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Christian Ethics

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... means of determining which human persons, acts, and attitudes receive God's ... The outcome of actions/behavior makes that action right ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Christian Ethics


1
Christian Ethics
2
ETHICS
RIGHT
WRONG
3
ETHICS
  • ta etheka, the customary, the approved
  • But- Accepted by Whom? On Whose Authority?

4
DEFINITION OF ETHICS
  • Ethics is the process of determining right and
    wrong, Scott Rae, Moral Choices, 15
  • This is a satisfactory definition. However, it
    is also a definition which can be used by an
    unbeliever as well as by a Christian

5
DEFINITION OF ETHICS
  • There is a BETTER definition Ethics is
    theology, viewed as a means of determining which
    human persons, acts, and attitudes receive Gods
    blessing and which do not. John Frame, Doctrine
    of the Christian Life, 1
  • This definition assumes the covenantal character
    of Christian ethics
  • Because of Gods grace, the believer has been
    brought into relationship with God, relationship
    that brings about obligations to love God and to
    keep his commandments

6
DEFINITION OF MORALITY
  • Morality is the end result of ethical
    deliberation, the substance of right and wrong,
    Rae, MC, 15
  • This is a satisfactory definition
  • But there is nothing distinctively Christian
    about it
  • A BETTER definition Morality is the end result
    of the process of determining which human
    persons, acts and attitudes receive Gods
    blessing and which do not. -John Frame, Ethics
    Syllabus

7
DEFINITION OF VIRTUE
  • Aristotle, Virtue is a state of character
    concerned with choice, lying in a mean, i.e., the
    mean relatively to us. Nichomachean Ethics, ix.
    (Excellence)
  • In Scripture, arete, areth, Gk., is not a result
    of formation of habits, the mean between excess
    and deficiency, but the result of the presence of
    the grace of God

8
DEFINITION OF VIRTUE
  • Phil. 48, Finally, brothers, whatever is true,
    whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is
    pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is
    admirable--if anything is excellent or
    praiseworthy--think about such things
  • II Peter 15, For this very reason, make every
    effort to add to your faith goodness and to
    goodness, knowledge

9
SUMMUM BONUM
  • For the non-Christian, the highest good assumes
    the current state of affairs to be normative
    What is wrong with this picture? Is the world as
    it is representative of how God intended it?
  • For the Christian, the highest good is otherwise
    Mans chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy
    him forever. Shorter Catechism, Q.1

10
SUMMUM BONUM
  • To express this in other terms, Van Til says,
    the kingdom of God is mans summum bonum. By the
    term kingdom of God we mean the realized program
    of God for man. . . . The most important aspect
    of this program is surely that man should realize
    himself as Gods vicegerent in history.
    -Christian Theistic Ethics, 44.

11
ETHICS and MORALITY
  • Most people want to think of themselves as Good
  • Most people would not want to live in a society
    in which morality is unimportant
  • Most people face decisions every day that involve
    questions of right and wrong

12
CATEGORIES OF ETHICS
  • Descriptive Ethics refer to ethics as done from
    a sociological or anthropological perspective.
  • This describes Moral Behavior
  • For a Christian, such ethics may be a worthwhile
    field for empirical study, but fail to address
    the imperative of covenantal obedience

13
CATEGORIES OF ETHICS
  • Normative Ethics is the discipline that produces
    moral norms or rules as its end product
  • This prescribes Moral Behavior
  • This is the Thus saith the Lord of Scripture as
    it directs the hearer of the Word to be a doer of
    the Word as well

14
CATEGORIES OF ETHICS
  • Metaethics investigates the meaning of moral
    language, or the epistemology of ethics, Rae,
    MC, 15
  • This authorizes and legitimizes Moral Behavior
  • For the non-Christian, this is a most troublesome
    issue, for apart from God it is difficult to
    rationalize a basis for ethical behavior

15
CATEGORIES OF ETHICS
  • Aretaic Ethics is a category of ethics that
    focuses on the virtues produced in people, not
    the morality of specific acts, Rae, MC, 16.
  • This links Moral Behavior with Virtue
  • For Christians, this is spiritual formation
  • Theologically, this can be viewed as the
    imperative for relating progressive
    sanctification to definitive sanctification

16
PROBLEM SOURCE OF ETHICS
ABOVE?
BELOW?
17
ETHICS and METAETHICS
  • DEONTOLOGICAL SYSTEMS
  • TELEOLOGICAL SYSTEMS
  • RELATIVISTIC SYSTEMS

18
ETHICAL SYSTEMS Authoritative or Deontological
  • An authoritative moral source to govern behavior
  • deon- duty
  • logos- science, discourse
  • Transcendent Ethical Norm
  • God
  • Natural Law
  • Reason

19
ETHICAL SYSTEMS Authoritative or Deontological
  • Definitive standard
  • Capable of motivating for self-sacrifice
  • Obligation, but not discerned from sense
    experience
  • Ethical Norm imposes duty
  • Universally binding

20
ETHICAL SYSTEMS Authoritative or Deontological
  • Varieties
  • Divine Command Theory (God says it)
  • Natural Law (General Revelation)
  • Ethical Rationalism (a universally binding norm)

21
ETHICAL SYSTEMS Authoritative or Deontological
  • PROBLEM
  • May deal just with surface appearances
  • Fails to consider mitigating circumstances

22
ETHICAL SYSTEMS Consequential or Teleological
  • Assumes the End justifies the Means
  • telos- end, goal
  • logos- science, discourse
  • Immanent Ethical Norm
  • Mundane
  • Practical
  • Doing good brings happiness. The moral life is
    the good life.

23
ETHICAL SYSTEMS Consequential or Teleological
  • The outcome of actions/behavior makes that action
    right
  • Moral Task is to determine the means to the end-
    happiness
  • Moral Goodness is concrete, in the situation, not
    abstracted

24
ETHICS and METAETHICS
  • TELEOLOGICAL SYSTEMS
  • Utilitarianism (greatest good for greatest number
    of people)
  • Ethical Egoism (self-interest determines
    morality)

25
ETHICAL SYSTEMS Consequential or Teleological
  • PROBLEM
  • Often elevates one absolute above all others
  • Lacks subtlety and flexibility

26
ETHICAL SYSTEMS Existential
  • Assumes there is no objective source for moral
    propriety
  • Immanent Ethical Norm is INWARD
  • True righteousness is never hypocritical
  • Ethical norm affirmed from within
  • Judging merely on externals is wrong
  • Moral Law must be MY Law

27
ETHICAL SYSTEMS Existential
  • Each is responsible for the authenticity of
    his/her actions
  • Ethical behavior is self-realization
  • An expression of human nature (Aquinas)
  • Or, an expression of human freedom (Sartre, and
    others who deny there is any essential human
    nature)

28
ETHICS and METAETHICS
  • RELATIVISTIC SYSTEMS
  • Cultural Relativism (different cultures,
    different values)
  • Personal Relativism (I determine right and wrong)
  • Existentialism (authentic existence determines
    right choice)
  • Emotivism (morality expresses feelings about a
    subject)

29
ETHICAL SYSTEMS Existential
  • PROBLEM
  • Fails to provide a basis for distinguishing moral
    from immoral behavior

30
ETHICS THREE PERSPECTIVES
1. The Situation
What is the dilemma?
What is the situation that requires my response?
31
ETHICS THREE PERSPECTIVES
  • 2. Norm

What is Right?
What does God say?
32
ETHICS THREE PERSPECTIVES
3. Self
What is my attitude toward the problem?
How do I relate to the situation and the norm?
33
THREE PERSPECTIVES
SITUATION
NORM
SELF
34
THREE PERSPECTIVES
RIGHT
SITUATION
SELF
NORM
35
Christian Ethics
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