UNIT 3.1- Christian Moral Principles Flashcards
The concept of Christian ethical thinking based on the bible
Theonomous
‘Sola scriptura’
- how this works in practice
- where is it seen
A term used to describe any form of ethical decision-making that focuses solely on the laws or rules passed on by God (as found in the bible)
‘only scripture’ , the belief that the Bible is the only thing necessary to make moral decisions, usually stemming from a belief that the Bible is the literal or direct word of God
In practice, it means utilising the Bible to know the right way to act in a certain situation, determine whether an action is right or wrong, or seeking guidance on a moral issue
Some passages may need to be interpreted to be applicable however they are not going to take into account other sources of wisdom such as church leaders, tradition or societal thought.
Usually seen in more orthodox more evangelical or more traditional branches of Christianity such as in Texas
‘ propositional approach’
+ supporting biblical scripture
Accepting that the words of the Bible or direct messages from God.
God’s well and God’s commands have fixed meanings - and therefore do not require adjustments for time or culture. If this approaches taken the 10 Commandments of direct laws from God, which must be obeyed as absolute, the life of Jesus records factual events with moral messages and the parables and teachings of Jesus and non-changing moral instruction
“ all scripture is inspired by God.. and is useful for teaching.. and for training in righteousness”- Saint Timothy
“ I have put my words in your mouth” - (God literally gave the words of scripture to those who wore them down and therefore have ultimate authority)
The 10 commandments
‘Apodictic commands’
-where they came from
+jesus’ comments
10 Commandments are the cornerstones of God’s ethical framework, providing the foundation for all Christian ethics
- You shall not kill, you shall not commit committed adultery, you shall have no other gods before me, remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy
Rules which tell you exactly what to do or not to do
-Often rules or commands are given indirectly through stories such as Adam and Eve which teach people the importance of obeying God
Believed to have been passed from God to Moses who wrote them down onto a large tablets of stone over 4000 years ago
The salmon on the mount is an event where Jesus goes through each of the Commandments and challenges people to take them further
“ You have heard it said do not commit adultery but now I tell you anyone who looks at a woman and wants to possess her as guilty of committing adultery in his heart”
Strengths of using the bible as a moral guide
- supported by numerous biblical writers, Saints and fathers of the church
St Timothy emphasizes that from childhood, believers should be acquainted with the holy scriptures, which can make them wise for salvation through faith in Christ. These passages suggest that a foundational understanding of scripture, coupled with a strong faith and a clean conscience, are crucial for making sound moral choices
“ all scripture is inspired by God… and is useful for teaching.. and training in righteousness” - as the Bible is a literal word from God they are unquestionable as a guide of how to live, (can be assured that they’re following/doing the right thing as it’s coming from a being with upmost authority,Particularly the absolute of the 10 Commandments.
- Makes the wisdom and knowledge of God accessible
Contains over 6000 years worth of wisdom and morality from both Judaism and Christianity
And through a use of both explicit and straightforward rules and moral stories it demonstrates an application of reality in specific situations.
The new Testament teaches Christians how to apply moral principles to their modern lives (for example the sermon on the amount) .
Weaknesses of solely using the Bible to make ethical decisions
We cannot be assured/confident that everything written in the Bible is factual or correct
As it is written by many different people at different points in history and therefore contains confusing contradictions and discrepancies eg- “ an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” vs “ do not take revenge on someone who wrongs you“
- Could lead to bibliolatry worship (worship of the Bible)
It is not comprehensive as it doesn’t reflect modern ethics,
Ignores thousands of years of human reasoning and important ethical understanding- such as furthered human rights and implemented legal framework
therefore a lot of ethical dilemmas we would experience are not mentioned at all
“ if a man has sexual relations with another man, they shall both be put to death”
Entirely susceptible to interpretation- particularly through use of stories rather than God‘s rules, manipulation and distortion of messages can occur
-The creation narrative is sometimes taken literally, leading to misunderstandings about the age of the earth and the role of humans in the universe.
-“Ask for anything in My name” is often misinterpreted as a guarantee that God will grant any request, rather than a promise of access to the Father through Christ’s name.
Ethical decisions based solely on agapeic love
+ supporting biblical scripture
Some argue that all of God‘s commands in Jesus teachings encompass a mass of love for others
‘Agapeic love’ = totally unselfish love for others love that is sacrificial and selfless and considers only what is truly best for others
“ love is eternal. There are inspired messages… but they are temporary”
“ who does not love does not know God for God is love”
“ the second most important commandment is this: Love your neighbour as you love yourself”
Paul Tillich
A protestant theologian and philosopher who argued that love guided by wisdom and having justice as it’s back stone is the most important ethical norm
He describes love as a continuous desire to break through the isolation connected to every person
He criticises fixed moral rules which he calls moral Puritanism
-Argue that every situation has a voice and cries out and that this speech can be received when we are driven by love
- Seize traditional laws as the wisdom of the past which have some standing, but believes that they stand between the situation and love
“ nobody should feel compelled religiously and morally to follow laws unconditionally”
Joseph Fletcher
- How agape love guides moral decision-making
Drew on Paul in his creation of situation ethics, a moral framework that judges actions based on the most loving outcome in any/all situations.
Argues that we have the ability to see what is the most agape/produces the most unconditional love, reflecting that which Jesus/God had for humanity
“ only one thing is intrinsically good- namely love”
- prioritising others well-being, reflecting Jesus‘s love, loving without exception, consider considering long-term effects, for giving and showing mercy and building community
Pope Francis
Amoris laetitia
The Catholic Church does not officially support the autonomous agape approach to ethics, instead arguing that it should be based on a combination of the Bible reason and natural law
However, Pope Francis , will not officially altering catholic teaching, has placed an emphasis to focus more on love and apply love to ethical situations
‘Amoris laetitia’ his document meaning the joy of love
- Outlines his desire for guidance to be given grounded and love recognising tradition but also the challenges of modern life and a need for a more compassionate approach, whilst still recognising the wisdom and realism in the Bible
Strength of decisions based solely on the principle of Love
The principle of love can never become outdated and has nuance and complexities that allow it to cover a range of scenarios- it is a timeless moral concept, understood by all and reflected in everyday life. It is complex and deep ranging, covering all eventualities instead of oversimplifying
Follows Jesus example, as his profound and definitive message was one of love, Christian ethic should also focus on acrobatic glove as Jesus is the son of God and therefore has an understanding of morality that we can’t comprehend. Similarly, Jesus also challenged rule based ethics (such as when he stood up to the Pharisees) again demonstrating his guiding principle of agape.
” the second most important command is this..
“You appear good to everybody, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and sins”
‘tefillin’= paper scripture verses tied to themselves in boxes
- they are ,through their teachings, restricting others from entering heaven + the Good Samaritan
This form of love ensures that we put others before ourselves even in difficult situations this would help to avoid distinct struggles in human society such as greed corruption and selfish morality.
Weaknesses of ethical decisions being based solely on the principle of love
It is overly simplistic to say that Jesus’s teachings were just about love; much more is needed to understand his ideas and context as his teachings went further than just ‘love your neighbour’
-Furthermore if Christian ethics can be reduced down to love than this makes Christianity entirely non distinctive, as the same concept of love is found in many other religions
Doesn’t best reflect the way in which humans actually make moral decisions
There is a danger in an ethical system that allows rules to be broken if a person thinks it is the most loving thing to do (love is far too subjective)
In the sermon on the Mount Jesus explicitly says that he does “ not want to do away with” the old laws. This implies that rule following is an important aspect of Christianity which shouldn’t be ignored. humans are very poor acting selflessly for others and therefore need much clearer moral guidelines and specific rule to follow
Ethical decisions based on a combination of sources
‘ heteronomous approach’
The most common approach tomorrow decision-making is the official position of both the Catholic Church and the church of England
Heteronomous approach usually includes a bouncing of Bible, church teaching, so pretty and they’re colourful charlie right now personal reason and conscience
The Catholic Church
Papal lineage
The Catholic Church teaches that it has the authority to dictate Christian ethics due to papal lineage, and the church proceeded in the Bible
Papal lineage is the belief that the Catholic Church exist exists in an unbroken line from Jesus himself- as before he died, he appointed Peter as the first pope
“ Peter: you are a rock and on this rock foundation I will build my church and not even death will be able to overcome it”
His wisdom and authority was passed down to later popes, making the pope infallible when speaking officially and giving the church itself the authority to make moral decisions
The wisdom and authority of the church is considered to come before the Bible as it was compiled and determined by the church through early councils- particularly in terms of which writings would be included in the Bible.
The oral tradition of passing down Jesus’s teachings through Popes along with early Christian writings formed the Bible and is therefore not in infallible and it’s own teachings are not greater than those of the church
the application of reason
Reason the ability to think for yourself , to use your own intelligence and wisdom to make decision decisions.
The church agreed that we should use it in more decision-making however we should not over rely on our own reason as we can be corrupted and led astray
- Stems from the Catholic Church is belief in the concept of original sin and divided will
The heteronomous approach’s focus on community
- synod
Stanley Hauerwas
Christian Church has a concept of synod (council or assembly)- a group of church leaders he gather to discuss and agree on issues of teaching or doctrine
For example, the general synod of the Church of England, and the diocesan council in the Catholic Church- both of which display a sense of collective decision making
Stanley Hauerwas argues that Christian ethics only makes sense within a community of people.
As agape love and solar scriptura about fairly individualistic (based on one source), they don’t allow for any form of discussion debate or sharing.
Instead, a heteronomous approach’s key strength is that it allows for a persons more reasoning to be checked with others challenged by others and shaped in a conversation with others ultimately leading to a more valid understanding
He sees the whole Christian community as part of moral reasoning community and Christian ethics is a narrative which develops out of the Bible to share and discern moral truths
Strengths of ethical decision-making involving a combination of the Bible church teaching and human reason
Using a combination of sources is more likely to lead to discussion and communal decision-making, making ethical decisions well thought out less overly individualistic and more reliable as they would be checked by other people
Using a range of sources avoids the problems with contradiction and outdated ideas in the Bible because I understands that the Bible is a text that has developed and changed overtime based on human experiences of God and thus we need other sources of authority to balance against it . Takes into account the parts of the Bible little relative to the writers time, not ours.
Using most resources of authority allows Christians to use the wisdom of thousands of years, religious teachers and personal conscience to come to a well balance and deep you considered conclusion . Particularly within the Catholic tradition the combination of sources include the pipe and traditions of the church which have a direct lineage to Jesus and therefore must be valuable.
Weaknesses of making ethical decisions involving a combination of the Bible church teaching and human reasoning
By involving human reason, the heteronomous approach to moral decision-making becomes flawed as human reason is so easily corrupt misguided and wrong (demonstrated in original sin and divided will)
Having multiple sources can be confusing and contradictory it is unclear what a person should do if the source directly contradict one another and it isn’t always clear how much weight to give each source of authority. Particularly true in comparison to the Bible, which offers clear rules and infallible moral teachings. (by disregarding the Bible, you are denying God’s ability to speak through revelation/ questioning God’s power)
God gave humans and the ability to love - this alone is all that is needed to make good moral decisions and this would prove in time and time again through Jesus action based purely on agapeic love.When followed correctly, it leads to a compassionate and truly Christian reaction
