SCRIPTURE ASSIGNMENT
Essay Assignment for ODM
How is Scripture of value for contemporary Christian ethics ?
For this essay you need to consider Scripture's broad ethical content but the focus should be on hermeneutical method ie how we interpret and apply Scripture in Christian ethics today.
Lecture 2 particularly focuses on this area.
Introductory Reading [you may find this gets repetitive after a while so skim and move to more detailed reading]:
- "OT Ethics" in IVP Dictionary, Chpt 8, pp48-55 & SCM Dictionary, pp433-7.
- "NT Ethics" in IVP Dictionary, Chpt 9, pp56-64 & SCM Dictionary, pp421-4.
- "Bible in Christian Ethics", SCM Dictionary, pp57-61.
- "Biblical Ethics" by Verhey in Boulton, Wayne G., et.al., From Christ to the World, pp17-20.
- "The Bible in Christian Ethics" in Neil Messer, SCM Study Guide to Christian Ethics, pp15-39 provides a basic introduction related to issues of divorce and stem cells.
General methodological questions:
Richard B. Hays, The Moral Vision of the New Testament, is the
best volume, see especially pp1-11, 207-13, 291-310.
If you wish to do further work related to Hays:
· There is an interesting review and response to Hays by the evangelical NT scholar Douglas Moo in the journal Bulletin for Biblical Research 9 (1999):271-6 to which Hays then responds (289-93).
· Hays also discusses different ethicists' use of Scripture and you may wish to look at this (Ch 12).
For further reading take a selection from the following discussions:
- Stanley Grenz, The Moral Quest, pp240-57.
His chapter on "Ethics in the Bible" (pp95-128) offers his survey of the content of biblical ethics and you may also wish to look at that. - Alan Verhey, " 'Useful...for Training in Righteousness': Scripture, Churches, and the Moral Life", Chpt 3 of his Remembering Jesus (pp49-76)
- Christopher Wright, "The use of the Bible in Social Ethics" in Wright, Christopher J. H. Walking in the Ways of the Lord: The Ethical Authority of the Old Testament, pp13-45.
- Howard Marshall, "Using the Bible in Ethics" in Wright, David F. Essays in Evangelical Social Ethics, pp39-54.
- David Attwood, 'The Bible and Christian Ethics', Changing Values, Chpt 12.
- Glen H. Stassen & David P. Gushee, 'Authority and Scripture', chpt 4 of Kingdom Ethics,pp 81-98.
- William C. Spohn, 'Scripture' in Meilaender & Werpehowski, Oxford Handbook of Theological Ethics, pp 93-109.
- Kyle D. Fedler, Exploring Christian Ethics: Biblical Foundations for Morality, esp chpt 4, pp 51-66.
- Stanley Hauerwas, "The Moral Authority of Scripture" in Boulton, Wayne G., et.al., From Christ to the World, pp33-50.
- Stephen Fowl, "New Testament, Theology & Ethics" in Green, Joel B., Hearing the New Testament, pp394-409.
If you want to explore Fowl's ideas further look at Stephen E. Fowl and L. Gregory Jones. Reading in Communion: Scripture and Ethics in Christian Life, esp chpt 1 (pp4-21) & chpt 2 (pp29-50) and his more recent Engaging Scripture.
Old Testament
If you want to focus on the Old Testament you should look particularly at:
- Christopher Wright, "Studying OT Ethics", Part 3 of Old Testament Ethics for the People of
God, pp387-471 gives an excellent overview of both historical and contemporary debates.
The whole book is the best guide to OT ethics. - Barton, John, Ethics and the Old Testament especially pp1-18 offers a good introduction to a more liberal approach (discussed in Wright).
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