Christian Moral Action

Question 1

Suffering- Too much

Answer 1

HANDJ
Historical context- irrelevant in modern secular
Augustine- moral evil part of our nature= cannot overcome
Neglects- agape, moral purity, God as love
Divine- cannot emulate
Just because others suffer, doesn’t mean you should

Question 2

Suffering- Not too much

Answer 2

MMERTH
Many aspects of discipleship
Modern Christians do not highlight enough
Embrace God's will
Relevant
True discipleship
Hick- Vale of soul making

Question 3

Civil disobedience- Yes

Answer 3

JBFAB
Jesus- political revolutionary: “I have not come with peace but a sword”
Bonhoeffer- Western Void, Church should be salt/ light. Disciples followed Jesus’ laws- not the state’s
Fletcher- most loving thing for poor and marginalised
Aquinas- could be secondary precept for Ordered society
BLM- equality, imago dei

Question 4

Civil disobedience- No

Answer 4

JBAWA
Jesus- “give unto Caesar what was owed to Caesar”, “turn the other cheek”
Bible- (Romans) “let everyone be subject to the governing authorities”, (Exodus) “do not murder”
Augustine- need strong leader to maintain order
Westboro Baptist Church- practice civil disobedience through hatred & violence
Aquinas- primary precept of ordered society

Question 5

Can we know God’s will- Yes

Answer 5

BPBAF
Bonhoeffer- Jesus, Disciples, Duty to God, “moment of action”, visible community, Finkenwalde
Catholic Pope/Cardinals- Apostolic Succession
Bible- perfect guide for moral action
Aquinas- Natural Law
Fletcher- Jesus

Question 6

Can we know God’s will- No

Answer 6

BPBAFMAJ
-> Bonhoeffer- changed direction
-> Pope- fallible, only man
-> Bible- “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s”, written by humans
-> Aquinas- preserve life, telos subjective
-> Fletcher- eisegesis of agape loveBarth- God transcendent, beyond human understanding
-> “Moment of action”- conscience, slippery slope to justifying
Augustine- Fall corrupted man’s reason
Jesus- refused to resist capture

Question 7

Relevant

Answer 7

IORVCWD
Injustice still exist
Outcasts still exist
Responsible for evil and thus to respond (Augustine)
Western Void: Ideologies fill vacuum- consumerism
Claim of modern leaders to be Christian
Will of God relevant
Duty to God, not the state

Question 8

Irrelevant

Answer 8

CJTGE
Costly grace ambiguous
Suffering of Jews incomparable
Thessalonians: “God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord”
Grace given freely because of God, why do we need to do the same?
Total obedience leads to Extremism