Discussion Points: Love & the Bible

Test yourself

Scholarship: Is Love Sufficient to Live a Good Life?

There is debate over whether love alone is sufficient to live a good life.

Love is sufficient

Jesus kept returning to the theme of love and so situation ethics seems to reflect his approach.
Jesus’ authority cannot be denied for Christians.
- Love can empower the Christian to be able to put people first in challenging times.
This is especially true when mainstream society needs to be challenged.

Situational judgement

Fletcher’s working principles of pragmatism and relativism show that we make decisions situationally.
- His workings also highlight that absolutes such as ‘do not kill’ or ‘do not steal’ do not always bring about the most loving outcome.

Love is not sufficient

It is over-simplistic to suggest that Jesus’ teachings were only about love.
In the same situation, different people might interpret love in different ways.
- Thomas Aquinas believed love requires reason alongside it to understand how to live life.
It is too complicated to be the solution on its own.

Love is not sufficient - 2

Joseph Fletcher's theory of situation ethics can become an excuse for people simply doing whatever they want.
Many protestants would argue that the Bible is the only source of authority that we should use when making decisions on how to live a good life (sola scriptura).
The Church thinks that we need God’s revelation in the Bible (it is one of the Ten Commandments to ‘keep the Sabbath day holy’).
- So, the Church uses the Bible and informs Christian how they should live their lives.

Scholarship: Is the Bible a Comprehensive Moral Guide?

Some argue the Bible is the only moral guide in Christians. Others argue there is more than one source of moral guidance in Christianity.

The Bible is comprehensive

Many protestant theologians argue that we need to take a theonomous approach to Christian ethics.
The Bible is seen as having been dictated by God.
- As it contains God’s own direct speech, it alone must be used for moral instruction.
It has been directly dictated by God, the Bible is therefore seen as infallible.
The Bible has provided a rich source of moral commands and principles.
- The most famous of these are the Ten Commandments which cover many aspects of our day to day lives.

The Bible is comprehensive - 2

When left to their own devices, humans can justify acting as they wish so the Bible is the only means of knowing how to behave morally.
Human-based morality leads to moral confusion and endless debates about what is right and wrong.
Augustine believed that human reason is not to be trusted.
- For this reason, many would argue that only God’s Word as revealed in the Bible can provide a sound basis for Christian ethics.

The Bible is not comprehensive

Catholic theologians would argue that the Bible is central but not the one and only comprehensive guide.
Thomas Aquinas said that natural law is another way in which we can be guided.
- The tradition and teaching of the Catholic Church should also be used as a form of authority. This is because the Bible does not cover modern-day issues.
The official teaching of the Church is known as the Magisterium.

The Bible is not comprehensive - 2

Many moral issues that are discussed within the Bible can be seen to be sexist and homophobic among other things.
- So the Bible needs to be interpreted.
But different Christian denominations have interpreted this differently.
The Bible often contradicts itself and does not offer a clear set of moral principles.
Even conservative Christians have to use reason to decide whether biblical commands are:
- Literal or symbolic.
- Prescriptive or descriptive.

1Philosophy of Religion

1.1Ancient Philosophical Influences: Plato

1.1.1Plato's Understanding of Reality

1.1.2Plato's Theory of Forms

1.1.3Plato's Analogy of the Cave

1.1.4The Purpose of Plato's Analogy of the Cave

1.1.5Evaluation of Plato's Theories

1.2Ancient Philosophical Influences: Aristotle

1.2.1Aristotle's Understanding of Reality

1.2.2Aristotle's Four Causes

1.2.3Aristotle's Prime Mover

1.3Ancient Philosophical Influences: Soul, Mind, Body

1.3.1Plato & Aristotle's Views of the Soul

1.3.2Metaphysics of Consciousness

1.3.3Materialism - Ryle’s Philosophical Behaviourism

1.3.4Materialism - Identity Theory

1.4The Existence of God - Arguments from Observation

1.4.1The Teleological Argument - Aquinas' Fifth Way

1.4.2The Teleological Argument - Paley & Evolution

1.4.3The Cosmological Argument

1.4.4Hume's Criticisms: Teleological & Cosmological

1.5The Existence of God - Arguments from Reason

1.5.1The Ontological Argument

1.5.2Criticisms of the Ontological Argument

1.6Religious Experience

1.6.1Introduction to Religious Experience

1.6.2Mystical Experience

1.6.3Conversion Experience

1.6.4Understanding Religious Experience

1.6.5Issues Relating to Religious Experience - Validity

1.6.6Issues Relating to Religious Experiences - People

1.7The Problem of Evil

1.7.1Presentations of the Problems of Evil

1.7.2Discussion Points -

1.8The Nature & Attributes of God

1.8.1Omnipotence

1.8.2Omniscience

1.8.3Boethius - Divine Knowledge, Free Will & Eternity

1.8.4(Omni)benevolence

1.8.5Eternity & Free Will

1.9Religious Language: Negative, Analogical, Symbolic

1.9.1Apophatic & Cataphatic Way

1.9.2Symbol

1.9.3Discussion Points: Religious Language

1.10Religious Language: 20th Century Perspective

1.10.1Logical Positivism & Verification Principle

1.10.2Wittgenstein

1.10.3Falsification Symposium: Flew & Hare

1.10.4Falsification Symposium: Mitchell

1.10.5Discussion Points: Verification & Falsification

1.10.6Discussion Points: Aquinas vs Wittgenstein

2Religion & Ethics

2.1Natural Law

2.1.1St Thomas Aquinas - Telos & Four Tiers of Law

2.1.2St Thomas Aquinas - Precepts

2.1.3St Thomas Aquinas - Real & Apparent Goods

2.1.4Discussion Points - Natural Law & Doing Good

2.1.5Discussion Points - Telos & Double Effect Doctrine

2.2Situation Ethics

2.2.1Fletcher's Situation Ethics

2.2.2Fletcher's Concept of Conscience

2.2.3Discussion Points: Moral Decision-Making

2.2.4Discussion Points - Agape

2.3Kantian Ethics

2.3.1Introduction to Kantian Ethics & Duty

2.3.2Hypothetical & Categorical Imperative

2.3.3Summum Bonum & Three Postulates

2.3.4Discussion Points: Kantian Ethics

2.4Utilitarianism

2.4.1The Utility Principle

2.4.2Act & Rule Utilitarianism

2.4.3Discussion Points: Utilitarianism

2.5Euthanasia

2.5.1Key Concepts for Euthanasia Debates

2.5.2Discussion Points: Natural Law & Situation Ethics

2.5.3Discussion Points: Sanctity of Life

2.5.4Discussion Points: Autonomy & Medical Intervention

2.6Business Ethics

2.6.1Corporate Social Responsibility & Whistle-Blowing

2.6.2Good Ethics & Globalisation

2.6.3Discussion Points: Utilitarianism & Kantian Ethics

2.6.4Discussion Points: CSR, Globalisation & Capitalism

3Developments in Christian Thought

3.1Saint Augustine's Teachings

3.1.1Human Nature

3.1.2Original Sin & God's Grace

3.2Death & the Afterlife

3.2.1Heaven, Hell, & Purgatory

3.2.2Different Interpretations of the Afterlife

3.2.3Election

3.2.4The Final Judgement

3.2.5Discussion Points: Heaven, Hell & Purgatory

3.3Knowledge of God's Existence

3.3.1Natural Knowledge

3.3.2Revealed Knowledge in Faith, Grace, & Jesus Christ

3.3.3Revealed Knowledge in the Bible & Church

3.3.4Discussion Points: Reason & Belief in God

3.3.5Discussion Points: The Fall & Trust in God

3.4The Person of Jesus Christ

3.4.1Jesus Christ’s Authority as the Son of God

3.4.2Jesus Christ’s Authority as a Teacher of Wisdom

3.4.3Jesus Christ’s Authority as a Liberator

3.5Christian Moral Principles

3.5.1The Bible & Love

3.5.2Bible, Church & Reason

3.5.3Discussion Points: Christian Ethics

3.5.4Discussion Points: Love & the Bible

3.6Christian Moral Action

3.6.1Dietrich Bonhoeffer & the Confessing Church

3.6.2Bonhoeffer & Civil Disobedience

3.6.3Bonhoeffer's Teaching on Ethics as Action

3.6.4Discussion Points: Civil Disobedience & Bonhoeffer

3.7Development - Pluralism & Theology

3.7.1Pluralism & Theology: Exclusivism & Inclusivism

3.7.2Pluralism & Theology: Pluralism

3.7.3Discussion Points: Salvation

3.7.4Discussion Points: Pluralism Undermining Beliefs

3.8Development - Pluralism & Society

3.8.1Development of Multi-Faith Societies

3.8.2Responses to Inter-Faith Dialogue

3.8.3The Scriptural Reasoning Movement

3.8.4Discussion Points: Social Cohesion & Scripture

3.8.5Discussion Points: Conversion

3.9Gender & Society

3.9.1Waves of Feminism

3.9.2Traditional Christian Views on Gender Roles

3.9.3Christian Views on Gender Roles & Family

3.9.4Discussion Points: Secular Views of Gender

3.9.5Discussion Points: Motherhood & Family

3.10Gender & Theology

3.10.1Rosemary Radford Ruether

3.10.2Mary Daly

3.10.3Discussion Points: Ruether & Daly

3.10.4Discussion Points: Male Saviour & Female God

3.11Challenges

3.11.1Secularism - Sigmund Freud

3.11.2Secularism - Richard Dawkins

3.11.3Christianity & Public Life

3.11.4Discussion Points: Spiritual Values

3.11.5Discussion Points: Social Values & Opportunities

3.11.6Karl Marx

3.11.7Liberation Theology

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