Finding and Seeking

Finding and Seeking completes Oliver O'Donovan's monumental Ethics as Theology project, following Self, World, and Time by turning from the foundations of moral thought to the practice of moral reasoning itself. Where the first volume established how Christian existence unfolds through time in relationship to God, world, and neighbor, this second volume addresses how believers actually think through moral questions when abstract principles meet concrete situations. O'Donovan wrote against the backdrop of contemporary moral philosophy's fragmentation, seeking to demonstrate that theological ethics offers resources for coherent practical reasoning that secular approaches lack.

The work's central argument is that moral reasoning is fundamentally a matter of finding and seeking—discovering the good that God has already established in creation and redemption, while actively pursuing how that good applies to particular circumstances. O'Donovan develops this through careful attention to how Scripture, tradition, and natural law function together in moral discernment. He argues that moral reasoning is neither purely deductive application of universal principles nor mere contextual improvisation, but rather a disciplined practice of attending to God's purposes as they become visible through patient engagement with both revelation and creation. The book demonstrates this approach through sustained engagement with questions of political authority, economic justice, and the ethics of war, showing how theological reasoning can navigate between legalism and antinomianism.

This volume has secured O'Donovan's reputation as one of the most sophisticated Christian ethicists of his generation, offering a systematic alternative to both fundamentalist moralism and liberal situationism. The work stands as essential reading for anyone seeking to understand how Christian moral reasoning actually works in practice, particularly those engaged in pastoral care, public theology, or academic ethics who need resources for thinking through complex moral questions without abandoning theological commitments.