The Westminster Standards and the possibility of a Reformed virtue ethic
The renaissance of virtue ethics in Christian moral discourse has led a handful of Reformed theologians to consider whether or not the Reformed tradition is compatible with classical and medieval concepts of virtue. Barthians, in particular, express doubt regarding the prospect of such a retrieval,...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Cambridge Univ. Press
[2018]
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| In: |
Scottish journal of theology
Year: 2018, Volume: 71, Issue: 2, Pages: 176-194 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Westminster Standards
/ Barth, Karl 1886-1968
/ Reformed theology
/ Virtue ethics
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| IxTheo Classification: | KAH Church history 1648-1913; modern history KAJ Church history 1914-; recent history KDD Protestant Church NBE Anthropology NCB Personal ethics |
| Further subjects: | B
Theological Ethics
B Barth B Virtue B Reformed Theology B Westminster Standards |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (Verlag) Volltext (doi) |
| Summary: | The renaissance of virtue ethics in Christian moral discourse has led a handful of Reformed theologians to consider whether or not the Reformed tradition is compatible with classical and medieval concepts of virtue. Barthians, in particular, express doubt regarding the prospect of such a retrieval, arguing that classical notions of virtue compromise the Reformed hallmark of divine sovereignty and Luther's dictum simul justus et peccator. This essay counters that the Reformed tradition is broad enough to find more productive ways to engage virtue ethics. In particular, the Westminster Standards provide both the formal space for a significant theological exploration of human agency and the material content for the development of something like a classical virtue ethic. Barthian concerns regarding divine sovereignty and moral progress are satisfied by a demonstration that Westminster's attention to human agency is always within the context of a greater emphasis on divine agency. |
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| ISSN: | 1475-3065 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Scottish journal of theology
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1017/S0036930618000066 |