REVISION: Developments in Christian Thought - LIVING (CHRISTIAN MORALITY)

Revision notes for A-level Religious Studies (OCR)

Five pages

DCT – LIVING

CHRISTIAN MORAL PRINCIPLES

BIBLE = ONLY AUTHORITY FOR CHRISTIAN MORALS

Theonomous Christian ethics

• Jesus criticised Pharisees for following law too literally
• Sola scriptura
• 2 Timothy
• theopneustos
• 2 Peter

Issues with theonomous ethics

• TRANSLATION
• Exodus
• WHICH BIBLE
• Martin Luther
• apocrypha
• CONTRADICTIONS (OT vs NT)
• CHERRY PICKING
• Leviticus
• Bibliolatry
• INTERPRETATION

BIBLE, CHURCH + REASON

SOURCES OF CHRISTIAN MORALS

• Heteronomous
• Roman Catholic attitudes
• Order of decision-making authority
• Sacred Tradition
• Magisterium
• VATICAN II COUNCIL 1975
• Papal infallibility
• ex cathedra
• Pius IX
• Human reason (Natural Law):
• JOHN PAUL II

Issues with accepting Church teachings

Jesus
Pharisees
ROSEMARY RADFORD REUTHER
Liberation theology

Protestant attitudes to Church teachings

• Order of decision-making
• Tradition
• Archbishop of Canterbury
• Reformation:
• STANLEY HAUERWAS
• AGAPE

Autonomous Christian ethics

• 1 Corinthians
• Mark
• HANS KÜNG
• BENEDICT XVI
• person of goodwill
• 'global ethic’
• PAUL TILLICH

CHURCH HAS AUTHORITY OVER INDIVIDUALS

• Subjectivity
• Collective wisdom
• God’s word
• Agapeic action

CHRISTIAN ETHICS: PERSONAL vs COMMUNAL

• Human freewill
• Ability to reason
• Beliefs of majority
• Utilitarianism
• God’s judgement of individuals
• Community **

CHRISTIAN MORAL ACTION

• BONHOEFFER
• Assassination attempt against Hitler
• DUTY TO GOD + THE STATE
• Obedience, leadership + doing God’s will
• Cost of Discipleship
• Romans
• God-given authority
• God’s will
• DAWKINS

**CHRISTIANS’ KNOWLEDGE OF GOD’S WILL **

• Conscience
• AQUINAS
• Humanity corrupted by Fall
• Decisions checked by community
• Freewill
• Civil disobedience
• Teachings of Christ
• ‘Act and Being’
• Church or state
• Mark
• Romans
• Exodus
• Daniel
• MLK + Rosa Parks
• Suffragettes

DUTY TO GOD OR STATE?

• Choice should be obvious
• Jesus
• “Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s”
• Bonhoeffer
• Passivity and evil
• Romans
• Leadership on Earth
• Fundamental Christian principles
• Christians protesting abortions
• Bonhoeffer’s extreme circumstances
• Hitler as ‘anti-Christ’
• MEIN KAMPF
• Anti-Semitism

CHURCH AS COMMUNITY + SOURCE OF SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE

• Confessing Church
• Visible Church community
• Proverbs
• Sermon on Mount
• SALT + LIGHT
• ‘Religionless Christianity’
• Focus on Christ
• Finkenwalde
• Personal discipline
• Look outwards, not inwards
• Foundation of prayer
• Centrality of study + discussion
• Brotherhood
• ‘Cheap grace’ vs 'costly grace’
• Struggling as Christ did
• Mark
• "The badge of true discipleship”
• Jesus “the man for others”

BONHOEFFER’S EMPHASIS ON SUFFERING

• Contemporary relevance
• Bonhoeffer’s extreme experiences
• Effects of globalisation
• Jesus as central starting point