BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVES

OF CHRISTIAN SOCIAL
ETHICS:
The Second Vatican Council affirmed that theStudy
of Sacred Scripture should be "as it were, the
Soul of Sacred Theology."
Any Moral Teaching that claims to be Christian yet
has no relation whatsoever to divine revelation
deserves to be rejected.
 Four Biblical Perspectives of
Christian Social Ethics:
 The Biblical Foundations of Justice
 The Biblical Foundations for the Understanding and
Promotion of Peace
 The Biblical Foundations of Responsibility for the Integrity
of Creation
 The Social Ethical Normativity of the Attitudes of Jesus
toward the Social Situation in Which He Found Himself
 The first Three Themes have
to do with the Biblical
Foundations, which
correspond to the theme of
the mediating framework or
model according to which
Christian Social Ethics is
developed, namely, the
framework of an "Ethics of
Justice, Peace and the
Integrity of Creation."
The fourth theme is
the Social Ethical
Normativity of the
Attitudes, Actions, and
Teachings of Jesus of
Nazareth.
A) The Biblical Foundations of Justice
THREE PARTS:
 The Religious Dimensions of
Human Justice
 The Socially - Oriented Preaching of
the Prophetic Tradition
 The Denunciation of a Type of
Religion which is Devoid of Ethics
The Biblical Foundations of Justice
1. The Religious Dimensions of Human
Justice
a) Theocentric Dimension
 Justice involves obligations in relation
to one's fellow humam beings, and
originally, in the Bible an obligation to
God.
 The Justice and the Injustice which the
prophets proclaim and denounce are
the justice and injustice before God.
 The liberating action of God in favor of
his people is the reason and the
motive for the social prescriptions and
the social preaching of the prophets.
Theocentric Dimension:

For the prophetic preaching, law and justice have a "THEOCENTRIC"

dimension and have to be understood in relation to the God who
reveals God self; they manifest the will of a personal God.
Theocentric Dimension:

This Theocentric Dimension is concretized more particularly in legislation in relation to the

weaker members of society. This consequential legislation has a thrust toward
social equity and toward solidarity with the disadvantaged members of society.
A) The Biblical Foundations
1. The Religious Dimension of HumanJustice
b). Communitarian Dimension
 In the Bible, justice is exercised
primarily within the context of the
covenant community.
 The community is expected to live
in justice, and the members of the
community are expected to do
justice.
 In the Old Testament, justice
appears as responsibility toward
fellow human beings.
The Religious Dimension of Human Justice
2) Communitarian Dimension:
 The law is a way of ordering life
in the community, which
defines the rights by which each
members of the covenant
community can live in safety and
peace.
 Communitarian Dimension:
The presence of this communitarian dimension of
justice is authenticated primarily by its effective
response to the needs of the poor (1Jn 3:17-
18).

1. The Destitute (Lk 16:19-21).

2. The Unletterd and Ignorant of the
Law (Mt 23; Lk 11:37)
3. The Women (Lk 7:36-50)
4. The Rebels against the Oppression
5. The handicapped (Mt 16:29)
6. The Sick, the Lepers (Jn 5:1-15)
7. The Religious Dissenters (Lk )
8. The Repentant Sinners (Lk 7:36)
9. The Foreigners (Mt 15:21-28)
The Religious Dimensions of Human Justice
c) Juridico-Legal Dimension
 Law and juridical order
are understood in the Old
Testament principally as
expressions of God's will.
 Justice is understood as
fidelity to the law of God.
 This acceptance of God
has to manifest itself in
social life, if it is to be
considered as authentic.
The Religious Dimensions of Human Justice
The "prophetic" voice in defense of the "poor"
is heard in practically all the Old Testament.
2. The Socially-Oriented Preaching of the
Prophetic Tradition:
 The Prophet Amos castigated
the rich who make life difficult
for the poor by cheating them.
 The Prophet Micah spoke of
great moral corruption
caused by avarice, injustice,
for the Kingdoms of Judah and
Israel, and the overweening
ambition of prominent
classes - princes, pseudo
prophets and priests (Mic 2:1-
4)
The Socially-Oriented Preaching of the Prophetic Tradition:

The prophetic defense of the rights of the poor is radicalized in the New
Testament, notably by Jesus in his discourse about the Last Judgment (Mt
25:31). Jesus links salvation with effective concern for the rights of the
poor.
The Religious Dimensions of Human Justice
3. The Denunciation of a Type of The prophets, who represents the purest and sublime elements of Israelutes
religion, denounce as empty and useless a religion that has no ethics (Am
Religionwhich is Devoid of Ethics: 5:25; Is 1:2; Mic 5:5; Hos 6:6).

 The prophets concretized this

denunciation most particularly in
the area of social justice.
 The practice of religious piety is
worthless if it is not accompanied
by a just way of life.
 Jeremiah expresses this
denunciation quite sharply;
 Isaiah interprets fasting in terms of
social justice.
The Religious Dimensions of the Human Justice
3. The Denunciation of a Type of Religion The prophets' denunciation is radicalized all the
which is Devoid of Ethics: more in the preaching and deeds of Jesus.
"If you understood the neaning of the
text, 'it is mercy that I desire not
sacrifice,' you would not condemn
these innocent man" (Mt 12:7)

For Jesus, the person counts for more

than the institution of the sabbath (Mt
12:9-14).
B) The Biblical Foundations for the Understanding and Promotion of Peace:

1) Initial Remarks
B) The Biblical Foundations for the Understanding and Promotion of Peace

2. Peace in the Old Testament

B) The Biblical Foundations forthe Understanding and Promotions of Peace

3. Peace in the New Testament

C) The Biblical Foundations of Responsibility for the Integrity of Creation

1. Human Being as the "Image of God"

C) The Biblical Foundations of Responsibiliy for the Integrity of Creation

2. Being "Image of God" means sharing in God's

Responsibility for the Welfare of all Creation
D) The Social Ethical Normativity of the
Attitudes of Jesus Towards the Social
Situation in which He Found Himself.