The Good Life: Where Morality and Spirituality Converge By Richard M. Gula - Essay Example

? A COMPARISON OF CHRISTIAN ETHICS WITH GENERAL ETHICS ‘The Good Life: Where Morality and Spirituality Converge’ By Richard M. Gula Name of University/ Institution Class: Professor: Submission Date: ‘The Good Life: Where Morality and Spirituality Converge’ By Richard M. Gula Introduction In the Christian Bible, the book of Genesis begins with the affirmation that human beings are made in the image of God. The acclaimed author Richard Gula in his book The Good Life: Where Morality and Spirituality Converge, 1999, asserts that this is the core concept of who a person is, and all dimensions of the moral life are measured against two criteria: upholding the dignity of persons and the social nature of human beings. Ethics in human living is strongly associated with the two virtues of gratitude and humility in recognizing people as both sacred and social, and the importance of maintaining and promoting their dignity in the community. Gula focuses on both spirituality and morality as essential components of ethics. This approach is opposed by the concept of general ethics which is applicable to people across all paradigms. General ethics is characterized by moral principles based on reasoning and human experience, and is not related to religion (Pojman & Fieser 2011). Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to compare Christian ethics in the book The Good Life: Where Morality and Spirituality Converge by Richard M. Gula, 1999, with general ethics. It will be argued that Christian ethics emphasizing both spirituality as well as morality, forms a stronger foundation for achieving the ‘good life’. Christian Ethics Based on Spirituality and Morality vs General Ethics Richard M. Gula, an educator from the Franciscan School of Theology at Berkeley, has written several books on Christian, particularly Catholic moral and spiritual theology. Gula in his book The Good Life: Where Morality and Spirituality Converge, 1999, asserts that ethics is embedded in spirituality and morality. Ethics is the acknowledgement and According to the author, the story of creation in the Bible emphasizes the sacredness or dignity of every person because human beings are made in the image of God (cf. Ps 8:5; Wis 2:23; 1 Cor 11:7; Jas 3:9). Man’s dignity comes mainly from his relationship to God and his privilege of receiving God’s divine love; it is irrespective of personal achievements or social attributes. “While being so graced disposes us to goodness, no one is programmed to know clearly what is best and to do it easily” states Gula (1999, p.12). The powerful opposing force of sin damages an individual in some respects although it does not destroy his/ her fundamental dignity because of God’s relationship. Christian ethics based on the Bible focuses on spirituality through interpretation and appropriation of Biblical material and its application to contemporary situations. Further, Christian morality is considered as synonymous with moral principles pertaining to sex. Hoose (2000) reiterates that advocates of a return to Biblical morality consider it as the solution for all sexual-ethical controversies of the present day. However, the cultural and theological environments of Biblical writers were different from that of today, and their concept of ‘property rights’ may be morally unacceptable to Christians in the present day. The concept of ‘property rights’ and cultural taboos played a significant part in various sexual prohibitions underscored by the Old and New Testaments. On the other hand, all religions consider moral behaviour as an essential element in the practise of spirituality. However, Pojman and Feiser (2011, p.4) argue that “neither the practices nor principles of morality should be identified with religion”. Thus, in general ethics, moral principles are not required to be rooted in revelation or divine authority which is usually true for religious teachings. The most significant element of ethics is its emergence from reason and human experience. This directly contrasts with Richard Gula’s views that spirituality is not restricted to the realm of religion, while the moral life cannot be limited to sin as against individual virtuous acts. Gula’s (1999) approach to the Christian moral life is founded on his belief that ethics in an individual’s life arises from the convergence of morality and spirituality, both of which help an individual become the person he/ she should be, to lead the best possible life. Contrastingly, general ethics is the “branch of philosophy that deals with how we ought to live, with the idea of the Good, and with concepts such as ‘right’ and ‘wrong’” (Pojman & Fieser 2011, p.2). The sphere of ethics is divided into three parts; first, descriptive morality which concerns actual beliefs, customs and practices of people and cultures; second, moral philosophy or ethical theory refers to the systematic pursuit of an understanding of moral concepts, and the justification of moral principles and theories. Moral philosophy analyses key ethical concepts such as ‘right’, ‘wrong’, and ‘permissible’. It examines possible sources of moral obligation related to God, human reason, or the desire for happiness; and aims to create principles of right behaviour to promote ethical action among individuals and groups. The third subdivision is applied ethics which is concerned with controversial moral problems such as abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment and other dilemmas. All these subdivisions of ethics are interconnected in significant ways. The application of these principles leads to the ‘good life’ that is strongly connected to morality and to some extent to spirituality. Richard Gula’s four main themes of Christian morality and spirituality provide a distinct vision of ‘the good life’, with the virtues that are components of the Biblical life. These Biblical themes that are highlighted through the book include being created in the image of God, being people of the covenant, being called to discipleship, and being a community of friends under the reign of God. In the image of God, man practises the ethics of respecting other individuals as sacred, social beings, who represent the image of God themselves. As people of the covenant, people receive God’s response to their cries calling for affirmation of their worth. Discipleship is concerned with adopting God’s wisdom, disposition and spirit to shape one’s own life. As a community of friends, people respond to God’s call to defend the moral and spiritual lives rights of the poor and the oppressed in the community. Gula’s (1999) perspectives on ‘the good life’ are grounded in one’s relationship with God; thus moral and spiritual theology are inherent to Christian ethics. Spirituality is directly related to an individual’s actions. Morality and spirituality are interconnected and cannot be separated into two different domains (Gula 1999). This is reiterated by Curran (2008, p.142) who adds that “spirituality affects and shapes the moral person’s character, and the virtues that modify the person”. Virtue contributes sensitivity and inclination to undertake actions that are right. It is evident that Richard Gula acknowledges that there will be discussions on duty, principles, and the morality of particular actions, but for the daily life of Christians, the character and the virtues are the most essential. The four basic Biblical theses developed in Gula’s book provide a practical and pastoral approach to leading the good life. Conclusion This paper has discussed the book The Good Life: Where Morality and Spirituality Converge by Richard M. Gula, 1999. This book highlighting Christian ethics was compared with the principles of general ethics. It is evident that Christian ethics advocating ‘the good life’ according to Richard Gula underscores the key position of God in an individual’s life, and includes both spirituality and morality as important components. Gula’s approach is that man reflects God’s image and receives God’s love; consequently he/ she is imbued with dignity and sacredness. Hence, people have to be ethical in their treatment of fellow beings all of whom share a connection with the Divine power. Thus, ethics according to Gula is both spiritual and moral. Further, Christian morality is generally associated with moral principles related to sex, but the Biblical context of cultural taboos no longer can be applied by contemporary Christians. General ethics is more closely related to morality and little to spirituality. Revelation and divine authority which form essential elements of religious teachings, do not play a part in the practice of moral principles. Thus, general ethics contrasts with Christian ethics in that it advocates ‘the good life’ based on reason and human experience, and is unrelated to religion. According to Gula, the Biblical virtues that help in practising ‘the good life’ include man reflecting the image of God, man’s status of belonging to the Covenant, his discipleship, and community of friends under God’s rule. It is concluded that Chrisitan ethics which emphasizes both moral and spiritual theology has the power to help individuals practise and enjoy ‘the good life’, as opposed to general ethics with its main focus on morality alone, though it takes the presence of God into account. Bibliography Curran, CE 2008, Catholic moral theology in the United States: A history, Washington, DC, Georgetown University Press. Gula, RM 1999, The good life: Where morality and spirituality converge, The United States of America, Paulist Press. Hoose, B 2000, Christian ethics: An introduction, London, Continuum International Publishing Group. Pojman, LP & Fieser, J 2011, Ethics: Discovering right and wrong, Edition 6, California, Cengage Learning. Read More