Abstract
Having considered different ways in which revelation and scripture are interpreted this chapter will outline the varied ethical stances to which this gives rise vis-à-vis dominant ethical paradigms. This analysis is based on the theory of RH Niebuhr in ‘Christ and Culture’, originally developed in relation to Christian communities but more recently applied by Keith Ward, amongst others, to other religious traditions. The analysis addresses the dilemmas for religious ethics and communities of living ‘in but not of the world’, of maintaining religious authenticity at the potential expense of impact on the wider community or of losing religious identity by assimilation to broader social mores. There will be analysis of terms such as conservative, traditionalist and liberationist as part of this assessment. For secular society ethical dilemmas are also raised by the degree to which religious communities want to maintain a counter-cultural stance or public engagement, with or without assimilation. The main issue is to what extent can or should religious difference be accommodated. At the heart of some of these counter-cultural stances lie the acceptance or otherwise of bodies of knowledge and disputes over epistemological authority. For example, communities may differ over what is classed as harmful conduct or valid medical opinion. Again the issues will be assessed by reference to current ethical debates, in this case over human rights in relation to forced marriage, education and equalities legislation. The boundaries of what is or is not acceptable when considering counter-cultural accommodation also raise questions about the nature of harm, within a utilitarian ethic and essential rights from a deontological perspective.
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- 1.
Biggar N. Behaving in Public: How to do Christian Ethics. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing, 2011, pp. 1–24 (Biggar 2011).
- 2.
- 3.
Ward K. Religion and Society. Oxford University Press, 1999.
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Re U sub nom J [2000] 1 FLR 57.
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Modood T. Multicultural Politics: Racism, Ethnicity and Muslims in Britain. Edinburgh University Press, 2005 (Modood 2005), Multiculturalism: A Civic Idea. Polity Press, 2007/2013 (Modood 2007/2013); Still Not Easy Being British: Struggles for a Multicultural Citizenship. Trentham Books Ltd., 2010 (Modood 2010).
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An Na’im AA. Islamic Family Law in a Changing world. Zed Books, 2002 (An Na’im 2002).
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e.g. Sachs J. Radical Now, Radical Then. London: Harper Collins/Continuum, 2004 (Sachs 2004).
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Novak D. Tradition in the Public Square: A Novak Reader. Eds. Rashkova R & Kavka M. London: SCM Press, 2008 (Novak 2008).
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Ramadan places the Muslim salafi movement in this category in Ramadan T. Western Muslims and the Future of Islam. Oxford University Press, 2004, pp. 25–29.
- 12.
e.g. Nishkam, a Sikh social justice charity; Christian Aid, CAFOD, Islamic Relief, World Jewish Relief.
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Ploughshares Campaign, Pax Christi, Muslims for Peace, the Brahmakumari Pledge for Peace.
- 14.
Niebuhr HR. Christ and Culture, op. cit.
- 15.
Exemplified for example in John 15–17 and 1 John 2: 16.
- 16.
Ward K. Religion and Society. Oxford University Press, 1999.
- 17.
Niebuhr RH., op. cit., pp. 45–82.
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Niebuhr RH., op. cit., pp. 83–115.
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Niebuhr RH, op. cit., pp. 116–148.
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Niebuhr RH., pp. 149–189.
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Niebuhr RH., pp. 190–229.
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The Jewish haredi community has a mission to fellow Jews but not more widely.
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Lipner J. Hindus: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices. Routledge, 2010, pp. 208 & 246–250 (Lipner 2010);
- 24.
19th CE activism included the Shaftsbury Society & Wilberforce’s anti-slavery campaign; political Christianity, prominent in the US, is reflected in UK attempts to found a Christian Democrat party & the rise of e.g. Conservative Christian Fellowship & Christian Socialist Movement; Bretherton L. Christianity and Contemporary Politics: The Conditions and Possibilities of Faithful Witness. Oxford: Wiley Blackwell, 2010 (Bretherton 2010).
- 25.
See e.g. Hauerwas S. The Peaceable Kingdom: A Primer in Christian Ethics. SCM Press, 2009 (Hauerwas 2009).
- 26.
- 27.
- 28.
DfE v Talmud Torah Matzikei School (1984) Times LR; OFSTED reports for Salford Jewish Boys High School 2008.
- 29.
Tarbiya School Dewsbury, Darum Uloom School, Birmingham, Rabia Schools https://www.rt.com/uk/347139-muslim-school-ofsted-racist/.
- 30.
http://ams-uk.org – Association of Muslim Schools; http://www.findajewishschool.co.uk/index.php.
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Bentham J. 1818 – Church of Englandism and its Catechism Examined. Oxford University Press, 2011 (Bentham 2011).
- 32.
Talmud Torah Matzikei High School – op. cit.
- 33.
Academies have enabled other perspectives to enter education e.g. the Co-op movement.
- 34.
Re AB [2008] EWHC 1436.
- 35.
Re K sub nom LA v N & Others [2005] EWHC 2956.
- 36.
Lawton C & Morgan P. Ethical Issues in Six Religious Traditions. Edinburgh University Press, 2007, 2nd edition, pp. 10–15, 68–72 & 126–129 (Lawton and Morgan 2007).
- 37.
Biggar N. Behaving in public, op. cit., pp. 1–24.
- 38.
R v (on the application of Miss Begum) v Denbigh High School [2006] UKHL 15.
- 39.
Arrowsmith v UK [1978] ECHR 7.
- 40.
Grainger plc v Nicholson [2010] IRLR 4 (EAT).
- 41.
Weller P, Purdam K, Ghanea N & Cheruvallili S. Religion or Belief, Discrimination and Equality: Britain in Global Contexts. Bloomsbury Publishing, p. 58.
- 42.
Anglican Five Marks of Mission. http://www.anglicancommunion.org/identity/marks-of-mission.aspx.
- 43.
http://www.papalencyclicals.net. e.g. Laudato Si on the environment; Laborem Exercens on Labour.
- 44.
Christian Aid, Islamic Relief, CAFOD, Tear Fund, Care, World Vision, Concern Worldwide.
- 45.
A search of the Charity Commission website lists 14008 charities under religious service – Accessed 21 June 2016.
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Shelley, C. (2017). Religious Ethics as Cultural or Counter-Cultural. In: Ethical Exploration in a Multifaith Society. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-46711-5_7
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