Listening to today's message during the Chapel Service, I am reminded of a book written by Cornelius Van Til. I recall this book after hearing a prayer that the glory of God is inimical to our interests. I think that's true concerning man's natural condition under the state of sin. However, under the state of grace, there should be harmony between the two. The title of the book is Christian Theistic Ethics.

Here is my revised outline of the contents of the book:

• The Object and Material of Christian Theistic Ethics
  • The Human Will
  • Revelation and the Autonomous Moral Consciousness of Man
• Basic Presuppositions of Christian Theistic Ethics
  • Epistemological Presuppositions
  • Metaphysical Presuppositions
• The Answer to Three Primary Ethical Questions
  • The Question of Summum Bonum - What is the motive of human will/action?
  • The Question of Standard - What is the standard of human will/action?
  • The Question of Motive - What is the end purpose of human will/action?

Summary

Less than 50% of the content covered in the entire book has been retained in this article. The non-Christian principles of ethics have been removed. Even within the Christian principles, chapters are entirely deleted under the discussion on Summum Bonum. These are chapters on the non-Christian Summum Bonum, The Old Testament Summum Bonum, and the New Testament Summum Bonum (Chapters VII, IX, and X). And then the remaining ten chapters have been restructured into just three major sections:

• The Object and Material of Christian Theistic Ethics
• Basic Presuppositions of Christian Theistic Ethics, and
• The Answer to Three Primary Ethical Questions

Furthermore, even within the retained chapters, I excluded contents that were either just simply elaborations of major points or contained discussions of the views of different authors, which are difficult to follow for average readers.

I believe that the vision or system presented in the text is useful, particularly at a time when the discussion on ethics is dominated by both the modernist and neo-modernist thinkers resulting in a chaotic intellectual atmosphere.

As for content, the object and material of Christian ethics clarify the focus on human personality, which is the will, and secondarily, the intellect and emotion. Focusing on the will, we now see that the entire concept of Christian ethics evolved around three questions. As to the source of material, Christian and non-Christian sources are contrasted, revelation and the autonomous moral consciousness of man.

Turning to basic presuppositions, we speak here specifically about epistemology and metaphysics. As to epistemology, the topics covered include the discussion on authority, the distinction between receptively reconstructive and creatively constructive, and the influence of sin on the moral consciousness of man. Metaphysics deals with the relation of human will and his ultimate environment, the importance of such question, the contrast between the Christian and the non-Christian God-concept, and the implication of man’s environment on human will.

The book's mind and heart are found in the third and final major section dealing with three ethical questions: Summum Bonum, standard, and motive. Understanding the discussion on Summum Bonum is the key to grasping the argument of the author in the book. The topic is presented from the perspectives of the individual, the society, and the Bible. The discussion on self-realization and the characteristics of biblical ethics provide the foundation for the entire structure of the book. Moreover, the chapter on ethical standards emphasizes the redemptive standard after giving the standard in paradise. The last question about the motive of Christian ethics is about faith. The discussion is very brief and the reader is advised to consult two sources if he is curious to know the position of both the modernist and the neo-modernist on the subject.

As a Christian, your primary task is to know what the Bible says about ethics. That’s your base, your position. After having a firm conviction about your position, you are now ready to study the broader context of the intellectual discussion on ethics. Here, the sections and books that will help you achieve such a broader goal include:

• The non-Christian Summum Bonum, Part 2, Chapter X

• Non-Christian Principles, the entire Part 2, Chapters XIV-XVIII

• Christianity and Barthianism, and

• The Confession of 1967

I think that's it for now. This article serves as an overview. In the next article, I will expand on the role of the individual in answering the three primary ethical questions.

Reference: Van Til, C. (1980). Christian Theistic Ethics. P&R Publishing.