Christian moral principles

Question 1

Theonomous Christian ethics

Answer 1

The bible contains all a person needs to live a good life.
God should be placed at the centre.

Question 2

Heteronomous christian ethics

Answer 2

The bible is important but it should be used alongside the church and reason.

Question 3

Autonomous christian ethics

Answer 3

Authority is placed on the individual - love as the guiding force for ethics.

Question 4

How does the story of David and Goliath create issues for the bible?

Answer 4

David kills Goliath by cutting off his head and God rewards him fro this violence.
The 10 commandments state that you should not murder.
This makes the bible inconsistent.

Question 5

What bible verse on sexual relations becomes incoherent and why?

Answer 5

‘If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable’.
Needs to be considered in the context in which it was in.

Question 6

Why are Psalms challenging to follow?

Answer 6

They are poems and can therefore be interpreted in more than one way.
This means it cannot be a good moral guide.

Question 7

What does sola scriptura mean?

Answer 7

The bible is the only supreme authority that matters.

Question 8

What are the advantages of taking the bible literally?

Answer 8

It gives guidance on how to organise family and religious life with ethical guidance.

Question 9

Why does Richard Mouw believe that the bible should be taken from a sola scriptura stance?

Answer 9

He argues that just because there is a command on love, it does not mean we should rule out the possibility of other biblical commands.
The bible should not be read as a list of commands, much of the bible is not a command.

Question 10

Criticisms of sola scriptura?

Answer 10

We are likely to make our own interpretations of the bible and read it subjectively.

If God dictated the whole bible then why is it written in so many different writing styles? E.g. the letters of Paul to different churches.

The bible contains many contradictions (David and Goliath)

Question 11

Catholic model for making ethical choices

Answer 11

They take an absolutist stance and view tradition as being the most important.
They believe that the bible grew out of the church and that tradition came before the bible.

Question 12

Protestant model for making ethical choices

Answer 12

The bible is the principle source of authority.
They believe that reason is the process of making sense of the bible and church reason.

Question 13

Anglican model for making ethical choices

Answer 13

They believe in prima scriptura (bible is important but not the only source).
Tradition is not fixed but allows for healthy debate with current affairs.

Question 14

What do protestants believe about church authority?

Answer 14

The church has interpreted the bible for over 2000 years and this should guide people’s moral lives.

Question 15

What do roman Catholics believe about the authority of the church?

Answer 15

They argue that the authority of the church was given to Peter and the Apostles which existed before the bible was put together.

Question 16

What is the general difference between Protestants and Roman Catholics?

Answer 16

Protestants see main authority in the bible whereas Catholics see main authority in the church tradition.

Question 17

How does the catholic church make choices?

Answer 17

Ethics are not confined to the bible but can be accessed through the natural world, reason and conscience - natural law.

Question 18

Why do Hays and Spohn both reject sola scriptura?

Answer 18

They argue that you cannot examine scripture without reference to the church community and tradition in which is functions.
Interpretations should be part of a living Christian community.

Question 19

How does Allen Verhay challenge sola scripture views?

Answer 19

He believes that the bible contains teachings that are specific to the certain contexts of the time.
eg. teachings on same sex marriage

Question 20

Bible teachings on love

Answer 20

‘Love your neighbor as yourself’
‘Love your enemies’
‘Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy’

Question 21

What is Tillich’s view on love as the guiding principle?

Answer 21

He is critical of following fixed rules in decision making.
He claims that agape is a person-centered moral principle, just like Jesus.
He believed that we should grow out of wisdom of the past.

Question 22

What do people believe Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount showed?

Answer 22

A set of illustrations of how to put love into practice.

Question 23

Strengths of Fletchers situation ethics

Answer 23

Some situations were not taken into account when rules were formed.

It acknowledges people affected beyond the immediate situation - it is a flexible ethic.

It is person-centered and therefore allows for the decision to be make situationally.

Question 24

Weaknesses of Fletcher’s situation ethics

Answer 24

Can be difficult as there are no simple or easy answers.

Responsibility has to be taken which is hard considering humans can be corrupted and not able to use reason properly.

Fletcher is subjective with his interpretations of Jesus.

Question 25

Christian ethics ARE distinctive

Answer 25

Christianity is underpinned by belief in the incarnation and resurrection of Jesus - distinctive from other religions.

Literal interpretations of the bible might approach ethics differently - distinctive.

Using love as a guiding principle seems distinctive.

Christianity calls people to be counter-cultural and prophets of the world - distinctive from other religions.

Question 26

Christian ethics are personal

Answer 26

The bible and church offer individuals a way to live life according to their own needs.

Jesus spoke to individual circumstances.

Reason is sometimes applied on an individual level to circumstances.

Community focus is on worship and prayer.

Situation ethics places emphasis on personal decision making.

Question 27

Christian ethics is communal

Answer 27

The bible needs to be read as an expression of how a community lives.

Jesus spoke to groups more than individuals - sermon on the mount

The bible, for some, should be studied in group situations.

Rules found in the bible are for the community, communities work by these rules.

Interpretation of the bible is done in a communal context.