Topic 5 - christian moral principles Flashcards
ESSAY PLAN - MORAL PRINCIPLES
“is the bible a comprehensive moral guide?”
POINT 1
bible as only source of authority - as inspired by god himself, bible must act as only source of moral decision making
- Morality is therefore determined by God’s scriptural commands only (propositional revelation) – an approach best exemplified (by Protestants in particular) as “sola scripture” Jeremiah 1 “Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me: “I have put my words in your mouth”
- Writers of the Bible are thus scribes of God (amaneuensis); scripture is self-authenticating and infallible. Meaning is set, interpretation is consequently not required 2 Peter 1:20-21 “No prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation”
- Taking Scripture as inerrant offers clear guidance on moral matters – Christians able to trust an objective divine morality.
ESSAY PLAN - MORAL PRINCIPLES
“is the bible a comprehensive moral guide?”
POINT 1 - COUNTER ARGUMENT
issues of biblical messages (john mystical depiction of jesus +sermon on mount)
- Biblical writings vary in tone and perspective. John presents a mystical depiction of Jesus while Matthew is concerned with how Jesus’ life fits in with Jewish scripture and culture. Biblical teachings can be contradictory! Divorce shown by Jesus as okay in Mark but not okay in Matthew. Equally, in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus seems to be overturning many Old Testament commandments…
- Furthermore, limited in the sense that Biblical messages lack applicability in today’s society: Arguably not applicable in the 21st century – no mention of democracy, same-sex marriage, IVF, nuclear weapons; limited – reason is required to interpret Biblical teachings in light of ethical and technological developments.
ESSAY PLAN - MORAL PRINCIPLES
“is the bible a comprehensive moral guide?”
POINT 1 - COUNTER RESPONSE
ethics illustrated through real life situations and parables (king david relationship with bathsehba)
R: Ethics are illustrated through real life situations and parables e.g. King David and his adulterous relationship with Bathsehba arguably makes the Bible useful and easy to understand.
ESSAY PLAN - MORAL PRINCIPLES
“is the bible a comprehensive moral guide?”
POINT 1 - CONCLUSIVE RESPONSE
hermeneutical readings of bible (reuther + schleiermacher)
- An overreliance on biblical ethics arguably contributes to patriarchal influences upon Christianity, due to primacy of male authorship. Ruether would argue the Bible needs re-interpreting via a feminist hermeneutical approach. A commitment to Sola Scripture seems inflexible, and may prohibit sharing of truths between religions…
- Alternative = Friedrich Schleiermacher The Hermeneutical Circle – a person must read a passage within the context of meaning of the Bible, and then within the context of one’s own life. As one’s understanding develops, new meaning and interpretation will be brought to one’s life.
- Overall, reliance upon the infallible nature of the Bible is far too rigid, impractical approach to moral decision making in 21st century.
ESSAY PLAN - MORAL PRINCIPLES
“is the bible a comprehensive moral guide?”
POINT 2
heteronomous christian ethic - natural law/human reason (aristotle + aquinas + st paul)
• Purpose of humanity is to be rational; discover what is right by interpreting nature through reason. (Aristotle). God is the author of the natural law, knowable through reason, as God created humans and the world imago dei. (Aquinas) “the requirements of the law are written on their hearts” (St Paul)
ESSAY PLAN - MORAL PRINCIPLES
“is the bible a comprehensive moral guide?”
POINT 2 - COUNTER ARGUMENT
primacy of the bible, issue of human reason (luther)
- By placing God’s divine wisdom and authority in the hands of humans, God’s message is susceptible to corruption and distortion. Martin Luther, “reason is a whore”. Humans can never fully understand God’s word.
- During the Enlightenment period, reason was seen as the objective source of information. Modern-day perspectives see reason as culturally conditioned – Richard Hayes, reason un-divorced from vagaries of cultural specifics, “always culturally influenced” poses a problem to Biblicist approach, which sees meaning of texts as objective, not open to interpretation.
ESSAY PLAN - MORAL PRINCIPLES
“is the bible a comprehensive moral guide?”
POINT 2 - COUNTER RESPONSE
church authority offers greater sources of wisdom and is more up to date
- Understanding of sacred tradition and texts resides in the wisdom of the Pope, bishops and Church Councils. The conscience/reason is important in informing one’s choices, but declarations of the Magisterium should be seen as important sources of authority in one’s life.
- Collective wisdom and authority of the Church published in encyclicals on contemporary moral issues. “To the Church belongs the right always and everywhere to announce moral principles” (Catechism)
- A Catholic approach, with the Bible’s teachings being adapted and transferred through the authority of the Magisterium (on contemporary topics) allows greater variety of teaching and guidance – sometimes hard to apply Biblical teachings or vague parables to specific matters such as IVF…
ESSAY PLAN - MORAL PRINCIPLES
“is the bible a comprehensive moral guide?”
POINT 2 - CONCLUSIVE RESPONSE
limitations of church tradition and authority/blindly following tradition
- In Matthew 15:2-3, Jesus directly equates the Pharisees’ traditions with transgressions against God. Underlines the Protestant suspicion of Church authority, which is sometimes in conflict with Biblical teaching.
- Jesus warns against blindly following tradition, exemplified by the Pharisees. For many, this is an indication that the Bible should not be approached as inerrant, but that one should utilise their own reason to reach their own judgements.
ESSAY PLAN - MORAL PRINCIPLES
“is the bible a comprehensive moral guide?”
POINT 3
autonomous ethics respects the capacities and value of human intellect, whilst taking inspiration from jesus (tillich + fletcher)
- Supported by Christ’s presentation in the Gospels as one who rejected legalistic moral thinking of the Pharisees, emphasising an empathetic, loving morality
- Paul Tillich proposed 3 ethical norms: love, justice and wisdom. Beyond traditional puritanical conceptions of Christianity, which focus on rules and authority, moral thinking should instead concern itself with one’s relation to others.
- Indeed Joseph Fletcher’s Situation Ethic puts people, not rules, at the centre of ethical decision-making (personalism). Instead of looking at objective Biblical teachings (which are often out of date or contradictory) moral actions should be teleologically based, with the aim of bringing about most loving outcomes.
ESSAY PLAN - MORAL PRINCIPLES
“is the bible a comprehensive moral guide?”
POINT 3 - COUNTER ARGUMENT
vague and indistinctively christian (hauerwas)
• Summarising Christianity in a secular concept such as “love” loses its fundamental truths and principles i.e redemption, the afterlife – any religious or non-religious person could love… “To be sure, Christians may have common moral convictions with non-Christians, but it seems unwise to separate a moral conviction from the story that forms its context or interpretation.”(Stanley Hauerwas)
ESSAY PLAN - MORAL PRINCIPLES
“is the bible a comprehensive moral guide?”
POINT 3 - CONCLUSIVE RESPONSE
moral capacity not limited to christianity alone
- Hans Kung, a liberal Catholic, rejected papal infallibility in favour of human autonomy in ethical decision making via the Global Ethic project use collective and fundamental moral attitudes to save humanity from destroying itself.
- Hans Kung, as part of his “global ethic” makes the crucial point – there is nothing in the content of Christian ethics that could not be found elsewhere by “any person of good will”. What makes it a Christian concern is the motivation to love one’s neighbour as someone created in the image of God, and part of the global community.
Agape comes from the CHRISTIAN GOD who demonstrated unconditional, selfless love for humanity through the sacrifice of his son
ESSAY PLAN - MORAL PRINCIPLES
“are christian ethics person or communal”
POINT 1
collective wisdom of the church (pope francis)
- Understanding of sacred tradition and texts resides in the wisdom of the Pope, bishops and Church Councils. The conscience/reason is important in informing one’s choices, but declarations of the Magisterium should be seen as important sources of authority in one’s life Collective wisdom and authority of the Church published in encyclicals on contemporary moral issues. “To the Church belongs the right always and everywhere to announce moral principles” (Catechism)
- “Evangelium Vitae” (Pope John Paul II) – Sanctity of Life/ medical Ethics, “culture of death”. “Laudato Si” (Pope Francis) “new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet”
ESSAY PLAN - MORAL PRINCIPLES
“are christian ethics person or communal”
POINT 1 - COUNTER ARGUMENT
issue of following authority - lose sight of will of god (matthew 15:2)
- In Matthew 15:2-3, Jesus directly equates the Pharisees’ traditions with transgressions against God. Underlines the Protestant suspicion of Church authority, which is sometimes in conflict with Biblical teaching.
- Jesus warns against blindly following tradition, exemplified by the Pharisees utilise their own reason to reach their own judgements.
ESSAY PLAN - MORAL PRINCIPLES
“are christian ethics person or communal”
POINT 1 - COUNTER RESPONSE
act in obedience with state (luther + bonhoeffer)
- Luther had taught it was the duty of a Christian to be obedient to the government, as the government controlled our sinful nature. (Mark 12 “render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s”)
- Bonhoeffer was wrong to break from Lutheran ideals which saw Church and State as two sides of the same coin, Romans 13 “Let everyone be subject to governing authorities, for there is no authority expect that which God has established” ethics MUST be communal as humans MUST be guided by authority/ collective wisdom, and obey the state
ESSAY PLAN - MORAL PRINCIPLES
“are christian ethics person or communal”
POINT 1 - CONCLUSIVE RESPONSE
state can pervert god’s will (bonhoeffer)
• Bonhoeffer warned against ideologies such as Nazism – allows humans and the State to justify principles and practise that subordinate justice and God’s will. Critical of autonomous ethics – reduces God to human principles and makes humans slaves to the ideas of others
