Christian Ethics - a series

During the month of July, I will be focusing on the idea of Christian Ethics and the challenges of facing the world around us.  Ethics, defined as the moral principles that govern a person’s behavior or the conducting of an activity, are also defined by our Christian faith.  Yet we don’t often consider the ethical principles of Christianity or how they might effect our theology or vice versa.  It is a challenging topic, and one that isn’t entered into lightly.

When it comes to talking about ethics, we tend to get a bit tense, especially given how loaded and even politically charged the word can become.  I cannot say that my words will reduce your anxiety about the topic, should you have any concerns.  Nor can I say that my words won’t be heard as political, though my intention is not to favor or advance any partisan political agenda.  I will be approaching the issue from that of a Wesleyan ideology as well as that of the United Methodist Church, however. 

Why I say that is because when we, as Christians, speak of ethics, we tend to speak in terms of morality.  The two are almost inseparable and both words hold influence over our actions.  Christian ethics, though, do not exist apart from the community of faith and the reading and interpretation of Scripture.  Ethics are the principles that govern the behavior of a person or the conducting of an activity.  Ethics, as a discipline, is what deals with the question of what is good or bad as well as the ideas of moral duty and obligation.

As Christians, we equate morality, ethics, and good and bad with Scripture, the “sacred canon for Christian people.” (United Methodist Book of Discipline ¶ 104)  It is through our study of Scripture, based within the believing community, as well as in the historical context of that scripture that we, as United Methodists, believe “we may come to know the truth of the biblical message in its bearing on our lives and the life of the world.  Thus, the Bible serves as a source of our faith and as the basic criterion by which the truth and fidelity of any interpretation of faith is measured.” (¶ 104)

Even describing the Bible as the source of ethics is difficult, given the fact that we all read and interpret it differently, sometimes remarkably so.  Our task, then, is to consider our source with regard to our present context and setting.  What are our duties as Christians?  How do we define our ethics as Christians? 

In this series I am proposing only to invite you into a deeper consideration of the idea of Christianity and ethics as well as the ramifications of our decisions.  Christian ethics requires both interpretation and application.  Prior to that interpretation or application is consideration.  This task, to consider ethics in light of the Christian tradition, is our goal.