Christian Moral Principles

Church tradition

The traditions of how Christian life in community works, in worship, moral life and prayer. Also the teaching and reflection of the Church handed down across time

Sacred Tradition

The idea that Jesus' revelation is communicated in two ways: Scripture and apostolic, authoritative teaching of the Church councils and the Pope

Agape love

An unconditional love for others because they are created in the image of God

Propositional knowledge

Knowing or accepting something, has truth value as it may be true, false or somewhere in-between, conveyed by language with statements and claims

Non propositional knowledge

Knowing how to do something through experience, knowledge will increase with practice

Propositional faith

Faith as acceptance of truths revealed by God, He speaks to people though words, not accessible by reason or experience

Non propositional faith

Belief and faith in God by personal encounter, gaining knowledge though experience has experiencing his presence

Propositional approach to the Bible

Accepting that the words of the Bible are true messages from God. Commandments and beatitudes are fixed moral principles, Jesus' life is an event to know about. Parables have fixed meanings

Non propositional approach to the Bible

Approach to the Bible based on experience. God did not write a book when he was Jesus, he lived a human life dying a human death. The Bible is a gateway to encountering the living God

Heteronomous Ethics

Ethics governed by several sources of authority or law

Theonomous Christian ethics

Ethics governed by God's law/commands

Autonomous ethics

Self governed ethics

St Paul and St Augustine on human nature

We are all sinful and ignorant, we cannot live a moral life with just our reason. The only source to help us be moral must be revealed by God

Biblicism

The Bible is the revealed word of God, the writers were directly inspired by God

The Bible as a source of moral authority

Some believe the Bible alone is a source of this as God is the author, making the Bible infallible, any misunderstandings are our fault

How does the Bible show moral laws?

Through stories and parables. Giving example of what to do and what not to do, for example the Sermon on the Mount and King David's adultery

2 Timothy 3:16 the word of God

"all scripture is inspired by God"

Contradictions in the Bible

Permitting war and retributive justice, capital punishment is seen as part of God's judgement in the old testament

Sermon on the mount in direct opposition the old testament

Arguments against Biblical contradictions

Jesus' teachings are focused on a future perfect Kingdom of God, in this imperfect world, war and violence is a necessary evil

Richard Hays on the Bible

"The interpretation of the Bible can never occur in a vacuum"

Roman Catholic heteronomous ethics

Natural law, liberation theology, the catechism

Protestant heteronomous ethics

Bible, reason, conscience and the church

Autonomous Christian ethics

There is no distinction between Christian ethics and regular ethics, CE is just regular ethics as done by people who believe in Christianity

1 John 4:8 love

"Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love"

Rudolf Bultmann challenge to Christian moral behaviour

To move beyond laws and judgements to forgiveness based on love, "God is love" expresses the idea that God forgives sins

Paul Tillich on Christian ethics

3 ethical norms should work together for Christians, justice, love and wisdom. Agape love is guided by wisdom, with justice as its backbone

Christian ethics as distinctive

Biblicist/Catholic view - distinctive. Need revelation to find out what we ought to do. Need to use the Bible and the Church as our guide to work out how to live.

Biblicist view - human reason is totally unable to come up with rules of ethical behaviour. St Augustine’s original sin and the fall, peoples belief in the decalogue subtle influence on society - stop us from being selfish or cannibals

Catholic Church - ‘faith ethic’ view: Christian ethics teaches us distinct ways of living which cannot be discovered by unaided human reason. Ie views on euthanasia and abortion differ

Aquinas thinks our reason is good enough to work out the basics - not enough for us to know all the moral rules: need the magisterum and revelation of the Bible, as well as teachings from the Papal Encyclical

Christian ethics are not distinctive

Aquinas argues humans do tend to agree there is some form of natural law - universal recognition of morality. Available to all people, notion of Natural Law

Fletcher less likely to agree - shouldnt be absolute commands and rules. Situationalism - do the most loving thing in differing consequences. christian duty to have the sacred sunday/sabbath is more of a culture or tradition rather than distinctive morality. Only moral ethics available to us all - ‘love is the only universal.’

Aquinas states there are four forms of law: eternal, divine, natural, human - societies have established human laws on right/wrong - shared irrespective of religion

Bentham argue its not distinctive - make decisions on right/wrong with other methods: principle of utility for example, greatest happiness for the greatest number - governed by two masters, pain and pleasure

We do not need support from the Christian community

Biblicist understanding influence theologicans and ethicists to take a personal view of Christian ethics. Holy spirit commanded by god via scripture to behave in a certain way

Fletcher would argue christian ethics are personal - four presumptions is personalism - Bible should be read as a guide not a rulebook - individual circumstances are so varied that each individual needs to judge for themselves what God’s will is

We do need support from the Christian Community

Catholic Church - individual needs support in order to understand the Bible and see how it applies to life. Church members can see through the lens of tradition and wisdom of the community - collective action

Aquinas argues Christian ethics are duniversal rather than personal or individual - innate awareness.

We need agape alone to make moral decisions

Flexible - people the freedom to decide what the most loving ation is. Many of the Church/Biblical teachings do not seem consistent with a modern approach to ethical decision making

Based on one simple rule - agape. Fletcher argues that this simple rule brings positive outcomes, maintains justice and puts the need of our neighbours first - universal and can be applied at all times unlike other laws

Jesus applied the principle of love on teaching others how to live a good life - associate with sinners/sick/tax collectors - healed the man with the paralysed hand on the Sabbath day 

Situation ethics - flexers working prinmciples of pragmatism and relativism show that decisions are made situationally and highlights the absolutes such as do not kill/steal - principle of love is sufficient, decision are made on love rather than inflexible rules - ie euthanasia

We do not need agape alone to make moral decisions

Catholics argue principle of love is not sufficient - must look to other forms of authority ie. bible/magisterium/natural law

Rule of agape can be highly impractical - SE may offer justification not only for breaking religious laws such as commandments but civil laws - basis of our society would crumble

Protestants argue the bible is the only source of authority hat should be used when making decisions on how to live a good life - sola scriptura and argues that Bible is the direct word of God and all commands from the Bible should be absolute. Bible commands in the Decalogue how we ought to believe this - only form of authority we should use

Not apart of a personals natural moral law that we should meet once a week and keep a particular day holy

Should we take a sola scriptura approach