2 - Doing Ethics from a Christian Perspective

Aristotles three Laws of thought

- examples of foundational principles; helps one think rationally 1. The law of identity 2. The law of Non-contradiction 3. The law of the Excluded Middle

Why a Christina perspective? In a post-modern world

- justification for ethics from a Christian standpoint? - all forms of knowledge/truth embedded in a cultural context? - "cultural relativism"

Sacrifical love is the highest good; it is the end which God pursues in His relationships. Consequently it is the highest good that forms the end of all moral action

- love is creative; it is Gods essence to create, and all His creative acts are in keeping eith Gods loving intention; evil, in the strictest since then, is not created but is a perversion of things God created as good - love is redemptive; when people God created fall from their original good state, he sets about to redeem them; - love is interpersonal action rather than a feeling to attitude; it is "other-directed" - for Christians, love is epitomized by Gods revleation through CHrist

Gods will for humanity expressed through 2 notions

1. election 2. covenant

the 2 highest duties in the covenant relationship

1. love God unconditionally 2. love ones neighbor as self

Problems with non-foundationalism 1

1. overstates extent of moral disagreement between cultures/across time - agreement on many basic moral issued: ◘ value of human life ◘ importance of personal liberty ◘ basic property rights

covenant code

10 commandments; 1-4 is hebrew rel with God 5-10 rel with each other

some people view prophets as

1rst hebrew monotheists; theological foundation for personal uprightness and social reform

Problems with non-foundationalism 2

2. Infers non-existence of absolute moral standards: - subjective nature of moral judgemnts = denial that objectively real standards exist ◘ not real ◘ only opinions ◘ no existence independent of our contemplation of them - circular reasoning? ◘ denying existence of objectuvely real moral foundations by asserting that all moral claims are only subjective

TOrah

3 legal codes that contribute to OT ethics: a. covenant code b. the holiness code c. Deuteronomic code

The kingdom of God through Jesus' ministry

God reigns among people in a qualitatively new way; Disciples to be transformed in their thinking, actions : - lives were reformed in accordacne with God's will - obedience to God was to be purused regardless of cost Taught that his message was consistent with: - Jewish Law - love for God and neighbor = highest good reaffirmed in OT and NT

by creating humans with free will

God undertakes risk and sacrifice: - allows them to sin - provides means for reconcillation

Gods creative and redemptive activity is motiveated by

His love for creation, desire to relate to creation,

Pauls doctrine of _____________ was very important

Holy Spirit; a christians inner moral compass'; in pharisaical judiasm - law played that role of moral compass and required absolute duty to Gods will

risk of Gods scarifical love brought in to focus

Jesus; life, death, ressurection

Jesus tought as a

Jewish rabbi, healer; deep influence of His Jewish heritage/upbringing and His perspective about the coming end ot the world

Pauls background

Jewish rabbi; trained as a pharisee; had a deep understanding of Jewish Law; advocated the moral obligations the law placed on ones life

Jesus' teachings incorporate 4 important concepts

Kingdom of God; The Law; Sacrificial Love; Reversal of Fortunes

Scripture

Old and New testaments; foundational for faith & practice; tradition, experiience, and readon are responses to/means of applying scripture

ethics in specific parts of OT FOUND IN

Torah prophets wisdom writers

Love theory implications: 6

all moral reasoning must take into account the possibility of human falling in calculating te likely consequences of actions; this call for deep humility in deciding moral dilemmas

Law of Identity

all x is x of something is truw, then it will always be true

the bible

always been the foundation for christian ethical pracive; any appeal to christian traditions, exp, or reason must be founded in the OT and NT (both)

If we assume elemental, foundational principles for knowledge/truth do not exist:

assertion of truth claims on any basis becomes impossible

Hebrews and early christians

attempted to combine the concepts of consequences and absolute duty in ethics

Love theory implications: 3

basic human rights may exist only insofar as they are in keeping with Gods creative and redemptive purposes persons may conduct themselves in such a way as to forfeit those rights

obedience to Gods will is

basic to OT ethics; absolute obedience was saw as the highest good

EX: if Law of Non-contradiction not inforce

becomes possible to state as equally true: A) there is no universally valid foundation for moral statements B) there is at least one universally valid foundation for moral statements

Evidence of Gods love

call on Isreal into covenant relationship; acts on redemption on her behalf

Through Pauls experience with the Risen Christ

came to see pharisaism in light of the forgiveness offered through faith in Christ; largely critical of the demands of the Jewish law; ethical teachings rooted in the moral teachings of the torah, including the concept of loving ones neighbor

Paul was persuaded that

christians were to now direct that duty of Gods will toward the Holy Spirit and express loyalty to God by obedience to moral demands of His Spirit

Reversal of fortunes

come about through kingdom of God; disenfranchise those in power; bring justice to the oppressed (first last/last first); servanthood; some of Jesus' most stringent ethical demands encourages people to prepare for reversal

Pauls ethical statements reflect

concrete advice to specific groups of Christians : - living in environments that were hostile to them - likely did not excpect ethical advice to have universal applicability

prophets - social justice

critical of social policies allowing oppression; incumbent of all people (not just Hebrews)

holiness code

described moral behavior in terms of being "Holy" (seperate); Gods people to be seperate from foreign nations and their immoral practices

emphasize on divine love

does not minimize Gods holiness, justice

Paul taught that the Holy Spirit

dwells inside christians; provides moral guidance through inner enlightenment that the law cannot provide

tradition

encompasses community of faith; reflects community's effort to interpret and apply scriptures in daily life and in ethical decision making

Old testament ethics

essntially theocentric; nature of human obligation is grounded in the moral characteristics of God; God is Creator, Sovereign ruler, Redeemer

theology of prophets

ethical monotheism; micah 6:8 emphasizes ethics of prophets: "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you?To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly[a] with your God."

Law of Excluded Middle

everything is either x or non-x

wisdom writers

ex: proverbs; practical approaches to ethics; Gods wisdom is written into the nature of the world; acheiving happiness and success lies in discovering hte principles of wisdom and practiicng them

Implications for understanding Justice from a christian perspective

for the hebrews, the term justice of God used in reference to Gods activity; rather than justice being a standard which Gods actions achieve, for the Hebrews justice was defined by what God did, what God does is, by definition just; so, in the bible, moral justice consists of behaving toward others as God behaves toward others: rather than bing the opposite of love, justice requires loves and forgiveness

in philospophy, first principle is a

foundational proposition/assumption ; cannot be deduced from any other proposition/assumption

The law

held moral teaching of Torah in high esteem; was ambivalent about the ritual performance (of law); never contradicted the ritual commands; He implied that moral uprightness is superior to acts of performance; especially critical of oral law of the Pharisees; openly flouted the Torah regulations regarding holiness, ritual purity; associated freely with the ritually unclean (lepers...)

Love theory implications: 2

human beings pocess certian basic rights by virtue of Gods creattive-redemptive love for them; there may be disagreements about the exact extent of these rights; life, well-being, and property may be seen as the most basic

NOTE** falleness of human nature

human faculties of reason can relably further Gods will for us: only when in service of faith

even claim of non-foundationalism

impossible to express naturally if Law of Non-contradiction not always in force

the methodist quadrilateral (a christian ethical system)

in this system christian faith is enriched/informed through 4 sources of revelation: Scripture tradition Experience reason

experience

includes general aspects of life; encounter with Spirit of God - in light of understanding and interpretation of scriptures

Love theory implications: 5

it is neccessary to calculate the likely consequences of an action before we can know whether it is morally good; if this is so, then Dr. Young would argue that, all ethics, including christian ethics, is teleological and not deontological in nature calculating consequences of actions is drought with peril due to the fallenness of humanity, and sin, but it is unavailable in pursuing the moral life

must assume universal truth of elemntary principles or

knowledge/truth claims impossible to formulate or express

Gods holiness does not

limit his ability to love, forgive; God IS holy (different from us in ability to act, know, love)

Paul became professional

missionary; letters to young congregations gave moral advice; moral teachings often in latter parts of his letters; advice tailored to the needs of the recipeint churches and their particular diffuculties

prophets - personal righteousness

more than keeping ritual demands; law to pervade every aspect of life (********)

whatever ethical system one adopts

must be based on first principles

Basic assumption of post-modernism

non-foundationalism: - no universally applicable foundations for knowledge or truth claims - i.e. no universal frame of reference for objectively judging truth claims

Law of Non-Contradiction

nothing can be both x and non-x

election

of isreal to be Gods own, special people by His love and grace aloine; not by human merit

Love theory implications: 1

other human beings should be treated as ends in themselves and never as means to an end only; even when ithers can serve as means to an end, they should never be treated as merely a means to an end

Love theory implications: 4

personal values are greater goods than material values; in any sytem of goods, there are often conflicts between competeing goods; goods that preserve personal values are superior to other goods

Prophets

primariily sermons; call to repentance (and warnings) of staying in fractured relationship with God; classical period of OT prophecy was 750-450 ; teaches/messages on personal righteousness and social justive

Jesus Roles of >>>>

prophet, healer, teacher

What does love require in human conduct, or what obligations does in place on human beings in the arena of behaving morally?

rather than focus on rules here, consider some gernal pricipels of conduct thta if follwed would contribute the the "love pirnicple" being recognized

To the wsidom w those who suffered in life are

rebellious, irreligious, vondictive, lazy, impulsive

a workable ethical system

requires overarching idealogical framework

Pauls defining of ethics influneced by

role as a church planter; understainfging of Holy Spirit

on other hand - both OT and NT indicate that

sacrifical love is the end which God purues in all of His relationships; this is at the heart of the ethical obligation in the Bible

Sacrifical Love

signified word and deed; highest human virtue; typified in His teaching; Jesus' death allows our reconciliation

Failure to manifest love and covenant fidelity was

sin

Pauls moral teachings must be understood in light of

situations he was trying to address at time; particular congregations; ex: head coverings, obedience to gov, ostracizing church members who rejected his teachings, role of women in church

NOTE** faith itself is not listed as source of revelation

some consider fatih to be a response to the 4 sources and not a source in/of itself

on one hand - recognized Gods

sovereignty over all creaton (divine claim here, bot divine control)l those in covnentn rel with God accept his authority, obey unconditionally; there is no higher good

Dueteronomic code

summarizeds the covenant and holiness codes; love as cheif motivation for moral action for both God and Isreal

cultural relativism

the ability to understand a culture on its own terms and not to make judgments using the standards of one's own culture.

covenant

the outworking of love and grace, God entered into a covenant relationship with Israelites; Israelites promised to love God and keep His commandments

NT Ethics

the roots of christianity in the OT; specific crcumstances of the early church (context)

Gods construction of world (wisdom writera)

those who prosper are: reverent, patient, diligent, self-controlled (virtues)

reason

use of God given rational facilites to make judgements; about nature of the world, human nature, nature of Gods work in the world, and nature of Gods plans for humans

christains have depended on

various sources in making moral decisions; together they offer a system of guidance in moral reasoning

sin

willful fracturing of covenant rel with God; leaves one estranged from God

could one argue that the christian worldview is not the only one or most reasonable found for constructing an ethical system?

yes