Christian Ethics in a Secular Society: Karl Barth in Conversation

2012 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-50
Author(s):  
Adam McIntosh
Keyword(s):  
Christian Ethics ◽  
Karl Barth ◽  
Theological Ethics ◽  
Christian Ethic ◽  
Secular Society

The aim of this study is to clarify the nature of Christian ethics and its implications for secular society. This is achieved by way of engagement with the theology of Karl Barth. Barth is useful on this question for he presents a thoroughly counter-modern theological ethics, as he works from an uncompromising theological framework. The implications of applying Christian ethics to secular society are discussed by way of conversation with Barth, and a way forward suggested in the form of a missional focused Christian ethic.

scholarly journals Graciously commanded: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Karl Barth on the Decalogue

2018 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-141
Author(s):  
Philip G. Ziegler
Keyword(s):  
Christian Ethics ◽  
Karl Barth ◽  
Divine Command ◽  
Theological Ethics ◽  
Dietrich Bonhoeffer ◽  
Divine Commands

AbstractThis essay examines and compares the treatment of the Decalogue in the theological ethics of Karl Barth and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. It argues that while both theologians orient their exposition of the Decalogue by attending to its primary character as divine self-revelation, approach it with a view to a Christian ethics of divine command, and frame their understandings in decisively christological terms, they differ markedly on the extent to which the commandments themselves can and ought to be understood as representing concrete divine commands.

Book Review: Christian Ethics in Secular Society

1984 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 379-380
Author(s):  
Philip J. Rossi
Keyword(s):  
Christian Ethics ◽  
Secular Society

Locating the ‘Lordless Powers’ in Ireland: Karl Barth, Novels, and Theological Ethics in the Aftermath of the Celtic Tiger

2019 ◽  
Vol 84 (3) ◽  
pp. 243-258
Author(s):  
Kevin Hargaden
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Theological Reflection ◽  
Karl Barth ◽  
Theological Ethics ◽  
Ethical Reflection ◽  
Economic Ethics ◽  
Celtic Tiger ◽  
Irish Context ◽  
The Social ◽  
Economic Reality

Theological reflection on economic ethics often follows the tradition of the social sciences in describing economic reality in econometric terms. The numerical imagination of the social sciences is not always an elegant dialogue partner for theological ethical reflection. This can be seen to be the case when we draw upon Karl Barth’s discussion of ‘lordless powers’ to describe the dramatic economic reversal endured in Ireland over the last decade. In this article, I propose that literature represents an important additional dialogue partner for theological reflection. Four Irish novels are proposed as potential grounds for considering the relevance of the lordless power discussion in an Irish context.

The Gardeners' Dirty Hands

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noah J. Toly
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Governance ◽  
Salient Feature ◽  
Christian Ethics ◽  
Global Environmental Governance ◽  
Theological Ethics ◽  
Dietrich Bonhoeffer ◽  
Dirty Hands ◽  
Global Environmental Politics ◽  
Global Environmental ◽  
Environmental Thought

In The Gardeners’ Dirty Hands: Global Environmental Politics and Christian Ethics, Noah Toly engages the resources of Christian theological ethics to identify, explore, and respond to the most salient feature of contemporary environmental challenges. In conversation with contributions to Christian ethics, Toly argues that modern environmental thought, global environmental governance, climate change, and the Anthropocene are characterized by a struggle with the tragic, which may be described as the need to give up, forego, undermine, or destroy one or more goods to possess or secure one or more other goods. Drawing upon the work of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Toly develops a “Cruciform imaginary” that should inform our responses to the tragic.

Karl Barth and Christian Ethics

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Werpehowski
Keyword(s):  
Christian Ethics ◽  
Karl Barth

Karl Barth's Doctrine of the Sabbath

1966 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 409-425
Author(s):  
James Brown
Keyword(s):  
Old Testament ◽  
Karl Barth ◽  
Theological Ethics ◽  
People Of God ◽  
Church Dogmatics ◽  
The People ◽  
The New Testament ◽  
History Of ◽  
Summary Statement ◽  
The One

‘In general, theological ethics has handled this command of God [the fourth Mosaic commandment] … with a casualness and feebleness which certainly do not match its importance in Holy Scripture or its decisive material significance’ (Church Dogmatics, 111.4, P. 50). Thus Karl Barth in the English translation of his Kirchliche Dogmatik (hereafter referred to as CD.). His own treatment is neither fragmentary nor perfunctory. There are references to ‘Sabbath’ in the indexes of six of twelve volumes of the Dogmatics so far published. The particular discussion of the Fourth Commandment occurs in his treatment of Special Ethics in CD. 111.4, where ‘the one command of God’ the Creator is set forth ‘in this particular application’ of ‘The Holy Day’ (p. 50). But for Barth the scriptural references to Sabbath rest have relevance to the doctrines of God, and Revelation; to the relation of God's Eternity to man's temporal being; to the biblical conception of Creation as the setting for the Covenant history of the Old Testament and the New Testament fulfilment of the divine purpose in redemption in Christ, to be completed and perfected in the ‘rest that remaineth to the people of God’ (Heb. 4.9). The treatment of the topic throughout the Dogmatics constitutes a corpus of exegesis and doctrine of which even a summary statement such as is here attempted might well be a useful contribution towards modern efforts at rethinking the Christian use of the Lord's Day.

Ethnography, Ecclesiology, and the Ethics of Everyday Life: A Conversation with the Work of Michael Banner

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-171
Author(s):  
Samuel Tranter ◽  
David Bartram Torrance
Keyword(s):  
Everyday Life ◽  
Recent Work ◽  
Christian Ethics ◽  
Ethnographic Research ◽  
Theological Ethics ◽  
Social Anthropology ◽  
Anthropology Of Christianity

This article begins by introducing recent work by Michael Banner, who advocates the use of social anthropology generally (not just the anthropology of Christianity) for the Christian ethics of everyday life. His use of ethnography in Christian theological ethics is then situated in relation to recent discussions in ecclesiology and ethnography. Situated thus, Banner’s work forms the springboard for a brief discussion of what is at stake for theological ethics in turning to ethnographic research. While some dangers are highlighted, a way forward is offered for the fruitful use of ethnographic research in this field.

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