It has been more than a month since my last post. Our family really enjoyed our Christmas break. Now that I'm back at the school with my father, following his advice, I'm thinking of rewriting the previous papers I submitted to my instructors during my early years in the seminary, and I would like to start with a reflection on Stanley Hauerwas.
Introduction and Context
I submitted this paper on 14 March 2023. The book I reflected on is How “Christian Ethics” Came to Be (1997), The Hauerwas Reader.
Stanley Hauerwas's collection of writings that examine Christian ethics is called The Hauerwas Reader. Hauerwas' theological ethics are introduced in this book. Healthcare, war, euthanasia, abortion, sexuality, the function of religion in liberal democracies, the relationship between Christianity and Judaism, and the role of the family in capitalist countries are just a few of the many subjects that are discussed in the book. Along with a biographical description by another former student, the book also features an introduction and reading list written by former Hauerwas pupils.
Overview of Chapter 1: “How ‘Christian Ethics’ Came to Be”
Chapter 1 of The Hauerwas Reader, How “Christian Ethics” came to be, shows historical developments and attempts of the early church on ethical thoughts and practicing Christian living. It showed the contributions of the church fathers and several theologians (Barth, Aquinas, Schleiermacher, and Calvin) by tracing its roots back in the Bible.
In the middle parts, Hauerwas shows the dilemma of Christian ethics in the modern time, especially in the Enlightenment Age. He offers a critique of this modern ethical thought, arguing that it had diminished the traditional moral views of the church (p. 45).
Initial Reactions and Misunderstandings
I was confused when I first saw the title of this chapter. What does it mean that Christian ethics "came to be"? I assumed from this that Christian ethics were nonexistent before. And it dumbfounded me since, from what I know, Christian ethics is a product of how our Lord Jesus Christ lived (who is our prime ethical model) and therefore should be present to Christians in accordance with the revelation of His life and death. So, I thought that the contents of this chapter would contain information about the discussion of the four gospels, for I assumed that after the events of the New Testament, it is only a prerogative of a Christian to do Christian ethics. However, that was easier said than done. As I read thoroughly, I understood that it did not actually focus on how Christian ethics came into existence; rather, how this existence became clearer and more focused on in the early churches. There were no specific ‘guidelines’ in the early church on how to live as Christians, but that does not mean that the early church was less Christian than we are now. What I surmise from this is that Christian ethics as a discipline or study had no specifications in the earlier years, and it was only later developed by the church fathers, reformers, and theologians.
The Development of Christian Ethics
The early church fathers, especially Augustine, were significant in influencing how the early church viewed and practiced the Christian life. The penitential traditions are also an example of forming Christian ethics, as they helped the early churches deal with the "complexity of Christian behavior." Even though some of these traditions are not biblically accurate, this made me grateful for these practices as they addressed certain issues regarding Christian ethics. I thought that these traditions would be better than nothing. Similar to this, I thought that it would be better for our country to be Roman Catholic than become an Islamic state. However, that does not mean we are to welcome unbiblical teachings and practices—we should seek sound doctrine and bible-based ethics. The wrongs of the old ways serve as a warning sign for us not to stray from what is biblically true.
Modern Challenges to Christian Ethics
Christian ethics had seen problems in the modern era, especially in the Enlightenment. Because of the diversity of our morality, the idea of relativism became its main concern. People argue that if Christian ethics is subject to time and place, then it is also subject to constant change due to cultural and social norms, and as time passes, it will become "conventional" or even "arbitrary." Hauerwas says, "The great name associated with this quest is Immanuel Kant." In order for ethics to be unbound from relativism, Kant sought to ground ethics in reason alone. When I first heard of "Kantian ethics" from my professor at my previous school, STI, I admit that I understood nothing. I was very young back then, and I was stuck on the notion that our morals are based on the divine. However, there are several unreligious people who are morally upright in our society; they do not do good because they are religiously inclined, so what makes them morally motivated to do good? This made me curious. Is it as Kant tells us that moral actions are done through a "sense of duty?" I think that is too idealistic a reason. That does not reflect several aspects of our human nature, such as self-interest and empathy. What I do not agree with him on is that, as a Christian, I do not think I can derive my Christian life on the basis of reason alone or through my human efforts. And if I do things according to what I deem to be good, I am surely to fail, for I need God through his words as the basis of my ethical principles.
Personal Reflections on Ethics and Morality
I found Hauerwas's critique of modern ethics to be persuasive and thought-provoking. It seems clear that many of the problems we face in contemporary society—from the breakdown of family and community to the rise of social isolation and mental health issues—are connected to a lack of moral cohesion and shared values. Modern ethics, with its emphasis on the individual and his or her rights, has contributed to this state of affairs by undermining traditional moral communities and eroding our sense of responsibility to one another.
Conclusion and Lessons Learned
Overall, I found Hauerwas's account of Christian ethics to be both illuminating and challenging. His emphasis on community and tradition reminds us that ethics is not just about rules and duties but about relationships and the cultivation of virtue. At the same time, his critique of modern ethical thought reminds us of the dangers of individualism and relativism and the importance of recovering a more robust and communal vision of Christian ethics.