Category: John M. Frame
God Himself As Ethical Norm
I have been slowly making my way through John M. Frame’s “Doctrine of The Christian Life”. Frame has done an excellent job of challenging the way I approach ethics, by removing some of the fallacies that I have accumulated through my life in secular institutions. I wanted to share a quote that I came across earlier this morning that I found interesting.
“I have indicated that it is not a naturalistic fallacy to argue, “God commands x; therefore, we must do x.” This argument might seem like a forbidden argument from what is to what ought to be, from fact to obligation. But that is not so, for God is not only a fact, but also a norm. That is so because anything God says is normative. His word is inherently authoritative, as well as powerful and present. God’s very nature is normative. This is to say, authority is an aspect of the lordship that defines him.”
I like this quote because much of the study of ethics is seeking to discover what is normative. As Christians we can at least establish that there is one sure authority that is normative.
The Importance and Place of Christian Ethics
John Frame in his book “The Doctrine of the Christian Life” gives his opinion as to why studying Christian ethics is important.
“People are far more open to discussing ethics than to discussing theistic proofs or even “transcendental arguments.” Philosophy does not excite many people today, and many do not even want to hear personal testimony and the simple gospel. But they do care about right and wrong. Christians who can talk about ethics in a cogent way, therefore, have a great apologetic and evangelistic advantage.” (page 5)
Later he presents his reasons for the inclusion of Christian ethics in the secular realm.
“I shall argue as well that all ethics is religious, even when it tries hard to be secular. In the end, all ethics presupposes ultimate values. It requires allegiance to someone or something that demands devotion and governs all thinking. That kind of allegiance is indistinguishable from religious devotion, even if it doesn’t involve liturgical practices. So the line between religious and secular ethics is a fuzzy one, and it is arbitrary to use such a line to determine who is entitled to join a dialogue on ethics.” (page 5-6)
What do you think of Frame’s position? Do you agree that Christian ethics should be allowed a place in the overall discussion of ethics? I agree with Frame but also have my doubts as to how receptive many people would actually to these ideas.
