Conscience

Question 1

3 definitions of conscience

Answer 1

1. inner voice relating to God
2. a mental or emotional faculty
3. a sense of guilt produced by psychological conditioning

Question 2

where are conscience teachings found in the new testament?

Answer 2

Paul

Question 3

St. Paul Romans 2.15 (quote)

Answer 3

‘They show what the Law requires is written on their hearts, to which their own conscience bears witness’

Question 4

St Augustine (334-430)

Answer 4

• influenced by Plato’s theory of the forms
• one god; the source of all goodness
• in the presence of God’s goodness, humans become aware of their inadequacy…conscience emerges from this outflow of divine love
• humans have innate ability to know right from wrong
• conscience=inductive and represents voice of God
• conscience alone is insufficient to make a person virtuous
• God’s grace is needed…only Christians receive it=only they can do good
• conscience is central to ethical decision making

Question 5

problems with Augustine’s view

Answer 5

1. if conscience is voice of god it must be the most important part of ethical decision making
2. conscience is more important than the church
   e. g. Martin Luther King broke with the catholic church because his conscience didn’t allow him to accept teachings of the pope
3. conscience is more important than the bible
   e. g. Desmond Tutu wrestles with his conscience and accepts homosexuality and the biblical commendation of gay sexual acts

Question 6

John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

Answer 6

-conscience is the voice of God
-gives it absolute authority
‘I toast the pope but I toast the conscience first’