Heteronomous ethics

• Heteronomous approach to Christian ethics

  There are several sources of moral authority for Christians - Church, Bible, reason
• Roman Catholic view

  • Church is the main source of moral authority
  • Belief in Sacred Tradition - the oral tradition handed down by Jesus to his disciples and then onto the first Christian leaders in an unbroken chain of Apostolic Succession
  • Sacred tradition is seen as the way that the Holy Spirit works in the world
  • The 'Magisterium of the Church' means the teaching authority of the church expressed in the Pope, the Bishops and the church
  • This authority allows clear decisions on moral teachings across a range of areas
  • The church publishes Papal encyclicals - letters from the pope on significant teaching or issues
  • Encyclicals are considered to have authority as they come through sacred tradition
• Bible

  • For Catholics, Sacred Tradition is of equal authority to the Bible because it was the Church community that decided which texts should be considered sacred and form the Bible
  • The authority of the church gave the Bible its authority
  • The task of interpreting the Bible is given to the church and the church is the only authority which is able to give authentic interpretation of scripture
• Reason

  • For Catholics, reason is another source of moral authority, as through reason humans can access natural law
  • Aquinas developed the theory of Natural law
  • Eternal law - the principles by which God made and controls the universe
  • Divine law - the law of God revealed in the Bible
  • Natural law - the moral law of God within human nature that is discoverable through the use of reason
  • Human law - the law of nations, created by humans
• Conscience

  • For Roman Catholics, the conscience is another course of moral authority
  • Conscience is an active rational process that the individual must undertake, it is 'the right use of reason'
  • Ratio - reason, the act of working things out, placed in every person as a result of being created in the image of God
  • Synderesis - the inner principle directing a person towards good and away from evil
  • Conscientia - a person's reason making moral judgements, 'reason making right decisions'
• Aquinas said, "to disparage the dictate of reason is equivalent to condemning the command of God"
• The Roman Catholic view is different from Protestant Christianity, which tends to put the Bible as the supreme source of moral authority (sola scriptura), with a lesser role for Church tradition and reason
• Heteronomous approach to Christian ethics

  There are several sources of moral authority for Christians - Church, Bible, reason
• Roman Catholic view

  • Church is the main source of moral authority
  • Belief in Sacred Tradition - the oral tradition handed down by Jesus to his disciples and then onto the first Christian leaders in an unbroken chain of Apostolic Succession
  • Sacred tradition is seen as the way that the Holy Spirit works in the world
  • The 'Magisterium of the Church' means the teaching authority of the church expressed in the Pope, the Bishops and the church
  • This authority allows clear decisions on moral teachings across a range of areas
  • The church publishes Papal encyclicals - letters from the pope on significant teaching or issues
  • Encyclicals are considered to have authority as they come through sacred tradition
• Bible

  • For Catholics, Sacred Tradition is of equal authority to the Bible because it was the Church community that decided which texts should be considered sacred and form the Bible
  • The authority of the church gave the Bible its authority
  • The task of interpreting the Bible is given to the church and the church is the only authority which is able to give authentic interpretation of scripture
• Reason

  • For Catholics, reason is another source of moral authority, as through reason humans can access natural law
  • Aquinas developed the theory of Natural law
  • Eternal law - the principles by which God made and controls the universe
  • Divine law - the law of God revealed in the Bible
  • Natural law - the moral law of God within human nature that is discoverable through the use of reason
  • Human law - the law of nations, created by humans
• Conscience

  • For Roman Catholics, the conscience is another course of moral authority
  • Conscience is an active rational process that the individual must undertake, it is 'the right use of reason'
  • Ratio - reason, the act of working things out, placed in every person as a result of being created in the image of God
  • Synderesis - the inner principle directing a person towards good and away from evil
  • Conscientia - a person's reason making moral judgements, 'reason making right decisions'
• Aquinas said, "to disparage the dictate of reason is equivalent to condemning the command of God"
• The Roman Catholic view is different from Protestant Christianity, which tends to put the Bible as the supreme source of moral authority (sola scriptura), with a lesser role for Church tradition and reason