BTheol Bachelor of Theology Christian Ethics 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which term describes the ethical position that there are no universal moral truths and morality is relative to culture?
- Moral absolutism
- Cultural relativism (Correct answer)
- Natural law
- Moral realism
Correct answer: Cultural relativism
Cultural relativism holds that moral standards are culturally determined and no universal ethical norms apply across all societies.
Question 2: Dietrich Bonhoeffer's ethics is best characterized by which of the following emphases?
- Abstract moral principles applied rigidly regardless of context
- Responsible action in concrete historical situations, shaped by Christ's call (Correct answer)
- Strict pacifism under all circumstances, including genocide
- Withdrawal from political life to maintain personal purity
Correct answer: Responsible action in concrete historical situations, shaped by Christ's call
Bonhoeffer emphasized responsible, Christ-shaped action in concrete history, leading him to participate in resistance against the Nazi regime despite moral complexity.
Question 3: In Christian sexual ethics, the term 'chastity' refers to:
- Complete lifelong celibacy for all Christians
- Appropriate sexual expression aligned with one's station in life and God's design (Correct answer)
- The avoidance of all physical touch between unmarried persons
- Sexual abstinence only for clergy and religious orders
Correct answer: Appropriate sexual expression aligned with one's station in life and God's design
Chastity is the virtue of integrating one's sexuality with one's state of life—celibacy for the unmarried and faithful monogamy within marriage.
Question 4: The ethical principle of 'subsidiarity,' important in Catholic Social Teaching, holds that:
- The state should control all aspects of social and economic life
- Decisions should be made at the lowest competent level of authority (Correct answer)
- Christians owe ultimate loyalty to the church over the state
- Moral authority subsidizes religious authority in pluralistic societies
Correct answer: Decisions should be made at the lowest competent level of authority
Subsidiarity, articulated in papal encyclicals like Quadragesimo Anno, holds that higher authorities should only intervene when lower ones are incapable.
Question 5: Which biblical prophet's message is most frequently cited in Christian social justice ethics?
- Ezekiel, for his visions of divine glory
- Amos, for his condemnation of economic exploitation and call for justice (Correct answer)
- Jonah, for his mission to foreign nations
- Haggai, for his call to rebuild the temple
Correct answer: Amos, for his condemnation of economic exploitation and call for justice
Amos's fierce condemnation of economic injustice and oppression of the poor (e.g., 5:24) makes him the most cited prophet in Christian social ethics.
Question 6: What does 'sanctification' mean in the context of Christian moral development?
- The one-time declaration of righteousness at conversion
- The ongoing process of moral transformation into Christlikeness (Correct answer)
- The ritual purification required before receiving communion
- The theological doctrine of eternal predestination
Correct answer: The ongoing process of moral transformation into Christlikeness
Sanctification is the lifelong process by which the Holy Spirit transforms believers morally and spiritually into the image of Christ.
Question 7: Which ethical approach, associated with Stanley Hauerwas, argues that the church's primary ethical task is being a distinctive community?
- Two-kingdoms ethics
- Narrative/community ethics (Correct answer)
- Theonomic reconstructionism
- Proportionalism
Correct answer: Narrative/community ethics
Hauerwas's narrative ethics holds that the church forms character through its shared story and practices, making it a contrast community rather than a moral-advice bureau for society.
BTheol Bachelor of Theology Christian Ethics 4
Which term describes the ethical position that there are no universal moral truths and morality is relative to culture?