Definition
Christian ethics is guided by God’s revelation in Scripture above other systems of thought as it seeks to love God and neighbor in every moral and ethical issue.
Summary
The highest ethical duty of a Christian is the same as the greatest commandment: love God and love your neighbor. Scripture is the Christian authority for ethics, just as it is for theology. This is because God is our ultimate authority and standard, for he himself is goodness. While Christians know God’s character through reading Scripture, unbelievers are able to partially and imperfectly understand what is good through the created order and their consciences. And while Christians ultimately derive their ethics from Scripture, different parts of Scripture (like the Mosaic legal code) must be read in their redemptive historical context and not simply applied from one distant culture to another. Philosophical systems that attempt to provide ethical norms can be helpful for the Christian thinking about ethics, but Scripture must remain the authority for any Christian ethical endeavor. Finally, while there are many issues today that the Bible does not speak directly to, there are biblical principles that can be relied upon to make an informed moral judgment.
Podcasts
Videos
Russell Moore on the Christian Sexual Ethic
Russell Moore explains how the roots of the Christian sexual ethic extend back to Creation. Sexual revolutions always over-promise and under-deliver.
Russell Moore on Whether Christians Who Commit Suicide Go to Heaven
Russell Moore offers several important observations about this question and implications for Christians.
Articles
Should Followers of Christ Use Recreational Marijuana?
What has Christ to do with stoner culture—the practices and products that result from being laid back, in mind and body?
What Jesus Says About Sexuality in a #MeToo Age
The #MeToo movement gives us an opportunity to commend the sexual ethics Jesus gave us.
God Hates When Christian Politicians Lie. We Should Too.
What do we do when we hear a politician tell us they are a follower of Christ and yet they also repeatedly lie to us?
How to Know if You’re Saving Life or Prolonging Death
She writes to help us make wise decisions in some of the worst moments we’ll ever face.
Long-Lost Bavinck Manuscript Is a Timely Work on Reformed Ethics
One of the most exciting manuscript discoveries from a revered Christian theologian.
On My Shelf: Life and Books with Mark Tooley
Mark Tooley shares the books on his nightstand, books that have most influenced his thinking about religion in the public square, and more.
