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