Ethical Thinking in the Liberal Arts

PHI-305 Topic 5 Overview

TOPIC: Major Ethical Systems: Christian and Theological Ethics

Introduction

Christian ethics necessarily modifies the term “ethics” to focus on the priority that Christian faith and doctrine possess in determining ethical truth, rightness, and goodness. Dennis Hollinger reminds us that “when we do Christian ethics, we are indeed working with a particular understanding of God, life, humanity, and the world, and we are responding out of a specific relationship with God. Both the content of our ethics and the motivations for our responses should reflect the Christian worldview and the covenant relationship with God through Jesus Christ” (2002, p. 21).

Christian and Theological Ethics

The role of the Bible in ethics thinking and moral practice is normative and crucial for Christians. As Stanley Grenz notes, although the Christian ethical tradition developed in a culture that was indebted to the Greek philosophers, Christian have always looked primarily to the Bible as the foundation for living. Therefore, if believers would develop a Christian ethic for today, individuals must engage with Scripture (1997, p. 96). Yet even though virtually all Christian believe it is important to consult divine revelation for shaping their lives, Grenz also notes that “Christian ethicists differ with each other as to the manner in which divine revelation is to inform ethical living;” this includes the relationship between Word and Spirit (1997, p. 242). Contemporary theological scholars tend to focus more on the fact of the Bible as a narrative; a story with beginning, middle, and end. Thus, biblical ethics involves “the manner of life that is incumbent on the community of faith as it is revealed in the story of Jesus” (1997, p. 96).

Along these same lines, James Gustafson points out in the “Christian Ethics” reading, significantly different emphases, priorities, and interpretationsof ethically-focused biblical texts are obvious among different Christian traditions, denominations, and scholars. Even so, Hollinger rightly claims that a largely agreed-upon ground of Christian ethics can be found in the Bible. It “is not blind obedience to laws, principles, or virtues but rather a response to the living, all-powerful God of the universe, who is himself the foundation of those moral guidelines. The content of our moral responses . . . are reflections of God’s character, purposes, and actions in the world” (2002, pp. 64-65.

Glen Stassen and David Gushee in Kingdom Ethics emphasize that the centrality of the “reign of God” and the “Kingdom of God” is thecore message Jesus delivered and embodied, and into which his followers are called to participate. This “Kingdom work” is an ethical one, grounded in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount:
A Christian is (or should be) defined as one who humbles himself or herself and chooses to enter into discipleship, to follow Jesus’ path, to build his or her life
upon his teachings and his practices even at great cost, to pass those teachings and practices on to others, and thus to enjoy the unspeakable privilege of participating in the advance of God’s reign. Jesus inaugurates the long-promised kingdom and thus offers holistic deliverance to the sick, the poor, the guilty and the rejected; incarnates and demands justice and righteousness; practices and teaches the way of peacemaking; and both experiences and imparts joy. Meanwhile, in his ministry and then through his living Spirit, Jesus offers the very presence of God. Disciples of Jesus Christ both taste the joy of kingdom living and are used by Jesus to advance the kingdom until he comes again. (2003, p. 30).

Donald Bloesch judges that theological ethics is neither deontological nor utilitarian; rather, it is revelational, submitting to the divine command (Bloesch, 1987, p. 22). Bloesch proposes a Christocentric ethic: Jesus Christ as central in his teachings and commandments, and above all his life, death, and resurrection. This is in contrast with anthropocentric ethics. Bloesch believes the Christian ethic is a demonstration of the gratitude for what God has done for us in Jesus Christ. Thus, believers are called to be ambassadors and witnesses of Jesus Christ in society, on controversial social and political issues, and on the side of the poor, but not for self-serving purposes.
We do not become our own masters and saviors, as in Nietzsche, but we are under a new Master, the living Christ, who interprets the law for us by the Spirit, who shows us how to obey in the concrete situation in which we find ourselves. (1987, p. 4)

Thus, the Christian ethic is one that always “goes against the stream of popular opinion.” It contravenes rather than ratifies and confirms cultural wisdom. The way of the cross cannot be reconciled with the way of the world, just as the gospel cannot be conjoined with the laws that give stability to social order (1987, pp. 1-5). Therefore, ethics in the Christian sense involves
remaining faithful to the gospel in culture, taking up the cross and following Christ as a witness to peace, confessing Christ as the only Savior and Lord of the world, giving praise to the One who stands in judgment over every worldly claim and presumption, obedience to the gospel of the cross imperatives, upholding the claims of the gospel before the world with our words and our lives. (1987, p. 13

These are just some of the approaches to Christian and theological ethics on offer today. Reading the assigned articles will broaden the spectrum further, revealing more diversity in ethical thinking and moral practice withinthe Christian faith landscape.

Divine-Command Theory

Divine-command theory, also known as theological voluntarism, can be defined as the belief that “God is the source of moral truth and communicates his will to humanity via commands” (Wilkens, 2011, p. 197). Divine-command theory recognizes the depravity
of human beings and the fact that people are “fallen” and incapable of fully discerning God’s moral will on their own. This being the case, God has revealed his will to humanity, typically understood as through the Bible or other religious writing. From a Christian worldview perspective, divine-command ethics has the advantage of stressing God’s sovereignty and human sinfulness. Scripture plays a straightforward role in our moral decision-making. Moreover, it may be the only moral theory that provides an obligation to follow moral precepts.

Besides being a theory that only theists could support, divine-command ethics has been critiqued in a number of ways. Some might ask if it is acceptable for such a being to give moral commands to mature rational beings without explanation. Others have relied on the Euthyphro Dilemma as a critique of this theory. The Euthyphro Dilemma is based on a dialogue by Plato, which essentially asks, does God command something because it is good, or is it good because God commands it? In the former, God does not seem to be sovereign while in the latter ethics seems to be arbitrary. Christian thinkers have typically responded to this question by asserting that God’s nature is “goodness.” Therefore, the “Good” is defined by God’s will and his eternal, unchanging nature.

Another question is whether divine-command ethics diminishes the role of human reason in moral decision-making. It should be noted that people regularly utilize reasoning to interpret biblical commands. For example, does the command not to kill apply to hunting animals, to acts of warfare, or to certain other situations? As with other commands of Scripture, it is essential to understand something of the background, context, purpose, and intended recipients of the command.

Conclusion

Theological ethics begins and ends with God. More particularly, robust Christian ethics is based on a Christian worldview, grounded in the triune God, with Jesus Christ at its center. Divine-command theory focuses on the commands of God as found in Scripture as the definitive foundation for morality, revealing God’s will. Ultimately, these ethical theories are concerned with living in obedience to God; for Christians, this is preeminently in response to the love and grace of God revealed through Christ Jesus.

References

Bloesch, Donald G. (1987). Freedom for obedience: Evangelical ethics in contemporary times. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock Publishers.

Grenz, S. J. (1997). The moral quest: Foundations of Christian ethics. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press

Hollinger, D. P. (2002). Choosing the good: Christian ethics in a complex world. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.

Stassen, G. H., & Gushee, D. P. (2003). Kingdom ethics: Following Jesus in contemporary context. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press.

Pojman, L., & Fieser, J. (2012). Ethics: Discovering right and wrong (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Wadsworth.

Wilkens, S. (2011).Beyond bumper sticker ethics: An introduction to theories of right and wrong(2nded.). Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press. © 2019. Grand Canyon University. All Rights Reserved.

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