Christian Ethics- week 6

what does Oruka write about concerning intuition?

there's some inborn ability or force which everyone seems to have. they're people who are able to form correct opinion about strangers as they meet them for 1st time. what enables people to form such a correct opinion about strangers is intuition, inborn ability or force man has making decisions

customs

establish socially accepted practice, social customs vary from country to country. need not always be ancient habitats. can be rules life in modern society

what does intuition relay on?

relies on instinct and difficult express words

conscience

possible express in words. usually personal while customs public

what are the 2 divisions of reasoning in ethics?

deductive and inductive

deductive reasoning

conclusion drawn statements which in themselves are universally accepted

inductive reasoning

move from example of particular to infer things about the general

what are the 4 sources of authority/wesleyan quadrilateral?

scripture. tradition. reason. experience

scripture authority/wesleyan quadrilateral

bedrock of our faith and practice. scola scripture

tradition authority/wesleyan quadrilateral

teaching of the church down through centuries. often referring to part of the whole

reason authority/wesleyan quadrilateral

essential everything we do in life. limited in what it can do for us

experience authority/wesleyan authority

can help confirm or deny our belief system. not thought of as source for doctrine or moral teaching

tradition is good but...

it can become despotic and lead one astray

reason is necessary but...

can be used self serving ends

experience is important but...

can lead to all kind of crazy beliefs and practices

scripture is...

most objective and least corruptible

what's the problem with scripture?

most only give lip service to acknowledging the authority of the Bible in our lives

what does Hays say about the Bible?

Bible itself contain diverse points of view and diverse interpretive methods can yield diverse readings of any given method

questions to be asked when looking at the Bible

who wrote it? what's nature of writing? to whom was it written? when? why?

how is scripture suppose to be interpreted?

as a whole. it it's own best interpreter. interpret from clear to unclear

progressive revelation

God reveals gradually over time Israelites did not know better

if a literal application results

in "legalism" and injustice, then seek understand principle behind biblical injustice

what are ethical teachings?

normative and universally binding

Paul Tillich says

theological system is supposed to satisfy 2 basic needs. statement of truths of Christian message and interpretation of this truth for every new generation

african christian ethics not enough....

simply acknowledge God as supreme being

what would most african christians agree on?

that christian morality must be grounded in God's revelation of himself in his word, Holy Sciptures

what have africans traditionally taken?

holistic view and rejected the dualism that regards body and soul as separate entities

when we are right in standing with...

God, also in position have good relationships w/other human beings

God not only exists but...

also take vengeance on behalf of those who have been wronged

african christian ethics should...

concentrate upon what ways of thinking and what ways of acting are appropriate to christian community of faith... within that community

creation care ethics

anthropocentric. biocentric. theocentric

earth functions organically, steadily...

working to heal and renew what gets disturbed

what is perhaps the most significan and most holey debated dimension of ecological crisis?

climate change

economic injustice increases...

ecological degradation and ecological degradation causes human suffering

anthropocentric approaches

place humans at center of concern. God mat have created universe but God created it for our sake and has now handed dominion of it over to humans

anthropocentric utilitarian approach

land, air, water, and other living creatures have worth only according to their utilitarian value for humans

biocentric approach

no special status to human beings. all living creature have equal intrinsic worth/value. divine immanence

Gaia hypothesis

planet forms a living whole of which all its constituent part, living, and nonliving are a part

members of deep ecology

movement have adapted the Gaia thesis into a pantheistic nature to Gaia, the earth

theocentric approach

reject anthropocentric utiliarian and "wise management" approaches in which only humans have intrinsic worth, as well as radical egalitarianism of various biocentric approaches. criticize views of divine transcendence. ecofeminism. broad subset theocentric emphasize a convenantal perspective

earthkeeper stewardship ethic

partly anthropocentric, human interests and responsibilities central. partly theocentric, humans mandated by God to care for creation

biblical and theological reflection on creation care

human sinfulness created alienation between humanity and rest of creation. noachic covenant, God portaryed as making an unconditional pledge in perpetuity to all humanity, creatures, and earth never again destroy by flood

transforming initiates and christian practices

church be more persuasive if it practices what it teaches