[2][3] The book is noted for its critical stance on the development of Christian theological doctrines and its advocacy for a rational, coherent ethical framework.

The book was developed during his time at McGill University, influenced by scholars such as Wilfred Cantwell Smith and Stanley Brice Frost.

[2][3] He believed that reason was the primary basis for academic dialogue, which led him to affirm Islamic principles, and saw ethics as a suitable area for this discussion.

[7] Al-Faruqi's critique includes an argument that Christianity evolved away from Jesus' original teachings, incorporating various influences that he considered corruptive.

Al-Faruqi discusses Hebrew racialism, the political and social circumstances of Jesus' time, and the ethical norms prevalent among the Jewish people.

[1] He argues that the idea of original sin is in direct contradiction to Jesus' teachings, which emphasized that ethical worth is a function of the conscious self's will alone.

Despite his appreciation for the phenomenological method, al-Faruqi advocates for the use of value judgments for religions under study, following a methodology similar to that of Ibn Hazm.

Al-Faruqi addresses the concepts of peccatism (the idea of inherent human sinfulness) and saviorism (the belief in Jesus as the redeemer), contrasting these with Islamic views.

[6] Al-Faruqi's criticism extends to the idea that Christian thought has incorporated Hellenistic and other non-Semitic elements, which he argues have led to distortions of the original teachings of Jesus.

[5] Christian Ethics: A Historical and Systematic Analysis of Its Dominant Ideas was published in 1967 by McGill University Press, with support from various academic and philanthropic institutions, including the Rockefeller Foundation.