Christian Ethics revision summary

Key Words to be happy withAutonomy – self rule (freedom with reason)Heteronomy – rule by other influences Theonomy – rule by GodDivine command – rule by God’s lawsSituation ethics – good is most loving resultNatural law – morality observable in nature, by

reasonBiblical ethics – good derived from the BibleGolden rule – “do to others as you would be done by”

Matthew 7:12

Key assumptionsGod exists

God is good

God reveals and speaks

Divine CommandWilliam of Ockham , Luther (1483-1546), Calvin

(1509-1564)

Applies to modern evangelicals eg Chicago Statement 1978 “God’s word is of infallible divine authority..to be obeyed, as God’s command, in all that it requires”.

Modern divine command theorists Philip Quinn, Karl Henry

Open to Euthyphro’s dilemma

Euthyphro’s dilemmaA. Is something good because God commands it?

or

B. Does God command it because it’s good?

If A then problem of arbitrary (random) and abhorrent (evil) commands eg Joshua 8:1 God commands genocide or…if B then problem is, why do we need God at all? (Reason, experience etc will do)

A way out of the dilemmaEuthyphro’s dilemma contains a fallacy: the either/or

leaves out the correct answer….Goodness depends on God’s character not his

commands.God’s character is revealed at the same time as the

law is given to Moses in Exodus 34:6 “I am the LORD, compassionate and gracious, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness…”

So any commands need to be evaluated by God’s character of love, mercy, truth, holiness, patience, and justice.

Situation Ethics

Christian Relativism with just one absolute: agapeAgape means unconditional love for the strangerFletcher (1905-1991) argues “love and justice are the

same” as “justice is love distributed”.Calculate the most loving outcome (teleological)Four working principles1. Personal2. Pragmatic3. Positivist (faith comes before action)4.Relativist

Valkyrie1944 Dietrich Bonhoeffer arrested for supporting

Stauffenberg plot to kill HitlerBonhoeffer takes situation ethics view…absolute rules

like “thou shalt not kill” cannot apply where most loving outcome is to kill a tyrant.

Liberal Christians argue the same thing today about abortion or euthanasia.

The film Valkyrie (codename of the plot) revisits this situation.

Good is defined by the ends rational people pursuePeople by nature “do good and avoid evil” the

synderesis ruleThese rational purposes give us five primary precepts

POWER (acronym Preserve Life, Ordered society, Worship God, Education, Reproduction)

Secondary precepts are applications of these eg do not abort, no contraception

Tends to be Roman Catholic view eg in Veritas Splendor (see Revision ppt on Natural Law)

Natural Law

Discuss“If God doesn’t exist everything is permissible.” Ivan

Karamazov in The Brothers KaramazovWhat does this quote suggest about the source of

moral values?How many other sources of moral values are there?Aquinas argues for reason (both a priori in the

synderesis rule and a posteriori, because goodness is observable in ends we pursue).

Fletcher argues for a reasoned calculation of the most loving outcome.

Biblical EthicsThe Bible is the divine law in Aquinas’ theory (four

types of law: eternal law, divine law, natural law, human law). But the revelation is only partial: natural law completes the picture.

The Bible is the source of divine commands as “God spoke to Moses” (Leviticus 1:1, Exodus 20:1) and speaks through Jesus, “the word became flesh” (John 1:12).

The Bible, particularly the parables, such as the Good Samaritan (Luke 12) are the inspiration for Fletcher’s situation ethics.

The ethics of JesusAn ethics of love, not law.Overturns key ideas of the Mosaic law eg Touches lepers (Mark 1) Calls a haemorhaging woman his daughter (Mark

5) Works on Sabbath (picks grain) (Mark 9) Declares all foods clean (Mark 7)Teaches a revolution in attitudes in the Sermon on

the Mount.Teaches by open-ended parable, not rules eg “go and

do likewise” (Good Samaritan ending).

The reversals of the Sermon on the Mount Matthew 5-7Love your enemies (see also Mark 12:38-44)Love the foreigner (Good Samaritan, Luke 10:25-37)Love of sinners (see also Mark 2:15-17)Love one another as I have loved you (John 13:34)Golden rule: do to others as you would have them do

to you (Matthew 7:12) “Jesus’ purpose was to reshape human intentions and

establish a new will, that he wants to claim for God not juts a body, but the heart, the whole person” .

Wolfgang Schrage

Conclusion: variety of Christian ethics so don’t over-generalise!Christian ethics varies from teleological (situation

ethics) to deontological (Divine Command) and theories that have elements of both (Natural law).

Liberal Protestants dislike natural law because it assumes people want to “do good and avoid evil” and also can appear rigid.

Different emphases on the Bible derive from different views of authority of Bible v Church v reason. Evangelicals defend the inerrancy of Scripture eg in the Chicago statement 1978.