Welcome

Name: Welcome
Price: 44.99 AUD
Availability: PreOrder
ISBN: 9798881808723

Patterns of the Moral Life

Dr. Lois Shepherd, Dr. Margaret E. Mohrmann

$44.99

Paperback

Forthcoming
Pre-Order now

QTY:

English

Bloomsbury Academic
19 March 2026

Ethics & moral philosophy; Religious ethics; Medical ethics & professional conduct

Welcome: Patterns of the Moral Life proposes a transformative concept that places the act of welcoming at the core of ethical living and human flourishing. This radical approach asserts that welcome is not merely a virtue or an act of kindness, but the foundational practice from which all other ethical behaviors arise. Through this lens, welcome becomes the primary orientation through which individuals and communities can achieve a harmonious and just society.

The authors contend that being a welcoming person involves a deep, ongoing moral commitment that impacts every interaction and relationship. This obligation is mutual, extending to everyone in all settings, from healthcare environments to everyday social encounters. Welcome, they assert, is not only intertwined with responsibility but precedes it, providing the necessary openness to understand and fulfill our ethical obligations.

The book's structure reflects its content, offering a series of “patterns”—interconnected stories, reflections, and practical examples—rather than a linear argument. These patterns illustrate how welcome influences human interaction, showing both its positive effects when present and the harm that results from its absence. Through this exploration, the authors encourage readers to embrace welcome in all aspects of life, suggesting that this practice is essential for creating inclusive, thriving communities.

Drawing on rich personal experiences in law, medicine, and theology, the authors ground their discussion in real-world stories and case studies—including the case of an Australian couple living near a cliff who have saved over 500 suicidal people from jumping to their death—where the stakes of welcome are high. Welcome is both a practical guide and an introduction to a new way of understanding the world, inviting readers to engage in the ongoing, dynamic process of becoming more welcoming and, by extension, more ethical in their everyday lives.

By: Dr. Lois Shepherd, Dr. Margaret E. Mohrmann
Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 226mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 18mm
Weight: 420g
ISBN: 9798881808723
Pages: 272
Publication Date: 19 March 2026
Audience: College/higher education , Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Welcome to this Book Part I – What Welcome Is 1. Radical openness 2. Responding rather than reacting 3. Action 4. Step into the room 5. Stay awhile 6. Invite the other person in 7. Everyone is at home 8. Welcoming ourselves Part II – Paying Attention 9. See a human being 10. See this human being 11. Who is this person right now? 12. Empathy is not enough 13. Everything about a person matters Part III – Things we can do 14. Practice, practice, practice 15. Reconsider, again and again 16. Let people tell you who they are 17. Pay attention to names 18. Come as you are 19. Let others come as they are 20. Check your agenda 21. Worry less about being manipulated 22. Put a pause in the routine 23. Put people before principles 24. Help others welcome you Part IV – How far do we have to go? 25. Welcome can be costly 26. Managing aversions: 27. No one is unworthy of being welcomed 28. Making choices 29. If not me, then who? 30. A fundamental view of the world Conclusion: Step into the Welcoming World

Lois Shepherd, JD, is Wallenborn Professor of Biomedical Ethics and professor of Law and Public Health Sciences at the University of Virginia. She is the co-author of Bioethics and the Law, now in its fifth edition, among other books. Margaret Mohrmann, MD, PhD, is Professor Emerita of Pediatrics, Medical Education, and Religious Studies at the University of Virginia. She is the author of Attending Children: A Doctor’s Education among other books.

Reviews for Welcome: Patterns of the Moral Life

With their new book Welcome, Lois Shepherd and Margaret Mohrmann provide an original and important contribution to the field of ethics, and indeed, to human relationships generally. Rather than a theory with examples, they describe welcoming with rich illustrations that make this experience come alive, even in difficult interactions. Altogether, a masterful work of exceptional value. -- Larry R. Churchill * Stahlman Professor of Medical Ethics Emeritus, Vanderbilt University *