In the Christian life, we can fear the prospect of “simply going through the motions.” If I don’t feel this emotion (and feel it intensely), then perhaps my worship is false, or my service is suspect. Immersed in a culture that treats our immediate feelings as our ultimate existential index, we are tempted to a kind of emotional legalism.
And, yes, sometimes our feelings do rejoice in the reality of God. But, of course, sometimes they do not.
When they do not, we press on, trusting that obedient actions foster an obedient heart. Strictly speaking, there is no such thing as simply going through the motions. Every act forms us (our feelings included). Indeed, years of faithful actions develop the dispositions, habitual patterns of behavior, and excellencies of character that the Christian tradition calls virtues.
However, when it comes to the virtues, we have forgotten the treasures of past moral reflection. Alasdair MacIntyre pointed this out decades ago in his landmark “After Virtue,” and, largely because of his efforts, each passing year sees more works aimed to make us remember the rich tradition that we have lost.
Alan Noble, an associate professor of English at Oklahoma Baptist University, offers his own contribution to this encouraging trend with his new book, “To Live Well: Practical Wisdom for Moving through Chaotic Times” (InterVarsity, 2026).
Noble has distinguished himself as an astute interpreter of contemporary culture and the expressive individualism in which we swim. And so, we would expect him to exercise special insight in applying the ancient medicine of the virtues to our distinctly modern maladies. In this book, Noble does just that, showing that our full humanity, with all its many aspects, must seek the “cultivated habits” that foster true flourishing (pg. 7).
Varied Voices and the Virtues
Noble’s introduction points us to the importance of the virtues. Demands for morality confront us everywhere in our society, but guiding notions like “justice” and “love” remain slippery, contested, and ever-changing concepts. Yes, be moral, but how and why?
What we need, argues Noble, is an ethical framework that unites all the many parts of our life into a coherent whole. We must remember that we have a telos, an ultimate end and purpose. Humans were made to glorify and enjoy God. The good life is the human existence directed at this aim. The virtues (the excellences of character formed gradually by obedient actions) guide us as we seek God’s glory in all of life. Through virtue formation, enabled by the Holy Spirit, we become a people capable of this telos.
Toward that end, Noble focuses on the four cardinal virtues (prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance) and the three theological virtues (faith, hope, and love). Along the way, he draws most deeply from the work of the Roman Catholic philosopher Josef Pieper. While Noble’s Presbyterian convictions cause him to veer from some of Pieper’s commitments in his exploration of the theological virtues, Noble traces well the common contours of this tried-and-true tradition that is the heritage of all Christians.
The Practice of Prudence
Noble devotes a chapter to each of these seven virtues. Examining his treatment of prudence, gives us a representative view of the whole.
Noble aptly titles his chapter on prudence “Choosing Decisively.” Never before have so many life choices been set before us. We confront what seems an endless roster of possibilities for education, vocation, friendships, marriage, and the like. That alone would be reason for intense indecision, but this overwhelming assortment of choices is coupled with a newfound existential weight. That is, you must make the very best decisions in all these areas because you (and you alone) must supply your life with its purpose, meaning, and significance. Choose wrongly (or at least sub-optimally), and everything is shot.
However, the virtue of prudence relieves this pressure. Prudence pushes us to see both ourselves and the world rightly, a process of discernment that is cultivated through Scripture, church, and community. This right knowledge enables us to pursue good actions aimed at good goals that resonate with our personal contexts and competencies.
Noble writes, “To make prudent (and therefore virtuous) decisions in life, you must accurately assess situations, make a choice based on what is the good, and choose means to achieve the good end, which are themselves good” (pg. 18).
Once we make a decision, prudence calls us to stand by it, refusing the temptation to constantly look over our shoulders at countless other options. Choosing in this way, again and again, develops the virtue of prudence. In a world of endless possibilities, we become a people of learned commitment and contentment. We rest in our resolutions knowing that God has called us to make wise (and not perfect) decisions aimed at the good life that Christ has made possible.
But what does this look like in practice? Noble closes his chapters with sections that apply each of the virtues to the many questions of everyday life. For instance, he leads readers through the practice of prudently choosing a job. One might, for example, have competencies that resonate with a particular career, but that profession may neither enable nor aim at what is good. One might expertly program software (a good means) for online gambling (a bad end). And so, when considering this or that job, Noble supplies us four questions to ask ourselves in this order:
- Is this good for my neighbor and honoring to God?
- Can I support myself on this salary?
- Am I gifted in the skills necessary for this job?
- Will this job bring me deep, meaningful satisfaction? (p. 31)
Perhaps our present jobs allow us to answer only the first two questions in the affirmative. Nonetheless, we are doing good and prudently providing for those in our care. Even more, such work will daily craft us, our feelings included, into people who better love God and neighbor.
Wise Words
Given our ethical amnesia concerning the virtues, “To Live Well” would benefit from a more thorough introduction to these habitual patterns of behavior. For many readers, this text may be their first foray into the virtue tradition, and additional explanation would likely aid their efforts.
All the same, one would be hard-pressed to find a book that better presents the classical Christian virtues in ways rife with cultural commentary and rich in application. This combination makes Noble’s work readily accessible to the local church and especially (though not exclusively) pertinent to young persons on the brink of big decisions. One sees Noble’s years of mentoring college students shine throughout each chapter. And so, as we seek to become a virtuous people, we would do well to heed Noble’s words of wisdom.
Will Bankston serves as the pastor of One Ancient Hope Presbyterian Church in Iowa City, Iowa.