Eudaimonism and Christian Ethics

Contrary to common assumptions, appeals to rewards and punishments play a central role in Scripture. We find these appeals in both the Old and New Testaments, and in every major biblical genre. Moreover, these appeals almost always presuppose that the one addressed by a promise, threat, or inducemen...

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Détails bibliographiques
Auteur principal: Porter, Jean 1955- (Auteur)
Type de support: Électronique Article
Langue:Anglais
Vérifier la disponibilité: HBZ Gateway
Interlibrary Loan:Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany)
Publié: [2019]
Dans: Journal of religious ethics
Année: 2019, Volume: 47, Numéro: 1, Pages: 23-42
Sujets / Chaînes de mots-clés standardisés:B Éthique chrétienne (motif) / Eudémonisme
RelBib Classification:CH Christianisme et société
NCB Éthique individuelle
VA Philosophie
Sujets non-standardisés:B Imannuel Kant
B Eudaimonism
B John E. Hare
B biblical ethics
Accès en ligne: Volltext (Resolving-System)
Volltext (doi)
Description
Résumé:Contrary to common assumptions, appeals to rewards and punishments play a central role in Scripture. We find these appeals in both the Old and New Testaments, and in every major biblical genre. Moreover, these appeals almost always presuppose that the one addressed by a promise, threat, or inducement will respond out of some self-referential desire to enjoy something good or to avoid an evil. Similarly, they take for granted that such desires provide legitimate motives for obedience or fidelity. In short, appeals to rewards and punishments, with their implied endorsement of a kind of self-referential desire, play a central part in scriptural depictions of the divine-human relationship. They strongly suggest that men and women naturally and properly expect good things from their Creator, and fear the consequences of divine displeasure. These observations do not necessarily commit us to some version of eudaimonism. Nonetheless, eudaimonism, considered broadly as a positive normative perspective on happiness, will always be relevant to Christian ethics, insofar as it offers starting points and theoretical tools for addressing unavoidable theological questions.
ISSN:1467-9795
Contient:Enthalten in: Journal of religious ethics
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1111/jore.12256