Christian Ethics Exam #2

Controversy of Social Justice 

1. There is a lack of definition

2. Political polarization- social issues become political issues and causes division 

3. Connection of social justice to the social gospel movement- Walter Rauchenbusch developed this movement because he believed that the Gospel should pull people out of poverty 

4. Connection of social justice to socialism- The upper class must be pulled down which means the lower class is brought up and the cycle continues 

Definition of Justice

Justice relates to right standing

1. Before God

2. Before Government

3. Before other image bearers

The Social Nature of Justice 

All issues of justice are by nature social because justice involves connecting people 

Examples of social justice issues

• Immigration

• Racial reconciliation

• Environmental issues 

Examples of justice issues

• Abortion 

• War

• Capital punishment 

Understanding of Justice in the OT

• Justice is translated to mishpāt and refers to legal action

• It also means to put things right, to intervene in a situation

• Righteousness (tsedāqāh) is God’s standard for justice

• In Hebrew, it is referred to something that is straight, fixed, or as full as it should be

• When justice and righteousness are paired together, they capture the idea of justice within a social context

Understanding of Justice in the NT 

Righteousness/justice (dikaiosunē) relates to God’s judicial approval of what He deems is right

Types of sinfulness that impact our need for justice 

1. The person as a sinner- This relates to our positional standing before God as sinners. We therefore need a high priests to ensure we can come before God

2. Personal sins- These are the actions we commit on a daily basis that shape our character. This is where we need Jesus as King/Lord and where we must submit ourselves to His lordship instead of a slavery of sin

3. Culturally embedded patterns of sinfulness - Because sinful people created cultures and built societies, the foundational ideas, patterns, and structures they put in place will also be sinful. Here, Jesus acts as a prophet

Categories of sin that violates justice 

• Person as a sinner: Our positional standing before God as fallen sinners. Jesus as High Priest

• Personal sins: Our particular acts, behaviors, and daily moral choices that in turn shape our character. Jesus as King (Lord)

• Culturally embedded patters of sinfulness: The shape or fabric of culture. Jesus as Prophet

Race

• Refers to a person’s biological, genetic, or sociological difference 

• From a theological perspective we should think of it as the human race as we are all the same. Race is related to humanness

Ethnicity

• In society, it is generally related to cultural differences

• Ex: differences in food, language, clothing

• It is the idea that we are all part of the same human race, but we do have slight differences 

Prejudice

• Preconceived ideas, opinions, or bias that we hold and it is not based on reason or scripture, but is based on preference 

• Ex: height, weight, accent, skin color, etc 

Discrimination

• The decision making process and choices where preferential treatment is given to one group over another 

Racism

• The firm held belief that the primary tendencies of one particular group are greater than another 

• These issues have been going on in the church since the very beginning 

What does the Bible say about race?

1. All people are made in the image of God

2. Dividing over skin tone is the embodiment of the pride of human sin and false worship

3. The Gospel is meant to unite God’s people and restore the ethic and cultural diversity to a place of wonder and hope 

4. The future manifestation of God’s kingdom will be one in which our worship and culture will be enriched by human diversity 

Application within the Church

1. We need to recognize our own biases 

2. We need to become aware of culturally embedded sin patterns 

3. We need to respond with love not guilt 

Wealth 

• The accumulation of property and possessions that have value

• More than just material possessions (time, knowledge, etc)

Income

• The wages (paid in money or another valuable form of exchange) that one earns for the work that they preform 

Networth

• The value of one’s assets minus the value of one’s liabilities 

• Assets are all items of value that are owned by an individual, including cash, investments, and property 

• Liabilities are all the obligations and debts that an individual owes 

Poverty

• The absence of sufficient wealth to meet the basic necessities of life

Stewardship

The management of resources by one individual on behalf of the owner where both the owner and the manager benefit 

Key Virtues Related to Wealth and Poverty

• Contentment

• Generosity

• Neighbor love 

When Helping Hurts Model 

• Relief: The urgent and temporary provision of emergency aid to reduce immediate suffering from a natural or manmade crisis. Ex: Hurricane, tornado, flood, etc

• Rehabilitation: Begins as soon as the bleeding stops; it seeks to restore people and their communities to the positive elements of their pre-crisis condition 

• Development: Is a process of ongoing change that moves all the people involved- both the “helpers” and the “helped”- closer to being in the right relationship with God, self, others, and the rest of creation. In particular, the materially poor develop and are better able to fulfill their calling of glorifying God by working and supporting themselves and their families with the fruits of that work

Government’s role in alleviating poverty

• The principle of Subsidiarity 

• Subsidiarity holds that nothing should be done by a larger and more complex organization which can be done as well by a smaller and simpler organization 

• Meaning if your community can do it, you do not need the state government  

Inherent Value

Something that has value simply by existing

Instrumental Value

Something that has value because of what it can do or what it can be used for

Worldviews on Creation Care

• Anthropecentric

• Biocentric

• Ecocentric

• Theocentric

Anthropecentric

• Human-centered 

• Humans have inherent moral value over their environment 

• Typically arises from a darwinistic view of the universe (the idea that we all started from a center level, but as humans evolved humans became of more value) 

• Nature has instrumental value 

Biocentric 

• Life-centered 

• All living organisms have inherent, moral value 

• Humans are unique among other living things but do not have more value 

Ecocentric 

• Biosphere-centered 

• The entire biosphere and its ecosystem have inherent value 

• Humans are just participants in the ecosystem 

• Some may even view humans as a virus that corrupts the ecosystem 

Theocentric 

• God-centered 

• All creation has inherent value 

• Humans have the highest value because we are made in the image of God 

• This allows our role as humans to be stewards over God’s creation

Christian Versions of Theocentric Environmental Ethics

• Dominionist

• Dependance 

• Stewardship 

Domionionist 

• Belief that humans have supreme value 

• Creation has instrumental value 

• Still believes that God created the world, but allows for humans to do whatever we want with creation 

Dependence

• Belief that creation has inherent value 

• Humans must serve and protect creation 

• Problem: Creation isn’t dependent on us 

Stewardship

• Creation has inherent value

• Humans are to rule over creation in God’s name 

• Functions like an ambassador as God allows us to speak and act on behalf of the good of creation