Christian Ethics Research Articles

Exploring Ethical Potentials of Christian Narrative Testimonies

Abstract Over the last decades, the role of narratives in Christian theology and ethics has been debated controversially. In light of this, this article explores the ethical potential of Christian narrative testimonies. First, it shows that the mode of Christian testimony to God’s incarnation in Jesus Christ is narratively structured. Second, it unfolds a threefold hermeneutic of these narratives: a hermeneutic of the simultaneous presence and absence of God in these testimonies, a hermeneutic of commentary and criticism, and a hermeneutic of attentive humility in the face of other narratives. Last but not least, ethical potentials of Christian narrative testimonies come into view: These narratives can bear witness to God’s absent presence, especially when they reveal themselves as radical contingent, when they are open to transformation by narratives of the other and when they motivate people to question the status quo of any given society in order to act for a more just future.

Literary allusions serving as tools for comic effect in the works of Tertullian

AbstractThe overwhelming majority of early Christian authors considered humour and laughter inappropriate. A significant exception to this is Tertullian, who ‒ as a trained orator ‒ was well aware of the importance of verbal humour, particularly as manifested in his apologetic works. In his disputes with heretics and pagans Tertullian practically destroyed his opponents with the weapons of irony, sarcasm, and mockery. However, in this article, we only examine the role of literary allusions in Tertullian's humour. Both Cicero and Quintilian approved of the use of quotations from classical authors for the sake of humorous effect. To our greatest surprise, Tertullian went so far even as to quote from the low-down comedy writers (mimographoi) to achieve this effect. He did all this despite the fact that ‒ as a Christian moralist ‒ he deeply despised and condemned these lowly theatre plays.

Doodling in the Style of Jesus: A Non-Interpretation of the Adultery Pericope

In the story of the adulterous woman, Jesus is remembered to have saved a woman’s life by writing on the ground. What he wrote, however, is not preserved in any tradition. That hasn’t stopped commentators from imagining what he might have written. But why imagine he wrote at all? Why imagine there's “content” there to be interpreted? Perhaps when confronted with an ethical dilemma he wanted no part of, Jesus simply bent down and began to doodle. If so, then what matters is the fact that he doodled, the shapes and the size and the squiggly lines of his doodling. In this article, I want to offer a reading of John 7:53-8:11 that engages with the very act of Jesus's wordless doodling. I then want to try and tease out a few ethical principles from this doodling. By focusing on a story where Jesus was remembered primarily for his gestures and not simply his speech, and by reimagining a Christian ethics that emerges from the space opened up by those gestures, we are keeping front and center the conviction that Christian ethics is a matter of style.

Christian personalism and “carnal race” in the philosophy of H. S. Skovoroda

The purpose of the article is to analyze H. Skovoroda’s criticism of mass society, called the “carnal race”, based on the position of Christian personalism, which the Ukrainian philosopher adhered to. Its implementation will allow us to expand our view of H. Skovoroda’s personology, taking into account the ascetic component and critical orientation of the content of his creative heritage. The main methodological tool for the stage of the mentioned problem includes a philosophical-anthropological, axiological and philosophical-religious analysis of H. Skovoroda’s texts in their dialectical unity and interaction. The result of the research presented in the article. The undertaken analysis of the teachings of H. Skovoroda revealed his critical attitude towards mass society, the environment of which is the “carnal man” as an anthropological type. An alternative to the named society has been identified, which is contrasted with the Kingdom of God as a community of spiritually renewed people. It is shown that condemnation and the desire to oust the community of “slaves of the flesh” is complemented by the desire for its spiritual transformation towards unity with God in the inner world of the individual — the heart. The view of the philosophy of the heart as an essential feature of personalistic thought is substantiated, and the achievement of identity with God and Christ in the spiritual space of the heart organically correlates personalism with Christian thought. The condemnation of the “carnal race” together with the “carnal man” in the horizon of Christian thought is recognized as one of the aspects of the personalization of man and society, a concern aimed at their spiritual transformation. The scientific novelty. The interpretation of Christian personalism as the foundation of H. Skovoroda’s philosophy has been expanded and deepened due to its correlation with the ascetic criticism of mass society. This circumstance allows us to pay serious attention to the role of criticism in constituting the Christian-personalistic foundation of the work of the Ukrainian philosopher. To develop an understanding of Christian thought, the organic connection between its personalistic and ascetic values is demonstrated, which makes it possible to evaluate their unity and interconnection in their focus on the spiritual development of man and society. The practical significance. The results of this study can be used in the educational process for teaching general and special courses on the history of philosophy, the history of Ukrainian culture, and Christian ethics.

Ethics Project Mata Kuliah Etika Kristen dalam Meningkatkan Keterampilan Berpikir Kritis Mahasiswa Indonesia

The project shows that Christian ethical principles provide a strong foundation for Indonesian students to understand values such as 1) love, 2) justice, and 3) responsibility, which can help Indonesian students improve their critical thinking skills. The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of the ethics project in the Christian Ethics course on improving the critical thinking skills of Indonesian students. The methods used include active learning through discussions, case studies, and social projects that integrate Christian ethical values. As such, the results of the evaluation showed that there was a significant improvement in Indonesian students' ability to analyze and formulate ethical decisions. Thus, this project contributes to the formation of a generation of students who are more sensitive to ethical and social issues in societ.

Juozas Šibaila-Merainis

During the investigation it was established that the case of Juozas Šibaila, one of the freedom fighters, can be regarded as an individual’s voluntary act of joining the guerrilla struggles. His decision most likely was determined by the factors between some groups. First of all, these were national and cultural values and the position on the issue of defence of the state. They are testified to by professional (teacher’s) activities and his active participation in different public organisations: the Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union, the Lithuanian National Youth Union ‘Jaunoji Lietuva’ (Young Lithuania), also, possible cooperation with intelligence of Lithuania, organising local rebel groups in 1941, membership in the Local Force. This has to be assumed that it was purely personal reasons that greatly influenced the crucial decision to become a partisan – the desire to take revenge on the Soviets for deporting his family, the perception that there was nowhere to draw back – Juozas Šibaila, as an unreliable social element, had been the focus of the repressive structures of the occupiers since 1940. After the re-occupation, he was threatened with being taken to court and sentenced to death for taking part in the persecutions of Soviet activists and for other kinds of activities carried out in the summer of 1941. Juozas Šibaila, a teacher and an active propagator of nationality, had the authority and enjoyed high reputation in the environs of his place of residence, which he always tried to maintain and justify; hence, his early joining armed resistance, organising the first groups of partisans seems quite natural. His work in the headquarters of different underground structures where he was responsible for publishing the press and proclamations, preparing documents necessary for centralisation or their drafts, successful attempts to draw as many teachers in the fights for freedom as possible, which took the greatest part of time of Juozas Šibaila as a partisan, as well as the analysis of his personal correspondence, allows us to state that this person was perfectly aware of the importance and significance of public, ideological-intellectual component to the fights for freedom. Such external attributes as codenames of Diedukas and Merainis which are atypical of a freedom fighter, the appearance resembling an ordinary peasant, suggest that the image of a fighter-hero was alien to him. He was a strict, authoritative and respected leader of partisans who managed to establish close, family relations with his brothers-in-arms. The importance and significance of Juozas Šibaila to the post-war armed underground is undeniable. In his ideological texts Juozas Šibaila-Merainis spoke mainly about political aspirations of the Union of Lithuanian Freedom Fighters (ULFF) and moral-spiritual side of the fights. According to him, close links of democracy and Christian morality relatedd these spheres. He tended to treat partisan resistance to the Soviets, first and foremost, as a struggle for the well-being of all humanity determined and inspired by the Lord. Having examined Juozas Šibaila’s written legacy in this field, as well as the way he was valued by the members of the underground, it can be stated that, on the one hand, the majority of the values and concepts fostered therein may be fundamental and inseparable from armed post-war resistance, and, on the other hand, their presentation and the chosen means of expression seemed to the majority of the partisans difficult to understand and were unacceptable. It might be that a large part of partisans, unlike Juozas Šibaila, imagined fights for freedom simply as war waged by the members of the underground for freedom of the state rather than that of an individual. Consequently, though Merainis’ above-mentioned texts were significant and valuable, in some cases it cannot be stated that they had a considerable impact on the world outlook of an ordinary partisan or a common peasant.

Rhetorical use of Sobolo (Hibiscus drink) as Yesu Mogya (Blood of Jesus) for Holistic Healing in Contemporary Ghanaian Christianity: A Critical Analysis from the Perspective of Biblical Theology and Christian Ethics

This article sought to survey the rhetorical use of Sobolo (hibiscus drink) as Yesu Mogya (the blood of Jesus) for holistic healing in contemporary Ghanaian Christianity. From the perspective of Biblical Theology and Christian Ethics, it argued that the phenomenon of using plant products and symbolic objects for miraculous healing is both explicitly and implicitly rooted in the Bible. Contrary to the dispensationalist perspective with its emphasis on the cessation of miraculous healing in some Western contexts and within scholarship, the continuous relevance of miraculous healing in Ghanaian Christianity is not much debated in the ecclesial context. It is, therefore, maintained that the use of symbols such as Sobolo for healing creates opportunities for the wholistic needs of the members of the church to be met. These needs are claimed to be fulfilled by spiritual means. From a Christian ethical perspective, this paper, however, cautions that sobolo as a miraculous drink in the Ghanaian Christian context should not be used as an exclusive means of physical well-being and development of society. It is further argued that the cyclical use of sobolo as a healing juice for all and diverse kinds of miraculous healings needs to be questioned in the light of biblical theology. Keywords: Wholistic Healing, Worldview, Biblical theology, Christian Ethics, Sobolo

Spiritualitas Katekis

In the framework of the Christian vocation, being a catechist cannot be reduced into fullfiling a job to proclaim the truth of the Christian faith and to teach People of God to live according to the Christian faith. Catechist needs to form himself acording to spirituality proper to his mission. The spirituality of catechist is fundamentally formed of openness to Word of God, truthfullness to the self, and authentic living according to Christian faith and ethics. To begin with such spirituality, one has to make a habit which is relevant to that objectives, such as, constant practice of reading the Bible and spiritual exercise, personal prayer and devotion, and honest life.

A Primer in Christian Ethics: Christ and the Struggle to Live Well by Luke Bretherton (review)

A Primer in Christian Ethics: Christ and the Struggle to Live Well by Luke Bretherton (review)

(Re)weaving the Black Heritage: Arturo Alfonso Schomburg’s Black Christian Ethics of Collaboration and Pioneering Social Service

Abstract: Despite the prominence of his world-renowned archive, the writings of Arturo Alfonso Schomburg have been largely understudied, especially in relation to Christianity. This article argues that Schomburg’s writings espouse a Black Christian ethics of collaboration and pioneering social service that is underpinned by the social and ethical teachings of Jesus Christ. Schomburg’s ethics appears in the form of critical reflections, which occur when the double movement of his narrative creates a point of inflection, causing a slippage that opens a threshold that allows for the decentering and (re)weaving of the fabric of history.

Hubungan Pendidikan Agama Kristen dan Budi Pekerti dengan Etika Kepribadian Siswa Siswi Kelas VII SMP Negeri 4 Balige Kabupaten Toba Tahun 2024

Christian Religious Education and Ethics is the government's effort through education to have a good impact on students' personality ethics. However, in the development of today's times, the ethics of students' personalities are getting worse so that they cause deviations. That is what makes the author feel interested and encouraged to conduct research on the relationship between Christian Religious Education and Ethics with the personality ethics of SMP Negeri 4 Balige students in 2024. This study aims to determine the relationship between Christian Religious Education and Ethics with the personality ethics of students in grade VIII of SMP Negeri 4 Balige in 2024. The research method used is a quantitative approach with inferential statistical data analysis. The population in this study is all grade VIII students of SMP Negeri 4 Balige which totals 208 students consisting of seven classes. Sampling in this study uses the probability sampling technique, which provides the same opportunity for each population to be selected as a sample member. The sample of this study was 62 people. The results of the research obtained using the r test are r_(count) > r_(table), which is 0.658 > 0.254 and the t-test t_(count) > t_(table), which is 6.769 > 2,000, it shows that there is a strong, positive and significant relationship between Christian Religious Education and Ethics and the personality ethics of students in grade VIII of SMP Negeri 4 Balige in 2024. In the determination coefficient test, data results of 43.3% were obtained which could be explained by Christian Religious Education and Ethics, while 56.7% were explained by other variables that were not researched by the researcher. This study is a recommendation for future researchers to research other variables related to student personality ethics using research methods and data collection tools that are more optimal.

From Sacred Doctrine to Confucian Moral Practice: Giulio Aleni’s Cross-Cultural Interpretation of “Goodness and Evil of Human Nature”

This paper explores the cross-cultural interpretation of “the goodness and evil of human nature” by Jesuit missionary Giulio Aleni in the late Ming Dynasty, and it examines the intersections and complementarity between Catholicism and Confucianism in moral ethics based on Aleni’s integration. The study finds that Aleni, while basically adhering to the Catholic “original sin”, connected the “spirituality” endowed to humans at the beginning of God’s creation with the Confucian ontological concepts such as “ultimate good” (zhishan 至善); centering on “self-mastery” (zizhuan 自專), “sharpening” (dili 砥礪), and “overcoming nature” (kexing 克性), he actively guided the goodness–evil debate towards a Confucian practical morality, and sacred doctrines are served as an impetus of moral practices. The redemption, together with reward and punishment of God, further intensifies the ultimate concern and the way of transcendence. Aleni’s bridging and synthesizing of the two traditions is highly significant: concerning both sanctity and practicality of ethics can to some extent overcome the risks brought by the instrumentalization of ethics or the illusory issues of existence. This has important implications for the self-development and integration of Christian and Confucian morality.

Implementing Comic Strip As a Way of Teaching Christian Educational Materials to Primary School Students with Special Needs

Everyone has a right to education. This means that education must be provided to both normal and special needs students. So far, education for students with special needs has been conducted in conventional ways. This can be proven from how the materials of Pendidikan Agama Kristen dan Budi Pekerti (Christian Education and Ethics) are taught to special needs students who go to a special school named Sekolah Dasar Luar Biasa (SDLB). This cannot be done any further as students with special needs learn very slowly and in many cases might not even read well due to their weakness in mastering alphabetical symbols. It is believed that Comic Strip can be used as a way of teaching Christian educational materials for SDLB students. Keywords: teaching Christian education materials, students of special needs, Comic Strip

Book Review: The Logic of Love: Christian Ethics and Moral Psychology by Andrew Cameron

Book Review: <i>The Logic of Love: Christian Ethics and Moral Psychology</i> by Andrew Cameron

Transhumanism as a positional good, economic inequality, and a response from Christian ethics

Transhumanism as a positional good, economic inequality, and a response from Christian ethics

Confirmation of the Spiritual Nature of Individual and Society in Yevhen Spektorskyi’s Works of the Emigrant Period

The article presents the main issues of the works by the famous philosopher, jurist and educator Yevhen Vasyliovych Spektorskyi (1875‒1951) written during the period of forced emigration (1920‒1951) and professional activity at the universities of Belgrade, Prague, Ljubljana and the St. Volodymyr Orthodox Theological Seminary in New-York. In the intellectual biography of the thinker, these prolific years are marked by the development of issues in social science, philosophy, moral theology, and Christian ethics. In numerous works in various foreign languages, some of which have been analyzed in this article for the first time, Spektorskyi substantiated the importance of moral — as opposed to physical and mental — dimension of the existence of both individuals and society, for which he regarded the Christian religion to be a reference point. The latter, in his opinion, can truly explore the essence of the individual and social with the help of Christian sociology. The history of social philosophy is essential for social science as well as philosophy itself. Positioned between science and religion, philosophy has the capacity for free thinking, which is crucial for achieving a genuine understanding of society. As it is revealed in the article, the philosopher developed ethical guidelines within the framework of moral theology, criticizing naturalistic and mechanistic approaches to understanding society and the individual. Spektorskyi regarded freedom, dignity, and a righteous life according to the Christian ideal, as well as cultural activity, as fundamental values. The author argues that Spektorskyi’s affirmation of absolute values and the study of the relationship between the individual and society on the basis of the Christian religion provide grounds for evaluating Spektorskyi as an exceptionally religious philosopher.

Intersection of African Indigenous and Christian Ethics in Fanny Crosby's Hymns: Yoruba Cultural Perspective

This study set within the context of Yoruba cultural perspective, explores the complex mantle of African indigenous and Christian ethics embedded in the hymns of Fanny Crosby(1820–1915). Bridging the gap in the literature that have analyzed Crosby'sdeep-rooted work in Christian theology, the author sargue that the ethical values and moral teachings epitomized in her hymns significantly resonates the indigenous ethics of the Yoruba people, one of the major ethnic groups in Nigeria. Through a qualitative analysis of four of Fanny Crosby's hymns, this study identifies thematic counterparts between Crosby's Christian ethics and the Yoruba concepts of "ìtẹŕ íba" (submission), "ojúàánú" (mercy), "ìfẹń iarajin" (commitment), and "ìfẹ"́ (love) which form the philosophy of interpersonal relationships and community life of indigenous people. The methodology of the study combines ethnographic study with the matic and interpretive phenomenological analysis to evaluate the ethical connotation of the sampled hymns that agrees with Yoruba moral values. The findings opined that while Crosby's hymns communicate Christian ethical values, its translation to Yoruba language echoes the indigenous moral imperatives of indigenous people, thereby encouraging a cross-cultural ethical interaction. The study contributes to the broader discourse on intercultural theology and ethics and opens new avenues for investigating the influence of African indigenous thought on Christian practices.

Sorcery and Witchcraft: A Critical Challenge in Papua New Guinea

In the modern age of the twenty-first century, with rapid developments in technology and science, accusations of sorcery and witchcraft appear to be occurring with increasing and spreading regularity throughout Papua New Guinea (PNG), a country in the South Pacific, a strange neighbor of Asia. With ninety-seven percent of the population identified as Christian, issues associated with sorcery and witchcraft remain pervasive and severe. These concerns have heightened the apprehension of the government, international organizations, institutes, and Christian Churches, viewing them as among the most critical challenges to the country’s peace and development. Based on various materials, research, and conferences on Melanesian culture, particularly on sorcery and witchcraft in PNG, and with experience of living in PNG as a Catholic missionary priest, the author relates to non-Melanesian readers the phenomena of sorcery and witchcraft in PNG with the reasons and the horrific consequences to the individuals, families, and communities. The author also delineates specific attitudes, strategies, and actions implemented by the government, organizations, and churches, grounded in Christian values, human rights, ethics, science, and biomedicine. These initiatives aim to persuade individuals to embrace scientific and verifiable explanations for death, sick-ness, and misfortunes, discouraging attributions to sor-cery and witchcraft. As with other societal challen-ges, the author underscores that the optimal strategy for addressing sorcery-related issues involves ensuring access to healthcare services, strengthening judicial enforcement, promoting education, providing religious education, and fostering economic development. Keywords: culture, sorcery, witchcraft, Christianity, development

A Contrastive Rhetorical Analysis of Hypocrisy in Christian and Islamic Moral Religious Contexts

Being hypocrite is to act in opposition to one's inner status. The goodness that he conveys is in contrast to the evilness that he has in his heart and intention. It is simply to be a double-faced human or a deceptive one. This study sheds light on hypocrisy as a vice. It investigates the Christian and Islamic tackle of such issue regarding its types, the rhetorical construction throughout the pragmatic strategies and the rhetorical devices that are applied. The results reveal that there is divergence between Christianity and Islam in the thematic and formal representation of hypocrisy in their moral religious contexts. Christian contexts adopts persuasion and instruction as pragmatic strategies whereas Islamic ones resort to persuasion and hinting. The results also show that the types of hypocrisy that are highlighted vary in their type and number of occurrence.

Relevansi Nilai-Nilai Etika Kristiani Dalam Kehidupan Masyarakat Global

This article deals with our plural and global society of today which impede the validity of ethical values. In this sense, the values of Christian ethics are needed to approach contemporary social issue. We must respond to the current situation of humanity by using library resources and observations of ethical issue in our society and how they can develop their normative effects under the conditions of freedom, plurality, demographic and digital change, as well as the complex economic and financial systems and, last but not least, under the fragile approval of the institutions of international politics. The argument then moves to the meta-theory of Christian ethics, namely the revelation of God as it is expressed in the ‘book of nature’, the written word, and the incarnate Word, Jesus Christ. The article concludes that as long as the values of Christian ethics remains faithful to this meta-theory, understands the modern macro-ethical questions and maintains a deep social focus, it will remain relevant in a plural and global society.