Hill Road Journal

The Use of Scripture in Ethical Discussions

WONG Fook Kong

For Christians, the use of Scripture in ethical discussions is based on the fact that our faith is textually (ie, biblically) mediated. In this regard, one common way of using Scripture is the proof-text method. Although this method is not necessarily wrong, it is inadequate. Many modern issues are complex by nature and there is no straightforward answer from the Bible. Even issues that arise from the Bible itself may not be straightforward; often, other passages must be considered in order to get a better picture or, even, a correct picture of what it means for believers today. A more secure bridge between text and life is Biblical theology. Fortunately, there are many books written on the subject so that a person coming to the field need not start from the beginning. Currently, at least five approaches are found among scholars working in the field: (1) Biblical theology as historical description; (2) Biblical theology as history of redemption; (3) Biblical theology as worldview story; (4) Biblical theology as canonical approach; and (5) Biblical theology as theological construction. Finally, there are at least two ways of going about appropriating Scripture in ethical discussions. One could start with the Bible and get acquainted with its theology first before proceeding to an ethical issue and the other is to do the reverse. In my experience the latter is a common approach among lay Christians but it is the more perilous way. The reason is that it is easier to fall into the proof-text trap. On the other hand, if done well, there is no difference between this way and the one starting with the Bible.

Rethinking Pauline Ethics as Compared to Graeco-Roman Virtue Ethics
—Implication of the Fruit of the Spirit

Elijah LIANG Yi Li Yah

The study of Paul's ethics was profoundly influenced by the perspective of Graeco-Roman virtue ethics. Most studies show that Paul's ethics originated from the Graeco-Roman virtue ethics and without much difference from it, just like a new song composed from an old melody. In fact, these studies focused only on the outward framework of Paul's ethics, showing that its embracement, practice, and living was performed by habit. This is demonstrated in the ethics of Aquinas who depended heavily on Aristotle. If looking at it intrinsically, however , there are huge differences between Paul's ethics and the Graeco-Roman virtue ethics. The most representative idea of Paul's ethics is the fruit of the Spirit, which proves that his ethics is not about turning certain virtues into habits, but an inward transformation due to salvation and coming into the sphere of new creation, to live out the virtues by the guidance of the Spirit.

Obedience in Pauline Ethics: A Case Study of the Letter to Philemon

Jonathan W. L.O.

Although Paul uses a variety of ways to describe the ethical demands he places on his churches, "obedience" is one of the most meaningful ideas within Paul's theological formulations with regard to ethics. In a stirring and skillfully-crafted letter to Philemon, Paul defends and pleads for the runaway slave Onesimus, urging his master to forgive him and to welcome him home as a brother in Christ. The way Paul handles this issue is not only a demonstration of his art of persuasion and skillful rhetoric; it is also a testament to the reality and essence of the gospel, and a window into Paul's ethical thought. Paul tells Philemon that he has full confidence in his “obedience” (Phlm 21), and that he will do even more than what Paul has said. While interpreters typically understand "obedience" as obedience to Paul's command, such an interpretation undermines Paul's efforts to downplay his authority throughout the letter. Furthermore, "obedience" has a rich theological meaning within Paul's other letters, suggesting that he may have something greater in view when he uses the term in Philemon. In Paul's theological and ethical discourse, "obedience" is a concept that is closely related to "faith" and "love," and in Philemon these ideas intersect to construct a grand display of the gospel in action.

This essay discusses the concept of “obedience” within Paul's ethical discourse, using the Letter to Philemon as a case study. The study comprises three parts: (1) a survey of the language of “obedience” in Paul's ethical discourse, (2) a study of the role of “obedience” in the Letter of Philemon, and (3) a discussion about the implications of this study for contemporary Christian ethics. “Obedience” for Paul connotes an ongoing ethical journey rather than a moral destination; a journey that begins with faith and moves towards love, with an ever-increasing realization of every good thing one can do for Christ.

The Shaping Factors and Key Principles of Augustine's Concept of Ethics

Nathan K. N.G.

Augustine's concept of ethics was constructed from his personal existential experience, inspiration from Greco-Roman philosophy, pastoral and apologetic concerns, and insights from scriptural study. Besides, Christian theology, especially the doctrines of Trinity, anthropology and soteriology, was also a key factor affecting his ethical reflection. Based on his concept of good creation, he insisted that all creatures are good by nature. Vice is for him the desertion of greater goods for lesser goods while virtue is the correct selection of goods. Thus, he proposed an ordered love. For example, spiritual goods are higher than bodily, and eternal goods are better than temporal ones. Amongst all the goods, Augustine defined God as the supreme human good. All loves of earthly things have to be loved in God. However, because of falsehood and deception after the fall, human minds can no longer judge wisely and need a medicine of the soul to bring them back to health. That medicine is the scriptural teachings and commandments.

Augustine's key principles of ethical judgments have long been an academic debate. Augustine has authored many treatises discussing various ethical issues. However, all these treatises have special backgrounds and were composed for specific situations during the long episcopacy of this Latin father. The viewpoints in these treatises sometimes seem to be contradictory and have great tension. Which element among love, truth and virtue is his major concern? Does he emphasize more on teleological value or more on deontological obligation? While this article cannot answer all these questions, some rules are summarized as his most important ethical methodology. Firstly, God is the standard of truth. Virtue can only be achieved by obedience to Him. Secondly, sincere love of God is the prerequisite of all virtues. Thirdly, beside God, truth is superior to all other love of goods. Finally, knowledge of truth and love of God are interconnected. They can grow and develop together. At the end of this article, some reflections are given for modern Chinese church based on Augustine's ethical ideals.

“My House Shall Be Called a House of Prayer for All the Nations”:
Liturgy, Architecture and Ethics

Bernard WONG and TUNG Kwok Wah

This article examines the relationship between liturgy, architecture and moral formation. The statement “lex orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi” (how we pray is how we believe and is how we live) affirms that a person's morality can be formed through partaking in liturgy. Since the formative power of liturgy is derived not merely from the occasion when one is hearing the words spoken at worship but also from the whole worship experience, the spatial arrangements and architecture of the church building also contribute to the moral formation of Christians. Along this vein, the liturgies of “gathering” and “sending forth” can offer suggestions on the spatial and architectural arrangements of church buildings for congenial Christian moral formation. The discipline of architectural aesthetics, on the other hand, affirms that architectural beauty — defined as the fitful arrangements between the parts and the whole—reflects God's creation order. Beauty is thus ontological and not subjective. As buildings are “public objects”, living in and deliberating on the architecture of the built environment is a process of “self-knowledge” as well as community formation. It is through coordinating among one another in the creation of a common aesthetic order, and participating in it that members of a society express their views on community, unity and humanity. Participating in this coordination process involves a sense of civility and hence is in itself a “liturgy” of moral formation. Although liturgy and architectural aesthetics approach the subject of moral formation differently, what is common between the two disciplines is a concern over relationship: architecture should foster harmonious and genuine relationship between different parts and the whole, between God and humans, among Christians, and between the church and its neighbors.

The Exegetical Practice of Ezra: A Case Study of Mixed Marriages (Ezra 9-10)

LAU Wing Kwan Fiona

There is no regulation in the Pentateuch prohibiting intermarriages in general. The most specific rule on the matter is the prohibition of marriages between the Israelites and the descendants of the “seven nations” (Ex 34:11-16; Dt 7:1-3 ). For others there is no sanction at all. In Deuteronomy 21:11-14, a specific case of marrying a “beautiful captive woman” is cited; the law indicates that an Israelite is in general permitted to marry women who do not belong to the “seven nations.” Therefore, the regulation of Ezra 10:3, “to put away all these wives and their children,” is clearly not taken from the Torah, whether generally or specifically, directly or indirectly. The questions are: what is the basis and origin of Ezra's regulation, and why is it introduced with the saying “let it be done according to the Law”? There is generally a consensus among scholars that “the Law” to which it refers is not an unknown law -book, but a homiletical interpretation of the canonical one. This paper investigates this issue — the citation and reinterpretation of the Pentateuch by Ezra. It argues that Ezra's exegesis of the law emphasizes multiple aspects of the priestly-holiness nature of the community as revealed by the issue of mixed marriages. It involves holiness as purity, separation and covenantal relationships. Such hermeneutics helps consolidate the identity of the returnees.