5. Moral theology has two primary reference points: creation and scripture. Moral theology looks both to the world and our experience of life together within it, and to scripture and our tradition of reasoned reflection based upon it, as sources of moral principles. (Chapter 2)
6. Moral theology works in light of an understanding of the four principal phases of salvation history: creation, fall, redemption, and the end of all things in Christ. (Chapter 2)
7. In coming to agreement concerning the pattern of life that is worthy of the calling, Anglicans have looked for consensus. We have the greatest degree of assurance for what has been most widely received. (Chapter 2)
8. Anglicans have looked for consensus in several interrelated spheres: the praying community of the church throughout the world; the wider community of the Body of Christ through history; and the academic community, when its work is founded upon Christian principles. (Chapter 2)
Ay, there's the rub!
As Stephen Holmgren wisely points out, Anglicans do NOT have an "answer book," with all of the difficult questions of life neatly responded to in terms that transcend age and epoch, addressing all humanity in all of its infinite variety and wonderful creative design. In point of fact, the Anglican ethos has always been a kind of meditative reflection of the many ways that Christian ethics have expressed themselves from culture to culture.
Note: this is NOT moral relativism, which is commonly the accusation from the extreme right of society. There is not a desire to simply turn a blind eye, live and let live, "Anything Goes" mentality. We believe strongly in Hookers three-legged stool: we look to scripture, tradition, and reason.
Scripture captures the wonderful relation between humankind and its Creator God, and how that same Creator has reached out with the desire to save, to redeem, to reconcile humanity to God's own self. We read scripture, noting how the original authors were communicating to their original audience, yet also discerning what God is saying to the contemporary faithful. It isn't an easy thing, and is filled with discriminating points of view in translating and interpreting God's word.
And that word is seen through the light of tradition. Our tradition is not something to be swept away in an attempt to embrace modernity - or in our case, post-modernity. We recognize that those faithful who walked the path before us have much to share with us, in their extraordinary accomplishments, but also in their extraordinary failures where human frailty and brokenness caused them to miss the mark.
And we look at all of this through the intelligent and discerning minds that God has given us, using our powers of observation and discernment to look at scripture, to look at tradition, and to look at God's ongoing creation happening before our very eyes. To be Christian and moral is not to shun our God given abilities and intelligence to voluntarily remain ignorant of what God is showing us in science and technology. We are called to embrace ALL of it.
Still, we must always recognize the cultural barriers that remain obstacles to our ongoing church, community, and personal understandings of what God wants for us in a life lived to celebrate the wonders of creation and to offer thanksgiving for our being made a part of that creation. We must not label one another as archaic or radical in our use of God's gifts - for we are not all given the same gifts, as Paul reminds us, but are each given individual gifts and strengths to offer to the whole of the church.
We, as Anglicans and Episcopalians, are called ever to affirm this complexity in discernment of God's call to us to live a holy and blameless life. And we must always remember that we are not called to denigrate or shun anyone who doesn't live up to what we understand to be God's standards for living; rather, we are to reconcile each to one another and to Christ.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Saturday, July 14, 2007
ETHICS AFTER EASTER - Axiom #3
Moral theology is not the same thing as, but is intimately related to, pastoral care. Moral theology begins with the consideration of generic principles; pastoral care begins with the consideration of a particular situation. (Chapter 1)
So why read a book on ethics and moral theology? As one parishioner notes, "This is just Episcopal propoganda!" And, given the fact that ETHICS AFTER EASTER is part of "The New Church's Teaching Series," it's not a completely invalid observation!
Still, we as a individual Christians and as members of a parish community recognize that we are called not only to thank God in our worship and liturgies, but also to do God's work in the world and reach out to others in need.
John 21.17 Jesus said to Peter the third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ And he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.'
"Feed my sheep," Christ commands Peter on the shore after the Resurrection, and we, in turn, respond to that call, for we are all called to pastors, "shepherds," of those both within and out of our beautiful churches. How we pastor those in need does require that we examine our call, look at those factors by which we reach out to our community, and assess our effectiveness and proper use of resources.
This is why pastoral response to the world is guided by our understanding of morality and ethics - it's not just an academic exercise, it is integral to our ongoing exploration of how we DO Christianity and not just BE Christians.
So why read a book on ethics and moral theology? As one parishioner notes, "This is just Episcopal propoganda!" And, given the fact that ETHICS AFTER EASTER is part of "The New Church's Teaching Series," it's not a completely invalid observation!
Still, we as a individual Christians and as members of a parish community recognize that we are called not only to thank God in our worship and liturgies, but also to do God's work in the world and reach out to others in need.
John 21.17 Jesus said to Peter the third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ And he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.'
"Feed my sheep," Christ commands Peter on the shore after the Resurrection, and we, in turn, respond to that call, for we are all called to pastors, "shepherds," of those both within and out of our beautiful churches. How we pastor those in need does require that we examine our call, look at those factors by which we reach out to our community, and assess our effectiveness and proper use of resources.
This is why pastoral response to the world is guided by our understanding of morality and ethics - it's not just an academic exercise, it is integral to our ongoing exploration of how we DO Christianity and not just BE Christians.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
ETHICS AFTER EASTER - Axiom #2
Moral theology is properly considered under the heading of sanctification, not justification. It is part of our walk from the font. Doing good will not save us; we do good because we have been saved. (Chapter 1)
We are always looking for justice, for recompense for wrongs done to us or rewards for our own right actions. Part of this comes from our own embedded-ness in a consumer economy and the entitlement mentality that is so pervasive in our culture. We want what is owed us, and we demand that others pay for their mistakes. But this entire point of view is not a part of the Christian response, which is based on selflessness, putting our focus on the needs and rewards of others, and being a servant of those who are less fortunate than us.
Paul's letter to the Romans is the holder of much of his core theology of justification. In it are many of the quotes from which this axiom derives:
"For ‘no human being will be justified in his sight’ by deeds prescribed by the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin." Romans 3:20
"For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law." Romans 3:28
"...since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ..." Romans 5:1
"For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved." Romans 10:10
Our understanding of justification is not that of quid pro quo, but of God's grace. We are, therefore, sanctified, made holy, and express that sanctification in how we pronounce our belief in that salvation through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. We pronounce it in our baptismal covenant, we acclaim it in our worship and liturgy...AND we do live it in our lives and actions.
But our ACTIONS are a RESULT of our being saved, not PREREQUISITES for our salvation. This is one of the essential problems with many Christians who believe that they must DO in order to BE SAVED. On the other hand, it is also an axiom that has been appropriated by some who believe that they are saved and, therefore, their actions have NO IMPACT on their salvation.
We'll see more of these two sides addressed throughout Ethics After Easter. Which side do you tend to favor? How do you understand salvation?
We are always looking for justice, for recompense for wrongs done to us or rewards for our own right actions. Part of this comes from our own embedded-ness in a consumer economy and the entitlement mentality that is so pervasive in our culture. We want what is owed us, and we demand that others pay for their mistakes. But this entire point of view is not a part of the Christian response, which is based on selflessness, putting our focus on the needs and rewards of others, and being a servant of those who are less fortunate than us.
Paul's letter to the Romans is the holder of much of his core theology of justification. In it are many of the quotes from which this axiom derives:
"For ‘no human being will be justified in his sight’ by deeds prescribed by the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin." Romans 3:20
"For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law." Romans 3:28
"...since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ..." Romans 5:1
"For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved." Romans 10:10
Our understanding of justification is not that of quid pro quo, but of God's grace. We are, therefore, sanctified, made holy, and express that sanctification in how we pronounce our belief in that salvation through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. We pronounce it in our baptismal covenant, we acclaim it in our worship and liturgy...AND we do live it in our lives and actions.
But our ACTIONS are a RESULT of our being saved, not PREREQUISITES for our salvation. This is one of the essential problems with many Christians who believe that they must DO in order to BE SAVED. On the other hand, it is also an axiom that has been appropriated by some who believe that they are saved and, therefore, their actions have NO IMPACT on their salvation.
We'll see more of these two sides addressed throughout Ethics After Easter. Which side do you tend to favor? How do you understand salvation?
Monday, July 09, 2007
ETHICS AFTER EASTER - Axiom #1
"Moral theology is about a life of holiness. After baptism we seek to walk "in holiness and righteousness all our days." In moral theology, we seek to describe and commend a life worthy of our calling." (Chapter 1)
Stephen Holmgren is flipping the customary viewpoint in this axiom. Rather than live a holy and righteous life in order that we might be saved, he suggests that we live a holy and righteous life because we have already been saved.
This stands in the cross current of many of our current debates on how we live our lives, even to the point that denominations like The Episcopal Church are finding it difficult to maintain common ground and structure. The root of the disagreement is in many ways what this axiom calls us to do individually and corporately.
I am saved by God's grace, freely given, in the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ. I am inspired by the Holy Spirit to receive that grace, and I cannot help but respond to that selfless love in offering the same to others. It seems so simple, and yet it is very natural for our human selves to be caught in the quid pro quo argument that seems to be as pervasive in our consumer driven economy as any other axiom. "Why would God simply SAVE me? Doesn't he demand something up front? What kind of business man is this God?!?"
Well, brothers and sisters, he is a business man who cashed in all of his savings and trust, laid it in the hands of his oppressors, and willingly went empty handed to the Cross, to prove to us first that he wasn't going to accept the quid pro quo arrangement any longer, and that he wanted us, too, to turn our backs on trying to negotiate with God for our salvation. It is given, it is offered, and it is free. And if we REALLY believe this, then we cannot help but respond with the same love toward others.
John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life." So simple that it's nigh impossible to live this first of Holmgren's axioms!
Stephen Holmgren is flipping the customary viewpoint in this axiom. Rather than live a holy and righteous life in order that we might be saved, he suggests that we live a holy and righteous life because we have already been saved.
This stands in the cross current of many of our current debates on how we live our lives, even to the point that denominations like The Episcopal Church are finding it difficult to maintain common ground and structure. The root of the disagreement is in many ways what this axiom calls us to do individually and corporately.
I am saved by God's grace, freely given, in the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ. I am inspired by the Holy Spirit to receive that grace, and I cannot help but respond to that selfless love in offering the same to others. It seems so simple, and yet it is very natural for our human selves to be caught in the quid pro quo argument that seems to be as pervasive in our consumer driven economy as any other axiom. "Why would God simply SAVE me? Doesn't he demand something up front? What kind of business man is this God?!?"
Well, brothers and sisters, he is a business man who cashed in all of his savings and trust, laid it in the hands of his oppressors, and willingly went empty handed to the Cross, to prove to us first that he wasn't going to accept the quid pro quo arrangement any longer, and that he wanted us, too, to turn our backs on trying to negotiate with God for our salvation. It is given, it is offered, and it is free. And if we REALLY believe this, then we cannot help but respond with the same love toward others.
John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life." So simple that it's nigh impossible to live this first of Holmgren's axioms!
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