Original Research

Prejudice as moral action in Christian ethical decision-making

Stephanus J. Myburgh
Verbum et Ecclesia | Vol 31, No 1 | a89 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/ve.v31i1.89 | © 2010 Stephanus J. Myburgh | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 14 September 2009 | Published: 06 May 2010

About the author(s)

Stephanus J. Myburgh, Methodist Church of southern Africa, South Africa

Abstract

Given the many approaches regarding the use of the Bible, the ethical work in biblical interpretation and the work of being concerned with an ethical issue affecting the Christian as a moral agent cannot be separated from one another. This article deals with that affinity between the approach of the interpreter as moral agent, using the Bible in his or her ethical decision-making and aspects that constitute fundamental starting points for him or her in this ethical decision-making, with regard to the liberation of prejudices as that which makes understanding for moral action possible. It is maintained in the article that prejudices that are conformable to the ways in which responsibility should qualify Christian ethics in general make for responsible use of the Bible in Christian ethical decision-making. Prejudices (pre-understanding) that are grounded in an ethics of responsibility allow for the interpreter to adhere to the truth claim of a text, which can only be had from hermeneutical work that promotes prejudices in an intentional and critical way as the link between past text and current interpreter.

 

--- Abstract translated into Sipedi ---

Khuetšo ya dikakanyo tša mosekaseki e le tiro ya maitshwaro mo go tšeeng diphetho ka maitshwaro a maleba

Senaganwa

Ge re šeditše ditsela tša go fapana tša ka fao Bibele e šomišwago ka gona, mošomo wa maitshwaro a maleba tlhathollong le tshekakong ya Bibele le mošomo wa go tshwenyega ka taba ya maitshwaro a maleba ao a huetšago Mokriste bjalo ka moemedi wa maitshwaro di ka se aroganywe. Pampiri ye e tlo swaragana le tswalano magareng ga mosekaseki bjalo ka moemedi wa maitshwaro, a diriša Bibele mo go tšeeng diphetho tša maitshwaro a maleba le mafapa ao a bopago motheo wa mathomo fao go tšewago diphetho tša maitshwaro a maleba, mabapi le tokologo ya maitshwaro a botse e le seo se kgonagatšago kwešišo ya tiro ya maitshwaro. Mo pampiring ye re tšea gore maitshwaro a botse ao a sepedišanago tsela le ka fao maitshwaro a botse a Mokriste a hlathwago ka maikarabelo a gagwe ka gona ka kakaretšo, a dira gore Bibele e šomišwe ka maikarabelo mo go tšeweng ga diphetho ka maitshwro a botse. Dikakanyo tša mosekaseki(kwešišo ya motheo) tšeo di theilwego godimo ga maitshwaro a botse a maikarabelo di dumelela mosekaseki go itshwarelela ka therešo ye e akanywago ya temana, tšeo di tšwago go modiro wa tshekatsheko woo o hlohleletšago maitshwaro a maleba ka tsela ya maikemišetšo le go hlotla e le tswalano magareng ga digwalo tšefetilego le mosekaseki wa ga bjale.

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Keywords

Christian ethics; ethics of conviction; hermeneutics; objective thinking; prejudices responsibility

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