Like most community leaders, clergy are constantly asked to make decisions that have far-reaching effects. For clergy, the matter is particularly complicated because of the many arenas in which they operate--counseling, church management, community affairs, ecumenical relationships, denominational politics, and others.

In Pastoral Ethics, Gaylord Noyce looks at clergy as professionals, and shows what can be learned from the professional ethics of other disciplines. He also demonstrates the special responsibilities (and opportunities) that affect those who are ordained. A...