Abstract
For Christians, human morality is a response to God's initiating activity. Our understanding of moral activity, then, is dependent on our understanding of the nature of God's activity in human history. All Christians do not agree on basic beliefs. It is no surprise, therefore, that Christians hold different understandings regarding the nature of human moral activity. One motif many Christians do share regarding the nature of moral action is that, properly speaking, humans are not actors. Rather, moral activity, like all forms of human activity, is at best a response, a second step, to God's historical activity. Only God is an actor in the full sense of the word; humans are responders. This being the case, our understanding of moral activity is dependent on our prior interpretation of the nature and character of God's activity within history. For example, Christians who understand God as a lawgiver will emphasize the moral virtues and duties of obedience. Obedience to God's law, given in the Decalogue or the Sermon on the Mount, becomes a primary moral obligation. Moral action is identified with obedience to laws or commandments that define duties. And insofar as biblical narratives are central to the moral formation of Christians, moral responsibility is attempting to discern and specify those principles contained therein that provide guidance. Such an ethic would emphasize the good traits intrinsic to the actions God requires from humankind. These laws, rules, and principles are defined as good in themselves because they fit with the nature of creative beings who need to be treated with integrity. In particular, these guidelines respond to a basic need that human dignity be respected and nourished. They also support the creation of those structural requirements that make it possible for people to experience the multiple joys and challenges of living in stable and ordered communities. Both the obligation to respect human dignity and of sustaining structures that allow for life in community are prerequisites for any kind of human flourishing. Moral activity is necessary for us as creatures to meet the basic human need for integrity and continuity. In this perspective, immorality and sin consist of disobedience to the laws Buddhist-Christian Studies 18 (1998). ? by University of Hawai'i Press. All rights reserved. This content downloaded from 157.55.39.112 on Wed, 07 Sep 2016 05:26:53 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have