Using the Old Testament in Christian ethics : the story of Judah and Tamar
Year: 2014
Type: dissertation
Abstract: This study contributes to the available knowledge on the difficulty of using the \nBible as a source in Christian ethics. In the study, the use of the Old \nTestament in Christian ethics is explored and analysed. The central research \nquestion is: What makes the use of the Old Testament in Christian ethics so \ndifficult? The research findings reveal that the relationship between ethics and \nculture is problematic and contributes to the challenge of using the Old \nTestament in Christian ethics. The study is descriptive and is informed by \nresearch that has been done in the fields of Biblical Criticism and Christian \nethics. \nThe study focuses on methods and traditions of Biblical Criticism and \nChristian ethics that can play a role in interpreting biblical narratives in the Old \nTestament. It is important to look at the various tools and methods of Biblical \nCriticism to interpret biblical narratives and broaden our knowledge of biblical \ntexts. Relevant approaches in Christian ethics can be useful in making \npertinent contributions on moral issues since the focus is on character and \ncommunity, and biblical texts can be used to shape moral identity. \nTo demonstrate how a specific text in the Old Testament can be used in \nChristian ethics, the narrative of Judah and Tamar in Genesis 38 is discussed \nin terms of character and community. The objective of this part of the study is \ntherefore to show how Biblical Criticism and Christian ethics can be used \nwhen interpreting a text. The main argument is that Christians often find it \ndifficult to integrate ethics and culture because the relationship between ethics \nand culture is problematic. The challenge is how one should interpret ethics, in \nthis case Christian, in a particular culture as it plays an integral part in identity \nand moral formation.
Author: Leonore Pietersen
Language: English
Subfield: Religious studies
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2145250963