Christian ethics

The paper attempts to give a systematic survey of different strands and intentions of “narrative ethics” both in philosophy and in theology and proposes how to develop narrative ethics in the future. This proposal features three different dimensions of the term “moral vision,”, i.e. morally substantial ideas that are embedded in traditions (Moral Vision 1), the appropriation of these ideas by particular historical cultures or individuals (Moral Vision 2) and moral perception channeled by Moral Vision 2 (Moral Vision 3). Narrative ethics, the paper argues, can describe how (religious) traditions can inspire moral thinking and learning without falling prey to traditionalism. Theological ethics is about forming an ethical culture in which we remind each other of the stories that continue to inspire us and in which we tell each other of our moral world-view and commitments, our strong feelings about the good and the bad which are based in our individual and common lives and not derived from grammatical rules or ultimate principles.

This study is an examination of the relationship between Islamic and Christian ethical thoughts. In this study, we find that faith is the central element of both ethical thoughts. Ayatollah Meṣbāḥ Yazdī defining the Islamic ethical thoughts, understands faith as the key determiner of ethics, which is rationally understood by human reason. On the contrary Søren Kierkegaard who argues that surrendering to the will of God, regardless of the rationality of commands of God, is the highest moral trait. Kierkegaard concludes that the goal of humans is to reach the Abrahamic level of submission to the will of God, whereas Ayatollah Meṣbāḥ Yazdī concludes that the goal of human life is to find happiness obtained by seeking proximity to God.  Both ethical thoughts emphasize the importance of God as the true judge of virtues concluding that acting in accordance with the wish of God is the highest level of morality, but the Islamic ethical thought concludes that ethics are based on ethical truths. The final goal for both ethical thoughts is reaching nearness to God, through human responsibility. This means that both ethical thoughts argue that being ethical means the fulfilment of ethical responsibilities towards God, oneself and others. Finally working together in a symbiosis where God and all His creations are closely connected and upholding virtues in relation to all dimensions of life will lead to final bliss.