BY LUKE CLARK S.O.R ASSESSMENT

SOURCES OF CHRISTIAN ETHICS (OPTION 10) There are many sources that guide the Christian walk and faith, such as books, movies, T.V shows, preachers and many more, but the main source that is known to be directly from God mouth is called the Bible. This book called the Bible shows humans how we should act, what are ethics should be, how to live a blessed life and what happens when we die. Within the Bible we can see guidelines that show what the perfect life would look like, how we can be blessed and what our main purpose on life should be. A few of these guidelines are called the following: The Ten Commandments The Beatitudes Jesus’ Commandment of love

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS The Ten Commandments (Decalogue) contained in the Old Testament is a critical source of ethical guidance for Christians The Ten Commandments are a succinct summary of Christian ethics, and emphasise the importance of human life and the need to respect family and personal integrity Christians frequently use the Ten Commandments as a framework for the key principles of Christian ethics.

THE BEATITUDES The fundamental source of ethical guidance for Christians is the New Testament, which contains some of Jesus’ most significant ethical statements. The Beatitudes which describes a life directed towards holiness is regarded as a foundational passage for Christian ethics. The Beatitudes provide a model for the Christian life because it warns against an approach which values only material strength and power, by pointing to an inversion of values whereby things that are often regarded as having no value according to the dominant culture are celebrated in the reign of God.

JESUS’ COMMANDMENT OF LOVE Jesus’ commandment of love can be distilled into the primary covenantal notions of love of God and love of neighbour. In the ministry of Jesus, the commandment to love your neighbour is taken to a new level because Christians are required not only to love their neighbour but also to love their enemies. John’s Gospel conveys this requirement to love in terms of a new commandment as love is identified as the defining characteristic of the Christian life. Love is seen as the fulfilment of the law because love is the essential quality that gives meaning to all other virtues. The Golden rule, do unto others as you would have them do unto do, is said to sum up Christian ethics. There are no identifiable differences between the various Christian denominations in how they understand Jesus’ commandment of love. In terms of applying these principles, differences do arise between the different Christian denominations in relation to the emphasis that should be placed on Church authority however these differences are not overly significant.

THE IMPORTANCE OF ETHICAL TEACHINGS IN THE LIFE OF ADHERENTS. Christians are expected to place considerable value on the ethical teachings of the tradition in determining their response to a wide range of issues General ethical guidance is provided by the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes and the Golden Rule The life and ministry of Jesus provides a model for life action of Christians. This is reflected in the Christian ethos of caring for the needy and the vulnerable Specific guidance is also provided in relation to contemporary ethical issues such as sexual morality, bioethics, international economics, ecological concerns and the use of force in international conflicts Generally speaking, Christian ethical teaching in areas such as sexual morality and bioethics have been in line with conservative forces in society Ethical teaching on issues of economic, ecological and military significance are more in line with progressive elements in society This diversity makes it difficult to gauge the effect of Christian ethical teaching in an overall sense

BIBLIOGRAPHY Core Ethical Teachings, Viewed 24 th of July, _christianity/core_ethical_summary.html 2_christianity/core_ethical_summary.html Ten Commandments in the Christian Life, Viewed 24 th of July, The Eight Beatitudes of Jesus, Viewed 25 th of July,