Christian Ethics

8/23/2015Christian Ethics Part 12 ETHICS RIGHT WRONG

8/23/2015Christian Ethics Part 13 ETHICS ta etheka, the customary, the approved But- Accepted by Whom? On Whose Authority?

8/23/2015Christian Ethics Part 14 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

8/23/2015Christian Ethics Part 15 DEFINITION OF ETHICS There is a BETTER definition: Ethics is “theology, viewed as a means of determining which human persons, acts, and attitudes receive God’s blessing and which do not.” John Frame, Doctrine of the Christian Life, 1 –This definition assumes the covenantal character of Christian ethics –Because of God’s grace, the believer has been brought into relationship with God, relationship that brings about obligations to love God and to keep his commandments

8/23/2015Christian Ethics Part 16 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 God’s blessing and which do not.” -John Frame, Ethics Syllabus

8/23/2015Christian Ethics Part 17 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

8/23/2015Christian Ethics Part 18 DEFINITION OF VIRTUE Phil. 4:8, “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 1:5, “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge”

8/23/2015Christian Ethics Part 19 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: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.” Shorter Catechism, Q.1

8/23/2015Christian Ethics Part 110 SUMMUM BONUM To express this in other terms, Van Til says, “the kingdom of God is man’s 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 God’s vicegerent in history.” -Christian Theistic Ethics, 44.

8/23/2015Christian Ethics Part 111 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

8/23/2015Christian Ethics Part 112 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

8/23/2015Christian Ethics Part 113 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

8/23/2015Christian Ethics Part 114 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

8/23/2015Christian Ethics Part 115 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

8/23/2015Christian Ethics Part 116 PROBLEM: SOURCE OF ETHICS ABOVE? BELOW?

8/23/2015Christian Ethics Part 117 ETHICS and METAETHICS DEONTOLOGICAL SYSTEMS TELEOLOGICAL SYSTEMS RELATIVISTIC SYSTEMS

8/23/2015Christian Ethics Part 118 ETHICAL SYSTEMS: Authoritative or Deontological An authoritative moral source to govern behavior –deon- duty –logos- science, discourse Transcendent Ethical Norm: –God –Natural Law –Reason

8/23/2015Christian Ethics Part 119 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

8/23/2015Christian Ethics Part 120 ETHICAL SYSTEMS: Authoritative or Deontological Varieties –Divine Command Theory (“God says it”) –Natural Law (General Revelation) –Ethical Rationalism (a universally binding norm)

8/23/2015Christian Ethics Part 121 ETHICAL SYSTEMS: Authoritative or Deontological PROBLEM: –May deal just with surface appearances –Fails to consider mitigating circumstances

8/23/2015Christian Ethics Part 122 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.

8/23/2015Christian Ethics Part 123 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

8/23/2015Christian Ethics Part 124 ETHICS and METAETHICS TELEOLOGICAL SYSTEMS –Utilitarianism (greatest good for greatest number of people) –Ethical Egoism (self-interest determines morality)

8/23/2015Christian Ethics Part 125 ETHICAL SYSTEMS: Consequential or Teleological PROBLEM: –Often elevates one absolute above all others –Lacks subtlety and flexibility

8/23/2015Christian Ethics Part 126 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

8/23/2015Christian Ethics Part 127 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)

8/23/2015Christian Ethics Part 128 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)

8/23/2015Christian Ethics Part 129 ETHICAL SYSTEMS: Existential PROBLEM: –Fails to provide a basis for distinguishing moral from immoral behavior

8/23/2015Christian Ethics Part 130 ETHICS: THREE PERSPECTIVES What is the dilemma? What is the situation that requires my response? 1. The Situation

8/23/2015Christian Ethics Part 131 ETHICS: THREE PERSPECTIVES What is Right? What does God say? 2. Norm

8/23/2015Christian Ethics Part 132 ETHICS: THREE PERSPECTIVES What is my attitude toward the problem? How do I relate to the situation and the norm? 3. Self

8/23/2015Christian Ethics Part 133 THREE PERSPECTIVES SELF SITUATION NORM

8/23/2015Christian Ethics Part 134 THREE PERSPECTIVES SITUATION NORM SELF “RIGHT”

Christian Ethics