Lesson 3
Is Christian Ethics Absolute or Relative?
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Overview
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Introduction to Christian Ethics
Divine Command Theory
Are Christian Ethics Relative or Absolute?
Comparing different types of Christian Ethics
Evaluating Religious Ethics
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Discuss in your groups
• What questions do you have from this weeks readings?
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Definitions test:
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Autonomy
Heteronomy
Theonomy
Divine command
Situation ethics
Natural law
Biblical ethics
Golden rule
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Situation Ethics
1. Mindmap everything you know about Situation
Ethics. Make sure you use all the key words.
2. Is Situation Ethics a Christian Ethical Theory?
Use evidence from your reading to help you?
3. How does Situation Ethics improve on Divine
Command Theory?
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Situation Ethics
• Answer the following questions and then discuss:
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Do you think that Fletcher’s ethics are Christian?
Analyse Fletcher’s view that ‘the end of love justifies the means’.
Is Situation Ethics a useful guide for ethical decision making?
Are moral rules totally useless in moral decision-making or can
you see a role for them?
• Is the choice for Christian Ethics just between legalism and
situationism?
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Natural Law
1. Mindmap everything you know about Natural
Law. Make sure you use all the key words.
2. Is Natural Law Christian Ethical Theory?
3. How does Natural Law improve on Divine
Command Theory?
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Kantian Ethics
1. Mindmap everything you know about Kantian
Ethics. Make sure you use all the key words.
2. Is Kantian Ethics a Christian Ethical Theory?
3. How does Kant improve on Christian Ethics?
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Kantian Ethics – take notes!
• Kantian ethics might look Christian - BUT IT IS NOT!
• It seems to fit quite nicely into Christianity when thinking
about the categorical imperative that suggests that humans
have intrinsic value (similar to biblical ethics).
• However Jesus teaches that rules are not paramount (curing
on the Sabbath etc). Kant insists that rules are to be followed
without exception.
• Kant also argues that right moral action can be deduced using
reason, leaving no room for authority, tradition or revelation.
• Kantian Ethics are apriori (innate and known through reason)
whereas Natural Law is a posteriori and discovers right reason
through experience.
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UTILITARIANISM
1. Mindmap everything you know about
UTILITARIANISM. Make sure you use all the key
words.
2. Is Utilitarianism a Christian Ethical Theory?
3. How does Utilitarianism improve on Christian
Ethics?
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Utilitarianism – take notes
• Jeremy Bentham reacted against the rules based society of his
time an was dismissive of Natural Law or Biblical Ethics
• J S Mill however, in measuring pleasure qualitatively thought
that people should stick to general rules and likened the
principle of Utility to Jesus’ Golden Rule’: Love your
neighbour as yourself and Do unto others as you would have
them do unto you. He saw Utilitarianism as ultimately
benevolent and suggested that Christians could support
Utilitarianism
• Situation Ethics is accused of being Utilitarian and Fletcher
recognised the similarities (both are teleological and
relativist).
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Part B Practice
•‘It is indefensible to base ethics
on religion’ Discuss
• What would you put into this part B?
• How would you structure it?
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Is Christian Ethics Absolutist or
Relativist?
•Discuss
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