The Identity of Christian Morality (Ashgate New Critical Thinking in Religion, Theology, and Biblical Studies)

197 Pages·2008·2.49 MB·English

by  Ann Marie Mealey

The Identity of Christian Morality
Ann Marie Mealey
The Iden TITy of Chr IsTIan Moral ITy
This book argues that moral theology has yet to embrace the recommendations
of the second Vatican Council concerning the ways in which it is to be renewed.
one of the reasons for this is the lack of consensus between theologians regarding
the nature, content and uniqueness of Christian morality. after highlighting the
strengths and weaknesses of the so-called autonomy and faith ethic schools of
thought, Mealey argues that there is little dividing them and that, in some instances,
both schools are simply defending one aspect of a hermeneutical dialectic.
In an attempt to move away from the divisions between proponents of the
faith-ethic and autonomy positions, Mealey enlists the help of the hermeneutical
theory of Paul r icoeur. she argues that many of the disagreements arising from
the Christian proprium debate can be overcome if scholars look to the possibilities
opened up by r icoeur’s hermeneutics of interpretation. Mealey also argues that
the uniqueness of Christian morality is more adequately explained in terms of a
speci.c identity (self) that is constantly subject to change and revision in light of
many, often conflicting, moral sources. She advocates a move away from attempts
to explain the uniqueness of Christian morality in terms of one specific, unchanging
context, motivation, norm, divine command or value. By embracing the possibilities
opened up by r icoeurian hermeneutics, Mealey explains how concepts such as
revelation, tradition, orthodoxy and moral conscience may be understood in a
hermeneutical way without being deemed sectarian or unorthodox.
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Other Titles in the Series:
Anamnesis and the Eucharist
Contemporary Anglican Approaches
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Exodus Church and Civil Society
Public Theology and Social Theory in the Work of Jürgen Moltmann
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The Identity of Christian Morality
a nn Mar Ie Mealey
Leeds Trinity and All Saints, UK
© ann Marie Mealey 2009
all rights reserved. no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher.
ann Marie Mealey has asserted her moral right under the Copyright, designs and Patents
Act, 1988, to be identified as the author of this work.
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Mealey, ann Marie
The identity of Christian morality – (Ashgate new critical thinking in religion, theology
and biblical studies)
1. Ricoeur, Paul 2. Christian ethics 3. Identity (Psychology) – Religious aspects – Chris-
tianity
I. Title
241
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Mealey, ann Marie
The identity of Christian morality / ann Marie Mealey.
p. cm. – (Ashgate new critical thinking in religion, theology and biblical studies)
ISBN 978-0-7546-6073-6 (hardcover: alk. paper)
1. Christian ethics. I. Title.
BJ1251.M475 2008
241–dc22
2008024030
IsBn 978-0-7546-6073-6
Contents
Preface vii
Introduction 1
1 The emergence of the Christian Proprium debate 13
2 r icoeurian hermeneutics and the r esponsible Christian self 41
3 Christian Ethics and the Gospels: A Ricoeurian Approach 61
4 Christian Identity: A Quest for Goodness and Holiness 89
5 Toward a Hermeneutic of Christian Identity: The Role of Tradition 113
6 The l imits of a r icoeurian approach to Christian ethics 139
Conclusion 169
Bibliography 173
Index 181
This page has been left blank intentionally
Preface
The uniqueness of Christian morality is a vexed question. Traditionally, Catholic
moral theologians have attempted to explain the ‘extra’ of Christian morality,
broadly speaking, either in terms of ‘divine commands’ or in terms of a specifically
Christian motivation or inspiration for action. Consequently, theologians have
come to rally around two schools of thought, known more commonly as the ‘faith
ethic’ and ‘autonomy’ schools.
In recent decades, many Catholic theologians have tried to move away from
these divisions and focus on the more general task of renewing moral theology
according to the recommendations made by the second Vatican Council. however,
this task is still unfinished largely because there is no genuine consensus between
theologians as to what distinguishes Christian morality from secular morality. yet,
the Catholic magisterium continues to issue moral teachings that it claims to have
discovered ‘in the light of faith and revelation’ and ‘in the light of the teachings of
holy scripture.’ statements such as these indicate that the more orthodox Catholic
position seems to support the faith ethic school of thought, even though Catholic
scholarship indicates that most theologians believe that the content of Christian
morality is identical to that of human morality.
This work is an attempt to revise the debate on the uniqueness of Christian
morality, in order to move Catholic moral theology away from division to
embrace more fully the possibilities opened up by hermeneutics. Using the work
of the french philosopher Paul r icoeur, it will be argued here that the apparent
impasse that exists between the so-called faith-ethic and autonomy schools can
be mediated if we turn to concepts such as selfhood and identity. In so doing,
the work will show that Christian ethics can be offered a richer presentation, one
that is more competent to carry out the tasks of renewing moral theology in light
of second Vatican Council’s recommendations without being sectarian, secular,
or disrespectful towards the functioning of the teaching office of the Catholic
Church.
Given that many theologians find it difficult to read and to understand the work
of Paul r icoeur, I have tried to express his ideas and philosophical arguments as
clearly and as simply as possible. I hope that my emphasis on clarity of expression
does not lead to a superficial account of Ricoeur‘s contribution to Christian ethics,
but that it will, at the very least, generate greater interest in his work amongst
Catholic theologians.
I owe a debt of gratitude to a number of people whose help was invaluable
throughout the process of writing this book. dr William Tomkiss, a former
colleague at Trinity and all saints, l eeds, read the whole manuscript on several
occasions, while his wife, dr Monica Tomkiss, provided much emotional support
viii The Identity of Christian Morality
and encouragement during the final stages of writing. I am also grateful to the
IRCHSS (Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences) for
funding this project when it was at doctoral stage. Thanks are also owed to Sarah
Lloyd, Ann Newell and Lianne Sherlock at Ashgate for welcoming my project
with open arms and for supporting me throughout the process. The individuals
named above are in no way responsible for the shortcomings of this book; I am.
ann Marie Mealey
Introduction
Being Christian implies that we have a particular identity and that we belong to a
community of people who are gathered together out of a shared belief. When we are
born into the Christian tradition and raised as Christians, we turn to that tradition
in order to answer the bigger questions in life, such as, ‘why should I love my
neighbour?’; ‘why is it wrong to steal?’; ‘why should I not covet my neighbour’s
wife?’ or ‘why should I respect my parents?’ In this sense, our tradition can help
to educate us morally and to assist us in our quest to flourish as human beings in
our communities.
But moral decision-making is not purely determined by faith or by tradition;
human reason also plays a role in the search for moral truth. This must be the
case, otherwise we run the risk of suggesting that there is a Christian ethic that
is reserved for Christians and no one else, and that there is a rational ethic,
which may or may not be accessible to Christians. To put it simply, we run
the risk of suggesting that the Christian thing to do might not be the rational
thing to do, or that the rational thing to do might not be the Christian thing to
do. of course, we must admit that both positions could lead us to the same
conclusions, but what is certain is that the relationship between faith and reason
is a complex one.
Most Christians would agree that there is such a thing as ‘Christian ethics’,
but what this entails is not easy to determine. Indeed, it is not uncommon to see
postgraduate degree programmes in Christian ethics, which would seem to suggest
that the Christian tradition has something to say about what is good or what is
human. Nor is it uncommon to find statements in papal encyclicals which claim
that faith contributes in a particular way to our search for truth and goodness.
for instance, the encyclical letter Deus Caritas Est (1996) asserts that ‘being a
Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter
with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction’.1
The teaching of Humanae Vitae (1968) is considered to be the result of the natural
law but ‘illuminated and enriched by divine r evelation’.2 The Declaration on
Procured Abortion (1974) claims that its moral principles are expounded ‘in the
light of faith’, and that these may also be justified by appealing to Sacred Scripture,3
1 BBeenneeddiicctt ��VVII,, eennccyycclliiccaall lleettteterr Deus Caritas Est, 1996, n. 1 [Vatican archive],
www.vaticanarchive.com (12 January 2008).
2 PPaauull VVII,, eennccyycclliiccaall lleettteterr Humanae Vitae, trans. Vatican Polyglot Press, 1968, n. 4.
3 Declaration on Procured Abortion issued by the sacred Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith (English trans. Osservatore Romano, 25/26 November 1975), n.
4.