Christian Ethics

Paul Henebury

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Paul Henebury presents a series of lectures concerning Christian Ethics. This material is part of a course on the same subject which may be undertaken for credit at Veritas School of Theology.

This series of lectures is an introduction and orientation to the field of Christian Ethics. It grows out of a distinct emphasis on the Biblical Worldview as seen from the standpoint of Systematic Theology. The course surveys the various approaches to Ethics (deontological, teleological, situational), centering them around the truths of Scripture. It proposes a holistic view epistemologically and a ‘Case-oriented’ approach practically.

Objectives:

1. To understand something of the range of ethical approaches.
2. To grasp the importance of a distinctively Christian approach to ethics based upon theology.
3. To appreciate how specific doctrines (e.g. imago dei, resurrection, sanctification) affect our thinking about morality.
4. To gain a greater appreciation of how the Ten Commandments undergird an Ethic of Love.
5. To see how ethical decision-making need not run one into contra-causal dilemmas.
6. To understand how bioethics is impacted by prior allegiance to sound theology.

Textbooks:

• Biblical Christian Ethics – David Clyde Jones
• The Ten Commandments: Manual for Christian Life – Jochen Douma
• Bioethics: A Primer for Christians (rev). – Gilbert Meilaender
• The Abolition of Man – C. S. Lewis

Also recommended:

• Resurrection and Moral Order – Oliver O’Donovan
• Medical Ethics – John Frame

Session	Description
01 Ethics and Scripture	Ethics and Scripture Paul explores the basis and motivation for ethical living for the Christian as based upon Scripture. [45 minutes]
02 Definitions and Texts	Definitions and Texts Paul explores pitfalls to avoid when evaluating how to live morally according to the Bible and discusses how Christian Ethics are to be defined. [37 minutes]
03 Results Rules and Motives	Results, Rules, and Motives Paul discusses the driving factors behind different ethical systems and concludes that only the Christian system of ethics provides an adequate basis for proper living. [40 minutes]
04 The Christian View of Truth	The Christian View of Truth Paul discusses the Christian basis for objective truth and it’s incompatibility with postmodernism. [27 minutes]
05 Christ and Truth	Christ and Truth For the Christian, God is the sole source of truth--truth being the very embodiment of His character. Those who reject Christ and His Word cannot know objective truth and lack any true basis for ethical behavior. [16 minutes]
06 The Image of God in Man	The Image of God in Man Paul discusses the significance of man as created in God's image and therefore an ethical being unique from the animals. [43 minutes]
07 Ethics and the Resurrection	Ethics and the Resurrection Scripture connects the motivation and ability of the believer to follow God-given ethical guidelines and principles with our identification with Christ in His resurrection. [41 minutes]
08 Union with Christ	Union with Christ Paul discusses the ethical implications of the believer’s relation to Jesus in view of what was accomplished by our union with Christ. [43 minutes]
09 Sanctification	Sanctification Paul discusses both the positional and progressive aspects of sanctification in the life of the believer and their relationship to ethical living. [34 minutes]
10 The Fruit of the Spirit 1	The Fruit of the Spirit: Part 1 Paul discusses the fruit of the Spirit which should manifest in the ethical living of a believer. [38 minutes]
11 The Fruit of the Spirit 2	The Fruit of the Spirit: Part 2 Paul discusses the fruit of the Spirit which should manifest in the ethical living of a believer. [32 minutes]
12 The Primary Forms of Love	The Primary Forms of Love Although love is often thought to be a somewhat nebulous concept, Jesus taught that exhibiting love is a very practical matter which can be objectively measured through its primary forms such as justice, faithfulness, and mercy or compassion (Mtt. 23:23). [42 minutes]