What are we willing to sacrifice for the welfare of others? Can we face the suffering we have both given and received? Is there room for mercy in the heart of justice? These and other questions related to the moral depth and ethical inclination of the human condition are explored in the twelve original short stories that complete this book.

Morality Stories encompasses personal, social and criminal justice themes and dilemmas, such as Death Row, homelessness and prejudice. In each story, persons are judged as much by the good they omitted to do as by the bad actions they chose to carry out. Acknowledging regrets, expressing remorse and accepting responsibility are demonstrated in many of the stories as a means of moving toward moral courage and decision-making.

This new edition includes six new stories with discussion questions which address such themes as the politics of justice and drug abuse in a personal context; a crisis of cultural differences along the Mexican border; the restorative possibilities for an older ex-con; the politics of war; and the consequences of telling the truth.

"Morality Stories holds a real fascination for persons concerned with good and evil. The book’s moral is translucent: ‘An evil act doesn’t necessarily make a person who committed it evil, . . . .'”
— Gilbert Geis, University of California at Irvine, on the first edition