Christian Ethics Exam Two, Dr. Stephenson, Lee University

the Spirit

Paul declares that this, rather than the law, gives life

Scripture (Bible)

Christian ethics is based primarily on this

the Holy Spirit

Paul saw this as the new moral dynamic that Christians enjoy

salvation

in the early church (especially Paul), this is the basis of the moral life

the Kingdom of God

Jesus replaced the ethic of his contemporaries with an ethic associated with this

righteousness

instead of searching for the good life and cultivating virtues, the Hebrews were concerned with this

God in covenant

this is the basic theme of the ethical life in the Hebrew scriptures

Christlikeness

Paul saw this as the goal of the moral life

Jewish religious leaders, especially the scribes and Pharisees

the context of Jesus' ethical teaching is his conflict with these people

who actually are the people of God; human merit and divine rewards; the intent of the law; theological foundation for the ethical life

list the four ethical issues over which Jesus disagreed with his contemporaries

deontological ethics

non-consequentialist ethics
-whether an act is good or evil is determined by following rules (Greek "deon" \= obligation/necessity)
-emphasis is on the rules
-divine command theory, natural law, covenant ethics

divine command theory

a type of deontological ethics
-God establishes moral laws that are universally binding: something is good if God wills it, and something is evil if God wills against it
-sole purpose for obeying God's law is that God wills it, not necessarily to promote our own good or the general good

how do people know what God wills?

according to divine command theory, people know what God wills because it is usually expressed in that religion's sacred writings, and the religious community interprets them for their meaning and application

advantage of divine command theory

morality seems to be independent of what any individual thinks or likes and what any society happens to sanction

problems with divine command theory

-different sacred scriptures exist; which ones express God's commands?
-interpretation is always necessary, so there is still a subjective element

divine command theory questions

1. Is a command good because God commands it, or does God make a command because it is inherently good?
2. Are any Christians supposed to follow all divine commands in scripture? Are any divine commands of greater or lesser value for Christians?

is a command good because God commands it, or does God make a command because it is inherently good?

responses to this question of divine command theory
-the first suggests that anything would have to be called good if God commanded it
-the second suggests that there is a standard outside of God to which he must measure up, making God subject to something other than himself
-another option: God commands what is good, and the standard of good is his own being. The standard, then, is internal and not external; therefore, God is not subject to an external standard

natural law

a type of deontological ethics
-rules of morality are embedded in nature itself
-rules are universally available
-biblical bases in Romans 1:18-20; 2:12-15
-Thomas Aquinas
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
-Humanae Vitae

Thomas Aquinas

natural law- 13th c., Summa Theologica
-God's laws can be learned in part through human reason (not only through scripture)
-God created humans with natural inclinations to certain "ends"
-"ends" are the fulfillment of actions, which are governed by "laws"
-God gives only good inclinations; humans can uncover "natural laws" by reflecting on their ends
-God's laws are eternal, but can be known to the extent that they exist in humans as natural laws
-natural laws are in everyone and cannot be erased

Martin Luther King, Jr.

natural law- "Letter from a Birmingham Jail"
-any law that uplifts human personality is just
-any law that degrades human personality is unjust (segregation)

Humanae Vitae

natural law- "human life"
-encyclical document written by Pope Paul VI (1968) addressing the regulation of birth
-economic pressures and technological advancements make it desirable and possible for family to regulate number of children
-parents must acknowledge their duty to God, themselves, and society; not free to act however they wish concerning procreation; bound to God's will as revealed in the nature of marriage

marriage and sex

according to Humanae Vitae
-marriage and sex are ordained by nature for procreation and for the union of husband and wife
-marital union and potential procreation cannot be separated: no sex that intentionally avoids conception through unnatural means
-sex itself is noble, and is not illegitimate in cases of infertility

implications of humanae vitae

what's out and what's in, according to Pope Paul VI
-out: abortion, even for therapeutic purposes
-out: sterilization, permanent or temporary
-out: "any action which either before, at the moment of, or after sexual intercourse is intended to prevent procreation"
-in: observing natural cycles of the reproductive system (now called "natural family planning")

negative consequences for artificial birth control

according to Humanae Vitae
-potential abuse by public authorities
-state may impose contraceptive methods in order to control population growth

advantages of natural law

-not limited by competing religious texts as sources of divine commands
-universal scope that applies to all human beings, regardless of religion
-affirms that moral standards are based in reality and are objective

problems with natural law

-just because something exists in a certain way does not necessarily mean that it is good (does "ought" necessarily follow from "is"?)
-though natural laws may be objective, our subjective understanding of their implications may vary

covenant ethics

a type of deontological ethics
-different from divine command and from natural law
-rules often require more specific things of us and impose obligations that are not universal

covenant is different from divine command

not just a set of rules; relationship of lasting commitment in which rules are part of faithfulness to the covenant

covenant is different from natural law

not just locating moral laws in an order that is part of reality; locates the moral rules in a relationship of faithfulness between people or between individuals and God

deontological ethics synthesis

from a deontological perspective, Christian ethics has 3 ways to understand moral rules: divine command, natural law, and covenant)
-unlike teleological ethics, these are not incompatible
-each way of thinking about rules is different
-these approaches have in common the idea that moral rules are objective

divine command thinking about rules

God's authority distinguishes between right and wrong, and God's revelations tells us which is which
-"do not murder" is presented in the Bible as directly commanded by God

natural law thinking about rules

connection between how we live as reasonable humans and the natural order in which God placed us
-people virtually everywhere recognize murder as immoral, as a violation of their consciences and of the natural order of human relationships

covenant thinking about rules

calls attention to how the rules shape our identity as persons in community
-the rule is part of a covenant relationship, in which a tradition of interpretation and reinterpretation helps people understand its meaning

moral rules are objective

deontological approaches have this idea in common
-we are obligated to follow them whether or not they fit with our preferences, goals, or sense of who we want to be
-they exist independently of our thinking about them

areteological ethics

virtue ethics
-what we do and choose in the end is less significant than the kind of people we become (Greek "arete" \= virtue)
-emphasis on the kind of person one is in the broad scope of one's life, rather than in individual choices
-based on the premise that what I ought to do is related to who I ought to be
-class has focused on decision making, actions, and the principles that guide them
-virtue ethics emphasizes the character of the person who makes the decisions and acts

brief history of areteological ethics

1. Greek philosophy
2. Christian appropriations
3. modern period

Greek philosophy

influenced the beginning of areteological ethics
-Plato wrote about virtues, but they were more significant in Aristotle

Christian appropriations

taking Greek philosophies into Christian ethics
-Christian moral theology incorporated Greek ideas of the virtues
-Thomas Aquinas (13th c.) is one of the most influential examples

modern period

more recent history of areteological ethics
-virtue ethics began to gain popularity in late 1950s
-due to increasing dissatisfaction with other approaches to ethics
\-- modern ethics was not concerned with the kind of person one was
\-- Alasdair MacIntyre: modern ethics produced only disagreements

virtue

a desirable character trait that guides individual decisions over a period of time (honesty, compassion)
-learned behavior is acquired in the way one might learn a skill

virtue becoming learned behavior

1. through practice and repetition, forming a habit
2. training is not isolated, but takes place in communities that shape character (family, church)
3. after enough practice, we act certain ways without thinking about it very much
4. once this happens, the virtue becomes a habit and influences the way a person tends to act

moral life

according to virtue ethics, this should:
1. cultivate virtues that ultimately influence decisions and actions
2. make decisions based on the virtues they cultivate

Christian contributions to virtue ethics

-what is the primary obstacle to living a moral life?
-sin is a serious obstacle between the Christian and the virtues
-something is fundamentally wrong with humans, and they cannot remedy the problem on their own
-cultivating virtues does not happen on its own or simply because we want it to
-virtues are attainable because God offers grace to humans through Christ and the Holy Spirit
-Christian approach to virtue ethics considers both human sinfulness and God's grace

cardinal virtues

this is the term for four of the moral virtues
-means a hinge, that on which a thing turns, its pivotal point: moral life turns on these four virtues as a door turns on its hinges
-prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance

prudence

a cardinal (moral) virtue- wisdom, insight
-the practice of sound judgment
-process of deliberation and execution
-necessary for all other virtues to be practiced to perfection

justice

a cardinal (moral) virtue
-giving to all what is due to them
-two aspects: abstaining from evil towards others and doing good to others
-foundation of perfect love

fortitude

a cardinal (moral) virtue- courage
-doing good despite obstacles, even at the risk of one's life
-manifests both as counteracting evil and as enduring evil
-also related to patience and perseverance

temperance

a cardinal (moral) virtue
-restraining natural desires and appetities
-allows the experience of pleasure within reasonable limits
-moderation, but not necessarily abstinence

theological virtues

Christian moral theology adds these to the list of moral virtues
-given to us by God to assist our relationship with God and other humans
-from a Christian perspective, these are the basis of the moral virtues
-those practicing these virtues are described as beginner, advanced, and perfect
-faith, hope, love (1 Cor. 13:13)

beginner faith

strengthen the basics of belief by studying Christian teaching and avoiding anti-Christian ideas

advanced faith

be able to evaluate all things in life in light of Christian values and belief

perfect faith

experience special gifts from the Holy Spirit affecting knowledge, understanding, and insight

beginner hope

place confidence in God by shifting attention from earthly things to eternal things; this brings consolation in adversity

advanced hope

no longer preoccupied with anxiety about the future

perfect hope

unshakable peace and serenity; does not fear even death, only the Lord

beginner love

since charity is the love with which we love God, one performs basic acts of worship

advanced love

loves others in God; that is, loves everyone without exception

perfect love

love of even enemies results in perfect forgiveness

advantages of areteological ethics

-emphasizes character traits and the importance of developing virtues in our own lives
-encourages one to consider the larger scope of the moral life, not just isolated decisions
-reminds us of the importance of community and early training

objections to areteological ethics

-cultural relativism
-virtue ethics does not tell people exactly what they should do, but this is usually what people want

cultural relativism responses

responses to an objection to areteological ethics
1. this is a challenge, but it is also a problem for the other 2 approaches
2. though local understandings of the virtues may vary, the virtues themselves are not relative to culture
3. so be it! any account of the virtues must derive from the community in which those virtues are to be practiced