Jan 12
24
What is Natural Law Ethics? – Source Material
“God’s law is written in two ways and two places: Not only in the words of revelation, but in our being, for we are made in God’s image. For a long time, many Christians neglected or even denied this insight because of the mistaken idea that if the image of God can be obscured by sin, then for all practical purposes there is no natural law. How ironic, and how deadly to our common witness, that this common ground among all human beings, this universal prologue to the gospel, should have become a battle ground among Christians themselves.”[i] –J. Budziszewski, Professor of Government and Philosophy, University of Texas at Austin.
For those who are interested in pursuing the ideas of Natural Law Ethics here are a couple of books I have found interesting:
Christian Smith. 2003. Moral, Believing Animals: Human Personhood and Culture. Oxford: Oxford University Press. From Smith’s website:
“What kind of animals are human beings? And how do our visions of the human shape our theories of social action and institutions? This book advances a theory of human persons and culture that offers innovative, challenging answers to these and other fundamental questions in sociological, cultural, and religious theory. Smith suggests that human beings have a peculiar set of capacities and proclivities that distinguishes them significantly from other animals on this planet. Despite the vast differences in humanity between cultures and across history, no matter how differently people narrate their lives and histories, there remains an underlying structure of human personhood that helps to order human culture, history, and narration. Drawing on important recent insights in moral philosophy, epistemology, and narrative studies, the book argues that humans are animals who have an inescapable moral and spiritual dimension. They cannot avoid a fundamental moral orientation in life and this has profound consequences for how sociology must study human beings. Copyright © Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.”
Doing the Right Thing (Chuck Colson) is a book, a DVD series, a website and a movement. They say:
“We must get on the playing field and winsomely retake the high moral ground–before it’s too late. The time is right for a bold movement to help rediscover Natural Law and to apply it in their personal and professional lives. Time is of the essence if we are to help turn our culture around and you can be a vital part of it in your spheres of influence.”
Some evangelicals imagine the work of restoring a lost ethic in America to be complicated by pluralism. Garrison (William Lloyd Garrison: the Abolitionist by Archibald Henry Grimke) campaigned for Christian ethics in a Christian nation and was met with resistance by the Christian clergy. His campaign could serve as another witness to our pursuit of God’s Kingdom today and for instruction in natural law ethics. Sujal Shah has a brief biography of Garrison.
[i] From the promotional material for Natural Law: A Lutheran Reappraisal by Baker, Robert C., General Editor.