Christian Moral Principles

Question 1

What is propositional knowledge?

Answer 1

Referes to knowing/ accepting that something is so. Direct word from God

Question 2

what is non propositional

Answer 2

• is faith as acceptance of truths revealed by God, [EXPEDIENCES]
• God speaks to people in words; e.g. scripture, chutch etc.

Question 3

What are the 3 approaches to Christian ethical theory?

Answer 3

Heteronomy: a combination of Bible, church and conscience. This is typically a Catholic view.

Theonomy:having one source of authority, the Bible, revealing God’s will. This is typically a protestant view.

Autonomy.Individual people have to figure out for themselves what is right or wrong. E.g. situation ethics. Love

Question 4

what is sola scriptura

meaning by scripture alone

Answer 4

• Its a christian theologian doctrine which holds that the scrpture (the Bible) bare the sole infalliable role of faith.
• Is Biblical reality for the normative state of the Church, i.e. once the apostles passed of the scence.
• its self-consistent, self-authenticating, its authority comes from its nature as God-breathed.

Question 5

What sola scriptura is NOT

Answer 5

• Its not a statement that says that the Bible is the source of all knowlegde.
• its is not a statement that the denies the word of God. During the time of the prophets and the apostles Men mored by Holy Spirit spoke from God

Question 6

critics of sola scriptura

Sola scriptura is not in the Bible

Answer 6

These quotes suggest that the Bible should be a source of Christian moral principles, but they do not claim it is the only source nor speak against other sources. It is self-contradictory to believe that all religious knowledge should come from sola scriptura when sola scriptura itself cannot be derived from scripture.

Question 7

Papal Encyclical:

Answer 7

a kind of letter concerning catholic doctrine, sent by the Pope on behalf of the magisterium.

Question 8

How is the Bible a source of moral principles

Answer 8

☆ The Bible issue only source of authority for how we should live our lives - sola scriptural (only scripture) = the Biblr is the supreme authority in all matters of doctrine +practice.
* E.G. 10 C, Exodus 20 = its self-authenticating and offers propersitional revelation which includes clear teachings on morality
“all scripture is inspired by God, and is useful for teaching in righteousness” 2 Timothy = therefore this alone has the authority to be used for moral instructions
☆ A strength of this is that the Bible teaches through examples such as the10 commandments, to show moral life
* it is infallible source of information. This view of the Bible means that it has no error/misakes, and if we misinterpret it that is our fault, not the fault of the text. We don’t need to interpret it because it comes straight from God ‘inspired by God’
* Many evangelical, protestantschristians follows this

Question 9

critism

literalism and interpretation

Answer 9

• no one can read the bible at face value, = without making any interpretations of it, the Bible shown in the example of the teaching ‘if your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away.’
• Its a metaphor for changing the way one sees things
• Karl Barth reminds christians that literalism can lead to what he calls ‘bibliolatry‘, worship of the bible, by giving it divine status
• outdated - not relevant to the life we live now
• the bible is God’s word.
• it is a supreme source of christian knowledge, but it must be read as inspiration alone
• biblicists must be careful to take into account the type of literature a passage may be,d whether it is symbolic, metaphorical or literal

Question 10

How is love (agape) a source of moral principles?

Autonomy

Answer 10

• rooted in the teachings and actions of Jesus in the New Testament.
• The New Testament contains numerous prominent quotes emphasising the challenging, self-sacrificial, and morally supreme nature of love.
• Key passages include 1 Corinthians 13 which provides a detailed description of love’s attributes, highlighting patience, kindness, etc
• “love your neighbour as yourself”
• love is a motivating factor which humans must use with their reason on how best to apply it.
• his teaching on being outwardly, nit inwardly focused

Joesph Fletcher (influenced by Bonhoeffer) follows this as he believes that humanity has become of age.

Question 11

What might a Catholic use to make a moral decision?

Answer 11

Conscience
Jesus example
Bible
Tradition
Pope
Church

Question 12

How is the bible , church and reason a source of moral principles?

Heteronmous christian ethics and practise

Answer 12

• For some christians, the Bible, the guidance of the church and their own reason is reliable enough to help them understand morality. = aka naural law
• The Bible,church and reason complement each other and give them a code to live by/set of values.

Question 13

apostolic successon: sacred scripture vs sacred tradition

Heteronomy

Answer 13

• Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture are closely linked and both have the same source; God.
• Scripture is the word of God put in writing by the power of the Holy Spirit.
• Tradition transmits the word of God that Christ and the Holy Spirit have entrusted to the apostles which transmits to (The Church) so they can preach it.
• Both scripture and Church must therefore be viewed with ‘equal sentiments of devotion and reverence’.

Question 14

What are the two principle ideas behind the Sola Scriptura?

Answer 14

1. A pessimistic view of human reason
2. A Biblicist view of scripture

Question 15

What is the pessimistic view of human reason?

Answer 15

.Due to the fall, humans have to rely on God’s word, they cannot rely on reason as it has been ruined by sin
- links to Augustine

Question 16

What is the Biblicist view of scripture?

Answer 16

. The Bible is seen as being dictated by God, therefore it contains God’s own direct speech and it alone must be used for moral instruction
. Since it has been dictated by God, the Bible is seen as infallible, it cannot be in error

Question 17

The apostolic succession

Answer 17

• The apostolic succession is the basis on which the Catholic Church claims to be an authoritative source of Christian moral principles.
• Jesus also said to them ‘whoever hears you, hears me. Whoever rejects you, rejects me’. That gave the disciples great authority. Jesus also told his disciple Peter to watch over his people. When Jesus said these words, the Bible did not yet exist.

Question 18

Theonomous ethics meaning

Answer 18

• Theonomous ethics relies purely on the word of God
• Theo = God
• Christians who follow a theonomous perspective only use the Bible as a source of authority

A theonomous way of reading the Bible : sermon other mount/ the greatest commandments

Question 19

Heteronomous ethics meaning

Answer 19

• Heteronomous ethics uses a combination of moral sources as a form of authority
• For example, Catholics use a combination of the Church’s teachings, the Bible and the community of Christians
• Aquinas Natural law = how we could make ethical decisions

Question 20

Autonomous ethics meaning

Answer 20

• Autonomous ethics does not rely on any sources
• Christians who follow this approach believe that the only principle that needs to be followed is the principle of love

Question 21

Propositional and non-propositional approaches to the Bible

Answer 21

• Propositional approach: Accepts the words of the Bible as direct messages from God, leading to viewing Commandments and parables as fixed moral principles and events.
• Non-propositional approach: Sees God’s revelation in Jesus as a lived human experience rather than a written text, emphasising a personal and experiential understanding of the Bible.
• Many Christians find the story of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection relevant to their entire life experiences, such as hope and facing fear of death.

Question 22

Reason

Answer 22

• Decision-making relies on reason to reflect on the Bible and tradition.
• Christians must navigate between the New Testament world and their contemporary world to make moral decisions, leading to varied interpretations of the Bible and Church traditions.
• Different interpretations of the Bible can result in differing Church traditions, such as the Catholic Church’s acceptance of just war and the pacifist tradition among non-conformist denominations like Quakers.
• Some Churches emphasise following established rules, while others encourage members to reach their own conclusions through reasoning and prayer.

Question 23

Criticisms of the ‘Bible, Church and Reason’ approaches

Answer 23

• Feminist theologian Ruether critiques the power of Church tradition and scripture, arguing that both are predominantly shaped by male experiences, excluding women’s perspectives.
• Some Christians view reason suspiciously, associating it with distancing from biblical sources and Enlightenment rationalism, which developed separate from biblical basis.
• Love (agape) is emphasised as the primary Christian ethic, amidst concerns about reason, tradition, and Scripture.

Question 24

Paul Tillich and justice, love and wisdom

Answer 24

• Tillich viewed love (agape) as encompassing eros (love of truth, goodness, and beauty), & philia (friendship and trust), emphasising its role in breaking through human isolation.
• In his work “Ethical Principles of Moral Action,” Tillich criticised moral decision-making based on fixed rules, which he called moral Puritanism.
• He argued that agape love is person-centered, responding to the unique situations individuals face rather than relying on rigid principles.

Question 25

Pope Francis and Love

Answer 25

• Pope Francis adjusted the approach to applying moral teachings to different situations and issues.
• he acknowledges the crises faced by families throughout the Bible and advocates for a compassionate approach rather than imposing rules
• Francis emphasises the importance of love in moral guidance, recognising the challenges of modern life and human relationships while still respecting the rules of the Christian tradition.
• He suggests that love entails fulfilling the last two commandments of God’s Law, promoting sincere esteem for every human being and their right to happiness.

Question 26

Are Christian ethics personal or communal?

Answer 26

• Christian moral decision-making involves both individual and communal aspects.
• Christian communities are influenced by the Bible, expressing its stories.
• The community of faith holds authority over individual Christians, as they participate in its communal life and practices.
• Christian moral decision-making can involve individuals discerning how to apply biblical teachings to their lives and communities cooperating to make decisions aligned with shared beliefs.
• Ultimately, both individual reflection and communal discernment play crucial roles in Christian moral decision-making, balancing personal conscience with communal accountability.