Old Testament Essay, Research Paper
Ethical Values In The Old Testament
BY JOHN G. TAYLOR III
RELIGION 205 DR. FRANK JOHNSON 18 NOVEMBER 1996 ETHICAL VALUES IN THE OLD
TESTAMENT
How we live our lives is governed by ethics. Ethics is ?human moral
conduct according to principles of what is good or right to do.? Our ethical
values today descend primarily from a Christian ethic in which ?a truly ethical
decision, we are told, must be spontaneous, undirected, free – the individual’s
unfettered and uncoerced response to each new decision-demanding situation.?
The ethical values of today, especially Christian ethics, borrow and carry
forward the Hebrew ethics of the past. Yet it is hardly fair to explain Old
Testament ethics with only what was borrowed from it.
What sets Judaism apart from other religions of the time was its
monotheistic basis. The ethics of Judaism is historical and traditional as
opposed to philosophical and theoretical. ?In Israel, for the first time, an
ethical conception of God is attained, and this not philosophically but
historically; while its view of the moral life is certain of justification not
only by reason but by history.? Thus God is looked at as an ethical
personality and is looked to as an example of good and right. In the Old
Testament, God’s voluntary (voluntary for God) covenant with man must be looked
at as the prime example of ethical value. The covenant’s requirements is the
source of all ethics, morals, laws, and justice in the Old Testament.
The Mosaic Covenant is the best example of ethical values and norms in
the Old Testament. The Mosaic Covenant has three parts; the Decaloque, the
Covenant Code; and the Holiness Code. The Decaloque is made up of apodictic (or
absolute) law, it is unconditional and has no ?ifs or buts? about it. This is
commonly refereed to as the “Ten Commandments.” Although legally vague these
commandments are the basics for all ethical norms in the Old Testament. The
Covenant Code is made up of casuistic (or conditional) law, it has a
characteristic formula: ?if this happens, then that will be the legal
consequence.? Much of the Covenant Code deals with property and parallels
other ancient Near East law codes. The Holiness Code found in Leviticus 17-26
states what is holy, for example, ?the phrase: ?I, Yahweh, your God, am holy?
(19:2; 20:26) is the self-predication almost ?tautological,? for holiness here
has a theistic, rather than an exclusively moral, connotation.?
How the covenant is presented in the Old Testament is as a whole and as ?
the words of Yahweh.? Many of the laws within the covenant, especially in the
Covenant Code are anachronistic, meaning many are laws of a later time that were
added to the original covenant. This ?shows how successive generations
continued to respond to Yahweh’s covenant demand in the changing circumstances
of their history.? Instead of using a philosophical or theoretical challenge
to ethics, the Old Testament incorporates the needs of societal ethics into the
actual history and traditions. This however does not undermine the tradition of
tracing the law back to Moses. Many of these laws can be found throughout the
ancient Near East. The best representation of this is the Code of Hammurabi.
The similarities between law codes, such as the Code of Hammurabi and
other treaties of the ancient Near East, and the covenant are not just similar
in the actual law but in the actual contract itself. These treaties were
contracts between a king and his subjects. ?By establishing the covenant
Yahweh limited his own freedom, and he did so in complete liberty without any
preceding obligation or rational motive.? This covenant is for the Jewish and
Christian faith a historical fact which is tied to Moses and the exodus from
Egypt, ?and its stipulations contained from the beginning religious and ethical
norms.? This can explain why Old Testament ethics takes on a strong ?
historical? quality. For example, the Lord says to Moses, ?On the eighth day
the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.? (Leviticus 12:3) This ancient
ritual possibly was used to ward off evil. It is more probable that some
hygienic experience in the past long forgotten was responsible. The Lord did
not have to have a reason for the conditions of his covenant. ?For this the
cultic and the ethical commandments were, for the law, on the same level of
importance.?
After reading the Decaloque, the Covenant Code, and the Holiness Code,
one can see why Old Testament ethics is historical and traditional. Ethical
values and norms come straight from God. There is no need to be philosophical
and theoretical, for to do so would be to question Yahweh. In the Old
Testament, to be truly ethical and moral one must accept as the basic ethical
value and the essential rule of conduct, the imitation of God. ?The rule does
not require asceticism, but it does ask that man live every waking moment in the
awareness that he is not alone, for God is present.?
ENDNOTES
Achtemeier, Paul J., Harper’s Bible Dictionary. San Francisco: HarperCollins,
1985.
Anderson, Bernhard W., Understanding the Old Testament. New Jersey: Prentice-
Hall, 1957.
Buttrick, George A., The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible. New York:
Abingdon Press, 1962,
Hertzberg, Arthur, Judaism. New York: George Braziller, 1962.
White, R. E. O., Biblical Ethics. Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1979.
Другие работы по теме:
Philosophy Values Essay Research Paper VALUESEveryone has
Philosophy: Values Essay, Research Paper VALUES Everyone has their own set of values, ?socially shared conceptions of what is good, desirable, and proper or bad.? ? Our values influence our orientations, actions, reactions, and interpretations, so being totally objective is out of the question. But it is still important to keep an open mind.
Right Field Essay Research Paper Right FieldMany
Right Field Essay, Research Paper Right Field Many Americans today have totally differing views on the moral aspects of their societies. Politics has taken an aggressive role in determining what people see as right, what others see wrong, and what some people could care less about. Either way each individual has his or her own ideology.
Values Essay Research Paper A value is
Values Essay, Research Paper A value is a social principle goal, or standard held by an individual, class, or society. Values are shaped by the surrounding situations. The Industrial Revolution created new values in Western society, values that are central to our thinking today. Three things from the Industrial Revolution that directly affected people’s values were the creation of the middle class, the urbanization of cities, and the growth of rights for women.
Jesus In John Essay Research Paper Jesus
Jesus In John Essay, Research Paper Jesus in John When reading the gospels of the New Testament, it becomes evident that the personality of each of the authors affected their understanding, interpretation, and impression of Jesus and his works. In John, the gospel that I chose to read for this paper, Jesus is portrayed in a more godlike, omnipotent manner.
Old Testament 4 Essay Research Paper Amos
Old Testament 4 Essay, Research Paper Amos, disgusted with the beautiful ivories, the luxurious summer and winter homes, the impressive fortifications, and the teeming marketplaces, proclaimed that Yahweh too loathed the whole spectacle. (Anderson, pg. 258) The Lord God demanded obedience to him through the law that the people of Israel were ignorant to.
Codes Of Law Essay Research Paper Of
Codes Of Law Essay, Research Paper Of the three Codes of law we have studied, we think the Old Testament is the fairest. The Code of Hammurbi was much too violent. Hammurabi’s solution to just about anything was to kill people. Too many innocent people died in Hammurabi’s code. Fore example, ” if an architect’s work falls in and kills the son of the owner of the house, then the architect’s son dies.” The architects son did nothing wrong but was put to death.
Death By Choice Essay Research Paper Death
Death By Choice Essay, Research Paper Death By Choice: Who Should Decide? McGuires’ references to prior cases and documents is done logically and clinically. After careful reading, and re-reading, I failed to understand his position
Television Vs Reality Essay Research Paper From
Television Vs. Reality Essay, Research Paper From watching certain television shows I have learned that different T.V. families have different values. In this essay I will compare the values of the Brady Bunch to Malcom in the Middle, how they have changed, how it reflects our culture, and if the
Aristotle On Ethics Essay Research Paper 1
Aristotle On Ethics Essay, Research Paper 1) Explain fully Aristotle?s approach to Ethics. What is the goal of the ethical life? What type of soul is capable of realizing the good life? How do we
Was Milgram Ethical In His Obedience Studies
? Essay, Research Paper Was Milgram Ethical in his Obedience Studies? When trying to determine weather or not Stanley Milgram?s experiment on obedience vs. destructive obedience is ethical you need to know two things: One, determine a set of ethical means that Milgram must follow, in this case they were already laid out.
Bribery Is Bribery Ever Justified Essay Research
Paper CONCLUSION In conclusion bribery is not an issue that can be answered immediately at hand considering the type of situations that regulate its ethical character. We need to remeber that bribery is a constant ethical issue. And becuase briberyare only sometimes acceptable it is in a moral free space.
Ethics Essay Research Paper Ethics 1 are
Ethics Essay, Research Paper Ethics (1) are an individual?s personal beliefs about what constitutes right and wrong behavior. Important areas of ethical concern for managers are how the organization treats its employees, how the employees treat the organization, and how the organization and its employees treat other economic agents.
Foreign Bribary Essay Research Paper Since moral
Foreign Bribary Essay, Research Paper Since moral standards vary across cultures, firms that develop in global markets have to face more complex ethical issues than if they just made business in one country and one culture. Laws and customs in one country don’t necessarily agree with the laws and customs from another country and that is what makes the international business system so complex.
Beowulf Values Essay Research Paper Some Things
Beowulf Values Essay, Research Paper Some Things Change But Most Remain the Same Masculine values have both changed and remained constant since the writing of Beowulf. The values that Beowulf and
Religion Essay Research Paper Religion
Religion Essay, Research Paper Religion “Religion” is a simple word that divides humanity in several groups. It is the claim of many influential Christian and Jewish theologians that the only genuine
Gospel Of Matthew Essay Research Paper Response
Gospel Of Matthew Essay, Research Paper Response to Matthew The book of Matthew is written to the Jews. We see this because of the many quotes from the Old Testament. The Jews knew the Old Testament better than anyone of that time, and they should have been looking for the messiah that was promised. The main point that Matthew was trying to make by his book it that, Jesus was the messiah promised to us in the Old Testament.
CS Lewis The Abolition Of Man
Essay, Research Paper C.S. The Abolition of Man While reading The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis, I encountered a few questions concerning his view on Ethical Innovation and the dilemma conditioners face. It was a difficult book with many ideas that didn t come completely clear to me at times.
History Essay Research Paper 4 discuss the
History Essay, Research Paper 4. discuss the values which helped the Romans build an empire from a city-state.From a city-state to Roman Empire, the values such as individualism and Greek idea helped the Romans build an empire from a city-state. During a city-state period, the Romans were very concerned about maintaining the customs or traditions of their ancestors.
Ethics In Criminal Justice
– Forgiveness Essay, Research Paper Ethics in Criminal Justice Forgiveness The issue to be discussed concerns the act of forgiving. Forgiveness can be shown in many different ways. The degree of forgiveness depends on one?s personal beliefs. There are many ethical systems that one can apply forgiveness to.
Conflict Management Essay Research Paper In the
Conflict Management Essay, Research Paper In the dictionary conflict is defined as a struggle, a battle, even mutual antagonism. Some people seem to thrive on creating conflict while others do their best to avoid conflict.
MetaEthical Position Essay Research Paper My
?Meta-Ethical? Position Essay, Research Paper My ‘Meta-ethical’ Position When asked the question “Are there any ethical truths?” I respond with a resounding “Yes” and when asked “What makes the ethical truths true?” I respond “Facts independent of anyone’s say-so”. That makes me an ethical realist. I reject all forms of conventionalism and also subjectivism.
Decision Making Essay Research Paper Any decisionaffecting
Decision Making Essay, Research Paper Any decision-affecting people has ethical ramifications and virtually all-important decisions reflect the decision-maker s mindfulness and resolution to ethical behavior. This is why it is important to know for yourself how you go about making ethical decisions, or making decisions of any kind.
Business Ethics Essay Research Paper Rewards for
Business Ethics Essay, Research Paper Rewards for “Good” Business Ethics Business ethics can be viewed as the principles and standards that guide behavior in the world of business. Especially in today’s society, understanding and practicing the concepts of ethics is a key factor that many organizations stress among employees.
Business Ethics Essay Research Paper Business EthicsWhat
Business Ethics Essay, Research Paper Business Ethics What is business ethics? The answer to this question may be as simple as a company that complies with all the relevant rules and regulations. Or it may be more complex detailing the ways in which the corporation interacts with the world at large. The answer may also depend on who is asked the question.
Information Technology Essay Research Paper Information TechnologyThe
Information Technology Essay, Research Paper Information Technology The purpose of my article is to study the impact of information technology and artificial intelligence on the organization, privacy and control, research and instructional practices and ethics. Evolution of information technology has affected all these practices, and has helped them in improving their performance in some way.
Code Critique Of A Nurses Code Essay
, Research Paper Code Critique of a Nurses Code I am pursuing a career in Nursing. Upon entering this historic profession, my conduct will be guided by a Nurses Code of Ethics. This code will become a part of me, helping to judge right from wrong. Ethics is moral duty and obligation; values and beliefs. As a Registered Nurse (RN), I will be required to uphold the ethical issues written by my peers, the International Council of Nurses (ICN).
Ethical Relativism Essay Research Paper Ethical RelativismCannibalism
Ethical Relativism Essay, Research Paper Ethical Relativism Cannibalism, what do you think of it? Is it morally correct? Does the theory of ethical relativism support it or does it knock it down? Throughout this paper I am going to evaluate the pros and cons of ethical relativism for a case concerning cannibalism.
Business Essay Research Paper Business World TodayMy
Business Essay, Research Paper Business World Today My thoughts on the business world today are good and bad. I also think it depends on the person and the morals, or ethics they have. The study and evaluation of decision making by businesses according to moral concepts and judgments. Ethical questions range from practical, narrowly defined issues, such as a company s obligation to be honest with its customers, to broader social and philosophical questions, such as a company s responsibility to preserve the environment and protect employee rights.
An Excerpt From Joseph Freeman
’s AN AMERICAN TESTAMENT Essay, Research Paper from An American Testament by novelist and apparatchik Joseph Freeman (1936) Reconciliation to the city is only a prelude to our transformation. The conflict of
Downsizing Essay Research Paper In today s
Downsizing Essay, Research Paper In today s world downsizing has become well known in the corporate and business world. How do we as managers handle the effects of downsizing, and is it ethical to downsize? These are two very important questions and must be given a great deal of thought and consideration to all of those who are affected when it comes to downsizing in the corporate and business world.