Christian Moral Principles Flashcards
“Christian ethics should combine the Bible, Church and reason’ – How far do you agree?” Essay
A: Church important. Heteronomy is a view held by the Catholic magisterium. 2000 years if theological education allowed it to be the pillar of truth. Church is best place to decide. The Pope interprets from modern day issues. Papal encyclical. Cannot use reason or the bible by itself.
CA: Hans Kung: challenged heteronomy and papal infallibility. Do not need church. Need agape. Jesus…
E: Cannot rely on individual reason. Too antinomian, discards other rules. Also would discard years of tradition in the church. Discard wise scholars debating. Idolises individual rather than bible and church
A: Apostolic succession: Catholics argue that Jesus gave the church authority to make its own teachings based on the bible when Jesus told Peter to watch over his people. Makes disciples of nations. Bishops left as successors. Should be seen as valid
CA: Calvin - too corrupt to use reason to interpret. Calvin, morals should be theonomous. Can take the teachings at face value. Bonhoeffer - Nazi Germany
E: Barth - committing bibliolatry. Ethics run the risk of becoming to literalist. Prevents flexibility of moral issues. e.g. abortion
“To what extent is Christian ethics distinctive”
A: Mill: Christian ethics are not distinctive, but should exist in relation to other ethical systems just as it used to with Jewish, Greek and Roman ethics, before the more modern version of Christianity started to proclaim it was the only source of ethics. The Mill points arguments against the validly of of Christian morality as it requires improving influence of other ethical systems. _sola scriptural’ approach doesn’t go far enough. Theonomous
CA: Fletcher: Agape is distinctive as it is a special type of human love. Using the golden rule is good for autonomous Christianity. The revelation of Jesus who followed agape shows how it is distinctive - Theonomous and autonomous
E: theonomous arguable not distinctive. Most ethics are similar to basic ethics else where. Most religions say do not kill. he concept of agape is not distinctive. Designed to make society operate peacefully
A: Aquinas - Natural law available to everyone - therefore in this sense Christian ethics are not distinctive- every sane and rational person can agree on certain things
CA: Fundamentaliss would argue that human reason canno come up with correct ethical behaviour - must use sola scriptura - protest and (Barth). Only the bible can help us as to what to do.
Theonomous Christian ethics scholars/passages/ arguments
Barth: They use the bible as a false idol. The bible is not God. Revelation is on going today
Ten commandments: Old Testament
Sermon on the Mount: New Testament
Luther: Protestant teacher of sola scriptura as thought that the Church was corrupt. People should be subject to correction of the bible. “A single layman armed with scripture is greater than the mightiest pope”. Written with the influence of the Holy Spirit.
Issue of conflicting commandments and teachings: e.g. St.Paul “women submit to your husbands” “Neither male nor female, Jew or sentile…you are all one”
Autonomous scholars/passages/arguments
Fletcher: created situation ethics, only agape. Drawn from Jesus saying “greatest commandment” is to “love thy neighbour as yourself”
Hans Kung: Protestant. responsibility for personal judgments (against rule based ethics, rejects papal infallibility)
William Barclay: S.E gives moral agents too much freedom. For freedom to be good, love needs to be perfect. Has not come of age
John A T Robinson: ‘an ethic for man that has come of age’ (thinks we have come of age)
Heteronomous Christian ethics scholars/ arguments
Carrying on the apostolic succession: Told peter to watch over his people. Jesus tells his disciples to preach “what they have learned” The Catechism interprets this as authority to create it’s own teachings. The succession is meant to continue til the end of time
- core biblical teachings for is distinctive
- agape is distinctive from secular society
- stick to secular society.
