Christian Moral Principles Flashcards
What are theonomous Christian ethics? Who are they associated with?
- Bible is the only authority of moral decision making
- Associated with the Protestant Church would
What are heteronomous Christian ethics?
- Ethical decision making is made with a mix of the Church, the Bible and maybe reason
- Associated with the Catholic
What is autonomous Christian ethics?
- A Christian can make their own decisions regarding their own ethics
- Associated with Quakers
What is apostolic succession?
Transmission of spiritual authority from the first bishops to the present day
What is sacred tradition?
Word of God received by bishops through the Holy spirit
What is magisterium?
Teaching authority of the Catholic Church formed by the bishops
What does sola scriptura mean?
‘Only the Bible’
Who led the protestant reformation?
Martin Luther
Why did Martin Luther dislike the Catholic Church?
- He viewed them as corrupt
- This meant he questioned whether they should have the ability to mediate between God and the people
- Arguably, the Church doesn’t act like it’s guided by the Holy Spirit
Who are the apostles?
The people who first spread Christianity
When do Catholics argue Christ started the Apostolic succession?
When Jesus commanded everyone to ‘make disciples of all nations’
Luke 10:16 (apostolic succession)
‘Whoever hears you, hears me; Whoever rejects, rejects me.’
Who did Jesus tell to watch over his people?
His disciple, Peter
Who did the apostles leave as their successors? What did this create?
Bishops, which created the apostolic succession, supposed to continue until the end of time
What document did the second Vatican council make?
Die Verbum
What does Dei Verbum state about apostolic succession?
- Sacred scripture is the word of God, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit
- Sacred tradition is takes the word of God ‘and hands it on to [the Apostles’] successors’
List some reasons why Protests may think the Catholic Church is corrupt
- The selling of indulgences meaning the Church was promising things simply for profits
- Paedophile priest scandals
- Allegiances with fascism
Explain the selling of indulgences
- The Church would accept money in forgiveness for sins
- Purgatory also factored into this
- You give money, the priests would pray for your recently dead relative, claiming this will get them out of purgatory faster
What did Luther claim about purgatory?
Purgatory was ‘manufactured by goblins’
How would Catholics respond to Luther’s views about purgatory?
- Of course the Church may sin because it is a human institution
- However, Christ knew this but still wanted to trust the Church as a source of moral authority
- Human flaws don’t evidence that Jesus didn’t want the Church to have this role
- Plus, what human has the right to end something Jesus started?
What is the role of the Church for protestant reformers?
Merely to preach the Bible. The Church may interpret it, but should be considered subject to correction by the Bible itself
What is the priesthood of all believers?
- Doctrine developed by Luther
- Says all people have the status of a priest
- Priests don’t have a special spiritual status to set them apart from laymen
What is a Luther quote about the priesthood of all believers?
‘A simple layman armed with Scipture is greater than the mightiest pope without it’
1 Timothy 2:5
‘There is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man is Jesus Christ’
What is Ru-ach?
God’s breath, which was breathed directly into the authors of the Bible
When were the books in the New Testament decided upon? What does this suggest?
- 4th Century by Catholic clergy
- Suggests that the Bible shouldn’t be the only authority since it comes from the Church itself
- Why should protestants only trust those Catholics and not the present day ones?
- They only know Jesus would say anything because the Catholics put it in the Bible!
What does Rudolph Bultmann argue?
Jesus had no ethics except love your neighbour
What do Quakers think about scripture?
They don’t see any scripture as the word of God. The Bible is simply inspirational
What did Paul Tillich argue about Christian ethics?
- Morals shouldn’t follow fixed rules. He called that moral puritanism
- Rules should be interpreted through love and the specific people in mind
- Very much agrees with Fletcher
Who believes human reason is corrupt? Who doesn’t?
- Calvin/Barth do
- Aquinas doesn’t
How does Philip Turner critique traditions?
Jesus criticised them, eg. tradition of Pharisees representing the rules of men, not God
What is a propositional approach to the Bible?
- Truths are revealed by God in the Bible
- He is talking to his people
- Commandments and teachings are fixed moral principles
What is a non-propositional approach to the Bible?
- Knowledge can be gained through a sense of God’s presence
- There wasn’t any book or set propositions when God revealed himself through Jesus
How does Mouw criticise agape?
Just because one passage focuses on love doesn’t rule out other biblical teachings
How does Hays criticise sola scriptura?
Bible involves so many writers and a very different culture. This must be taken into account
What does Bishop Roman Williams say about the Bible?
It’s like a continuous parable, with passages that hold awful actions being good because they allow you to recognise the bad
What does Pope Pius say about Fletcher’s ideas?
Jesus frequently discussed the importance of following all commandments. Fletcher is indirectly going against Jesus through his emphasis on agape
