Christian moral principles scholars

Niel Messer

There are many different ways you can draw on the Bible and there are different types of scripture

Richard Hays

Impossible to read the Bible without personal interpretations.

St Paul and Augustine (sola scriptura)

We need to use a theonomous approach because humans are sinful and ignorant, so the source for morality must come directly from God

Wilkinson

Strength of a theonomous approach is that the guidance is set out in real life examples.

Hauerwas

Christian ethics develop out of the Bible and continue through Christian tradition. Community is important when making decisions.

Barth

Literalism has its dangers, it falsely gives the Bible as divine status.

Turner

Paradosis (traditions) are sometimes snubbed by Jesus when they go against the word of God. Like when Jesus worked on the Sabbath.

MacIntyre

Rationality is present throughout all of history

Rosemary Radford Ruether

Critical of the power of Church tradition and its starting point, scripture.

Bultmann

We need to to move beyond laws to forgiveness based on love

St Paul and Augustine (agape)

Ultimately, Jesus’ only command was to love & it is for human reason to decide how to apply the command.

Pope Benedict XVI

Rejected love as a principle because it undermines the Magisterium of the Church

Mouw

Rejects a situationist approach. We need to conform to what the creator wants