. The book is available directly from Tim Geddert. Copies can also be purchased through Herald Press.