Chapter Nine: Good Life
Life is about relationships.
Economics, Wealth, and Poverty
- Scripture and Tradition. While chosen poverty is viewed positively in the NT, especially by Jesus, the treatment of the unwilling poor is a test of a just society. Wealth is also a focus in the Bible. Protestants have usually viewed wealth as good, as long as it is used well.
- Contemporary Debate. The nature of capitalism as a good force or a bad force is the debate going on.
- Universal. Neither socialism or capitalism can be argued in the context of Christian ethics. There are issues that Christians can agree on: The need to respect the dignity of workers, the importance of justice and the common good, and others.
- Subversive. These ethicists see the issue in terms of exploitation of the poor by the rich.
- Ecclesial.
- “According to ecclesial ethics, we do not engineer the justice of the kingdom; we seek it. It is received from God as a gift, not constructed by us. Nonetheless, it is essentially involving and relational, and in this sense it means nothing unless it is embodied in actual communities, by those who find in the gift of justice that there is also a call.”
Work, Business, and Management
Work
- Scripture. Scripture affirms the goodness of work. But, work is commended; rest is commanded.
- Tradition. “… Christian tradition’s affirmative statements about work is its conviction that the work of human hands needs divine grace to “prosper” it;” “Work does not achieve salvation: it does not reconcile God and humankind, it does not heal or forgive sin, and it does not restore creation.”
- Contemporary Debate. The idea that humanity is meant for more than work separated Christian theology from Marxism and Western materialism.
Business and Management
- Scripture and tradition. “The regard of Christians toward trade and commerce has covered the full range from deep suspicion to wholehearted endorsement. Both views look back to the creation account. The positive view sees God as the archetypal artisan. By contrast the negative view dwells on the account of the Fall in Genesis 3, where work seems to be a form of punishment.”
- Contemporary debate. With respect to management: “Welcoming responses have attempted to see in the Genesis accounts of Adam’s commission to subdue the earth – often rendered by recent theologians as responsible stewardship – a prototype for a positive ethic of management.” “Critical responses ... have focused on management theory’s prioritization of the efficiency of an activity over any assessment of the intrinsic and particular value of what that activity is.”
- Universal. Emphasizes the dignity of work in God’s creation. Work = vocation.
- Subversive. Vocation judges work, or maybe vocation reforms work.
- Ecclesial. The wine and the bread of the Eucharist require work—the transformation of material into the sacraments.
Media
- Scripture and tradition do not directly address the issues around media.
- Contemporary Debate. “Our choices of clothes, holidays, and political parties (to name but a few) are all heavily influenced by television, radio, and the Internet. So a key question for Christian ethics is whether the organs of communication that shape us should be accountable to public standards that can be imposed upon them, or whether they may be left alone as relatively unregulated channels through which private enterprise can do what it likes.” • Advertising. Advertising is designed to stimulate desire, not serve desire. • Celebrity. • The Mobil Phone. The mobil phone haw speeded up people’s communication at the expense of dialogue and meaningful conversation. • The Smartphone and Social Media. • Community in a Virtual Age. A ministry of presence is critical in the Christian response to community.
- Universal. The church has to adapt to using the new media in order to survive. The media should be held accountable to high standards of truth and art.
- Subversive. Examine media (especially film) in light of how it treats the non-majority.
- Ecclesial. Mostly concerned with making sure that the use of media leads to good. Recognizes that some areas of growth require time and attention that is counter to the media culture.