Christian Character & Virtue Ethics: Part 3: Dual-Biblical Ethic: God’s Commands and Godly Character

In these blogs we are acknowledging that biblical teaching affirms how faithful Christian living that seeks to follow Jesus encompasses both God’s commands and godly character. In this blog we continue that focus mentioning how  both New and Old Testaments emphasize this dual focus.

Jesus and Paul explicitly identify a link between inner disposition (virtue) and obedient action (rules) as the ideal: “Forgive your brother or sister from your heart” (Matt  18:35); “doing the will of God from your heart” (Eph 6:6). These two main normative ethical theories provide important contributions toward a robust Christian ethic. Some Christian scholars recognize that scripture reveals a two-fold ethical emphasis. Moreland and Craig note: “Each position [deontological ethics and virtue ethics] has had its share of advocates, and there is no clear winner in this debate. However, it may be that the complementarity view best expresses the ethics of the Bible since scripture seems to give weight and intrinsic value both to moral commands and virtues of character.”[1]

Similarly, Keefer discerns that two normative ethical theories are evident within this biblical book of wisdom, “Proverbs takes two perspectives on morality, the first of which is character-based rather than rule-based, as each individual act stems from a particular quality of character, either wise or foolish. The second perspective focuses on those actions, the good or bad deeds that the book advises or condemns, and to that extent resembles a rule-based ethic.”[2]

The important task for developing a robust Christian ethic is to blend and balance these two ethical theories—a rules-focused deontological ethic along with a heart and character formation-focused virtue ethics.

Additionally, we must incorporate distinctively Christian foundational elements that are missing in secular versions of both theories. For example, in secular form, neither ethical theory can provide an adequate ultimate ground for morality. All that is good, true and beautiful is sourced in our tri-personal God. My Talbot colleague, ethicist Scott Rae summarizes the matter well: “Christian morality is a blend of virtues and principles, with the character of God as the ultimate source.”[3] Furthermore, for those within God’s forever family, sanctification is a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit empowering our Christian living –of our relationship and friendship with God, our obedience to God’s commands and our formation of godly character. As Scripture teaches,

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Gal 5:22-23, NIV).

Next blog: Part 4 - Christian Scholars Speak Out from the 1970s & 1980s on character for Christian living.

Adapted from an essay originally published in Faith & Flourishing: A Journal of Karam Fellowship. My essay is downloadable on my website under “Articles & Chapters”

Notes

[1] J. P. Moreland and William Lane Craig, Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview, 2^nd ed. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2017), 471

[2] Arthur Keefer, The Book of Proverbs and Virtue Ethics (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2021), 205.

[3] Scott Rae, Introducing Christian Ethics (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2016), 30.