Abstract

Of what importance is the bible for theological ethics? The answer to this question depends on the conception of ethics one endorses. If one takes the task of ethics to consist in the justification of moral judgments, the bible becomes ethically irrelevant – so the author argues. If one endorses a wider understanding of ethics which sees ethics as primarily concerned with revealing and understanding ethical phenomena, things look quite different and the bible provides much food for ethical thinking. One reason for that is the fact that the bible has been a major influence in shaping our culture’s ethical sensitivities.