J.A.T Robinson

context

• he was a liberal Christian theologian who became the bishop of woolwich

• Christian thinkers during the time of the new morality struggled to apply traditional moral ideas to a changing society

• therefore wrote ‘honest to god’

honest to god

• he tried to develop a Christian ethic that was both true to Christianity and accessible and relevant to his time - radically different and controversial

• new morality of the 20th century

• However, this was met with much controversy as he argued that Christianity needed to embrace aspects of the new morality

theory of ‘man come of age’

• to come of age means to become a mature adult and take on certain responsibilities.

• An ethic for man come of age therefore recognises that the moral agent is mature enough to make decisions for themselves using reason and judgment and take responsibility for the outcome of their actions-- its about giving moral agents the freedom and respect to decide what is right

• he also suggested that in the place of religious rules , robinsion argued that there was only one moral law: the law of love which related to the old christian idea of agape love meaning selfless compassionate love

• he therefore concluded that we must base Christian ethics on the law of love because man has 'come of age' (reached intellectual maturity).

• The moral agent is mature enough to make decisions for themselves using reason and judgement, and take responsibility for the outcome of their actions.

robinson + legalism

• rejects legalistic approach to ethics in favour of the law of love as people should act by doing ‘what will best demonstrate love for others’

• argues that this is the meaning behind jc’s og instruction ‘love your neighbour as yourself’

• interprets jc as attacking the legalistic ethics of the jewish religion, only for christianity to then adopt similar ethics

• we should go back to jc’s og intention, which was revealed when jc said "the sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath” + parable of good samaritan

• →Legalistic approach of divine command ethics is a misconception of the ethics of Jesus. Instead, individuals should act to show what will best demonstrate love to others:

trad churches opinion on robinson

• reject his book, pointing out that although jc occasionally breaks rules he also supports them on many occasions

• jesus says do not think that i have come to abolish the law or the prophets; i have not come to abolish them but fulfill them"