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Christian moral principles (Heteronomous (Protestant ethical heteronomy,…
Christian moral principles
Theonomius
Ethics that are governed by Gods law
Derived by Theo’slaw-God and nomos-
Christians believe all humans are born sinful and ignorant and good life must be revealed by god -the bible is the only authority
Scripture
Timothy 3:16
All scripture is god breathed and is useful for teaching
Servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work
The bible is infallible as God is it’s author and if there is a problem understanding it it lies with us
King David and Bathsheba
Sleeps with Bathsheba because of her beauty
Bathsheba falls prego and David wants to hide it so invites her husband back from war to sleep with her
When husband refuses due to Conrad’s in war king gets him to front line to die and marries Bathsheba
Covenant with God
OT ethics are personal and social with 10 commandments exodus
In OT prophets such as Amos and Isiah focus on social justice and treatment of the poor
NT Jesus sermon on the mount talks about new covenant that includes inner love and righteousness not to just OT rules
St. Paul describes Christian covenant life as sacrifice Roman 12:1
Literalism
Cannot take all of bible literally ie “ if your right eye causes you to sin tear it out and throw it away” M 5:29
Barth
Literalism gives the Bible a false divine status
Bibliotary
The bible is a witness to the word but not the word itself
The bible is a supremacist souvenir of Christian moral truth but not the truth itself as it must be read critically
Contradictions
Many shifts in attitudes between OT and NT
OT
Eye for an eye in exodus
capital punishment for blasphemers adulterers those that dishonour parents and strangers in temples
Deuteronomy 20:10-20 in the rules of war Israelites are ok to kill foreign women and children
NT
Retribution and reconciliation
Love ones enemy’s M 5:44
Some argue that the teachings of Jesus are meant for the kingdom of god and in this imperfect current world war is necessary and so is evil ie Augustine
Martin Luther King argued that the biblical version of pacifism is the one all Christians have a duty to follow as the heart of Jesus teachings
Only a problem for those trying to treat the bible as a narrow rule book
Heteronomous
Christian ethics more than following the bible
The process of ethics has continued to developed through leaders theologians and church debates
Understanding of the world isn’t very different to original biblical writer so
Newer times - newer ethical issues such as modern sciences
Christian ethics = biblical teaching+ church teaching + human reason
Roman Catholics
Natural world reason conscience and church authority all part of ethics
Natural law gas verb important since St Paul’s letter ‘ “ Gentiles (non Jews) can behave morally... law written ion their.m hearts. “ Romans’ 2:15
The magisterium
The collective wisdom of church leaders
Papal Encyclical Mqgesterium is expected to be followed in all ordinary circumstances
Recent encyclical 1996 Vertatis Splendorlby Pope St John Paul II
Moral law is knowable by all people through human reason and natural law it then awakens the awareness of divine law
Weak and sinful humans cannot rely on reason and conscience alone
churches role is to guide individuals
Vertatis Spelndor- some moral actions are always wrong and cannot contradict moral order
Liberation theology 1960’s
Bible at center of ethics
Questioned and suspicious of top down tradition of church teaching ie catholic’s
Inspired by Jesus role as a liberator - ethics from below ur economic social and political conditions that have exploited and marginalised people
Use of Marxism as analysing economics and exploitation but it is an atheist system that sees religion as exploitation and the use of it by liberal theologians has been heavily criticised by The magisterium
Protestant ethical heteronomy
Many natural law followers ie Richard Hooker
Mostly begin with the bible as a primary source of authority
modern anglicans consider the Bible didn’t be appear as a single document but developed out of the needs of community’s
Similar to Roman Catholics without Magesterium
Stanley Hauerwas
Christian ethics could only be done in a Christian worshiping community
Christian ethics are part of a tradition that developed out if the bible and throughout Christian history continuing to adapt
sermon on the mount was given to all members of the Christian community giving examples of the vaulted Christians should develop- god given virtues to adopted when dealing g with community issues
Viruses do have meaning outside of Christianity they are no the same as the ones Christians understand
Christian communities are meant to question society’s values not through superficial politics but the practising of Christian social virtues
Example of prego teen her presence leads to an examination of our own convictions - a gift from god to the community
Suspicious it Western society’s over emphasis I on human rights language individualism and autonomy
Legitimate sources for Christian ethics ? And are some sources more important than others ?
Autonomous
No separation between normal ethics and Christian ethics
Autos- self and Nokia-law
The bible is not a specially revealed document but a Christian Classic
Love
THe guiding principle of Christian ethics Jesus command to love
Agape love is unconditional as seen in Jesus sacrificing his own life for others
Jesus “ this is my commandment that you live one another
Love is the motivating factor to apply to moral principles and situations
Roman Catholic ethical autonomy
Hans Kung
Wants greater autonomy in ethical decision making
Nothing in the content of Christian ethics couldn’t be found elsewhere by any person of good will
Global ethics is to tackle global environmental issues and save humanity from destroying itself
Global ethics is a Christian concern as it is the Christian motivation to love ones neighbour
Euthanasia is contrary to Catholic moral teaching but not contrary to catholic reason to see that keeping someone alive at all costs isn’t not necessarily moral
Jesus specifically challenged rule based ethics and encouraged personal responsibility for actions
Strongly criticised by raith ethic catholics such as Jospeh Ratzinger as undermining the Magesterium
Protestant ethical autonomy
Eg Joseph fletcher
Goodness is not revealed by God nor is it and intrinsic part of natural law but a condition of being human
Fletchers situation ethics
Sufficiency of love
Many argue there is more to Jesus teachings than live
“ not to dispense with law but looked at ways to fulfill it “ Matthew 5:17
Christian values have to be grounded in Christian maritime that is much more than just love
Christian ethics are distinctive and they are sometimes at odds with society’s values