Lecture 4: Christian Ethics
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This document discusses different approaches to Christian ethics in a postmodern world. It analyzes cultural relativism, situation ethics, and behaviorism as inadequate options before arguing that ethical absolutes grounded in biblical authority provide the best framework. The document also examines four models of how Christians should relate to culture: the separational model, identificational model, transformational model, and incarnational model. It concludes that the incarnational model, exemplified by Jesus, offers the best synthesis by living in the world but not being of it to transform culture from within through adherence to biblical principles.
Lecture 4: Christian Ethics
- 2. Christian Ethics IN A POSTMODERN WORLD
- 4. Ethics = ethos = “stall” A. What is normative, absolute B. What people ought to do C. It is a place of stability and permanence D. It refers to a set of standards
- 5. Morality = mores = shifting behavioral patterns A. What people do B. The morals of one generation and one geographical location will differ from one another. C. When ethics and morals is confused, the culture makes the norms. D. The prevailing values and norms of a local area determine such things as laws governing pornography. E. The norm of human behavior can be determined by statistical studies;polls;votes F. The behavior that is widely practiced can become a society’s ethical standard. Ethics become relativistic, a floating set of patterns.
- 6. Why Study Ethics? 1. Our culture has no absolute framework 2. Many issues present a “slippery slope” 3. To understand its integrated nature 4. To learn to defend biblical positions
- 7. Biblical Authority • The Bible is a set of absolutes that reflects God’s character and defines human duty. • Geoffrey Bromley- “The commands of God have to be worked out in the stuff of daily life…Some guidance must be offered…” • “The canon of Scriptures are the highest court of authority for doctrine and morals.”-John J. Davis • Gordon-Cnwell Theo. Seminary • Christian Ethics is “the sense of discerning the will of God in concrete situations, and the specific duties that follow from it.
- 8. • The premise of this book is that ethics must be rooted in ethical absolutes. • God may be approached and His revelation of His character understood. • But we must examine the present culture’s basis for morality and why it is inadequate.
- 9. Ethical Options • Cultural Relativism • Situation Ethics • Behaviorism • Ethical Absolutes
- 10. CULTURAL RELATIVISM- First Ethical Option • This group argues that whatever a cultural group approves of becomes right; and whatever the group disapproves of is wrong. • Every culture develops its own moral standards. • Various historical and cultural events such as the Holocaust, Stalinism, communist, atrocities, slavery, Islamic terrorism, Nazism, etc., present difficult problems for the cultural relativist. • What may be called “good” in one society may be called “evil” in another.
- 11. Cultural Relativism • No universal moral standards • Right and wrong is relative • No objective moral standards
- 12. Cultural Relativism • Cultural relativism can lead to individual relativism • What is true for one is not necessarily true for another • Judges 17:6 “Every man did what was right in his own eyes.” • This attitude leads to anarchy. • The fallacy of absolutizing culture is exposed the moment sin enters in the discussion
- 13. Situation Ethics-Second Ethical Option “Love” is the only universal absolute Any action that produces more and less pain, the greatest good for the greatest number is the loving thing to do. Example: In some cases according to Joseph Fletcher adultery and lying is justified.
- 14. Situation Ethics Case: Rahab lying to her own countrymen as to the spies. Did her higher duty to protect the spies supercede her prima facie(on first appearance) duty to tell the truth. Case: If a woman is kidnapped and her husband held hostage and she is ask to commit adultery with enemy soldiers or her husband will be killed. What is right for her to do?
- 15. Situation Ethics • Situational ethics can lead to a trivialization of serious moral principles. • There is no definite criterion for what constitutes a “loving” action. • The moral agent for situational ethics is left up to one’s own personal preference. • Who decides what is loving?
- 16. Behaviorism-A Third Ethical Option o Human behavior is a result of Genetics and the Environment oHumans are products of forces beyond their control oB.F. Skinner- “ethics are entirely based on responses to the conditioning factors of the envirnment.
- 17. Behaviorism • The result of this belief is that people are not responsible for their behavior. • This belief utilizes the manipulative conditioning techniques to maintain their control over people for right behavior. • The Bible says each human being is responsible for his own behavior. Rom.1-3 • No one is going to stand before God and blame their envirnment.
- 18. Ethical Absolutes-The Word of God Fourth Ethical Option (Christian) • God’s Word is an expression of His nature • God is concerned with internal attitudes as well as outward behavior- Mt.5:27-28 • God provides the absolute criteria for determining the value of human beings.
- 19. Chap.3- “How should a Christian Relate to Culture” Introduction 1.The Bible warns about friendship with world-James 4:4 2. The Israelites were constantly warned about gods of other countries. 3.At conversion we are set apart. Gal.6:14 4.We are to be in the world, not of it. a. James 1:27 b. I Cor.7:31 c.Rom.12:2
- 20. The Christian & Culture • The Separational Model • The Identificational Model • The Transformational Model • The Incarnational Model
- 21. The Separational Model • Argues Christians must withdraw from world • Antithesis between Kingdom of God and Kingdom of this world • Examples of Separational Model: Noah, Abram, Moses • Historical Example: Anabaptists, Mennonites, Amish • Modern Historical Example: Jesus People
- 22. The Separational Model- The Dangers 1. Produces Asceticism 2. Produces a Sacred/Secular Society 3. See the danger of seducing spirits that may seem to be “spiritual” I Tim. 4:3-4 4. Separational philosophy is to be practiced as a correction for a brother, not the world. I Cor. 5:9-11
- 23. The Separation Model Withdrawal from the world
- 24. The Separational Model • Can lead to asceticism • Can produce a false sacred/secular dichotomy
- 26. The Identificational Model • Lives both in the kingdom and the world • Can lead to complacency • Can lead to uncritical acceptance of prevailing cultural practices/attitudes • Can lead to loss of Church’s prophetic stance
- 27. The Identificational Model • Examples: Joseph in Egypt • Daniel in Babylonian Empire • Historical Example: Constantine’s Era-It was the “in” thing to be a Christian • Result: Complacency
- 29. The Transformational Model • Emphasis on remaking of Creation from sin’s curse • Neglect of sin’s devastation • Can promote an unbiblical optimism
- 30. The Transformational Model • Example: John Calvin in Geneva • Example: The Puritans • There is much to affirm of this model. It recognizes the power of the gospel to change lives and thus change culture. • The shortcoming is that this model promotes an unbiblical optimism, a near uptopianism.
- 31. The Incarnational Model In the world but not of the world
- 32. The Incarnational Model • Robert Webber in THE SECULAR SAINT- proposes a synthesis of all three • Separated from the evils of culture • Identified with the people and culture of the world • Seeking to transform culture from the inside out
- 33. The Incarnational Model • This is the Jesus Model • Jesus was in and amongst the world, but never of the world • Jesus never sought a political or religious position or solution. • Jesus sought to solve the problem of the world by dealing with sin within. • Jesus wanted to transform world from the inside then out.
- 34. How does one live the Incarnational Model? • He lives in a tension. He identifies good structures and seeks to transform bad structures • Believer should know God’s Word and the mind of Christ then chose the course that best represents God’s Will. • Our tolerance must be based on God’s word and principles in God’s word.
- 35. Some Principles to Consider • The Principle of Expediency (helpful;good for the situation or profitable) I Cor.6:12 • The Principle of Enslavement-I Cor.6:12 • The Principle of Example- I Cor. 8:9 • The Principle of Edification- I Cor.10:23 • The Principle of Exaltation- I Cor.10:31 • The Principle of Evangelism- I Cor.10:22-23