The Role of Christian Faith in Public Moral Discourse: a Comparison of Selected Works from H
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Duquesne University Duquesne Scholarship Collection Electronic Theses and Dissertations Fall 2006 The Role of Christian Faith in Public Moral Discourse: A Comparison of Selected Works from H. Tristram Engelhardt, Jr., Stanley Hauerwas, and Richard A. McCormick Andrew William Getz Follow this and additional works at: https://dsc.duq.edu/etd Recommended Citation Getz, A. (2006). The Role of Christian Faith in Public Moral Discourse: A Comparison of Selected Works from H. Tristram Engelhardt, Jr., Stanley Hauerwas, and Richard A. McCormick (Doctoral dissertation, Duquesne University). Retrieved from https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/578 This Immediate Access is brought to you for free and open access by Duquesne Scholarship Collection. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Duquesne Scholarship Collection. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE ROLE OF CHRISTIAN FAITH IN PUBLIC MORAL DISCOURSE : A C OMPARISON OF SELECTED WORKS FROM H. T RISTRAM ENGELHARDT , J R., S TANLEY HAUERWAS , AND RICHARD A. M CCORMICK A Dissertation submitted to the McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts of Duquesne University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Andrew W. Getz August 31, 2006 Copyright © by Andrew W. Getz All rights reserved ii To Michael Cahill iii CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .....................................................................................................ix INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................1 CHAPTER 1. THE NATURE OF ETHICS ACCORDING TO ENGELHARDT, HAUERWAS, AND McCORMICK ........................................6 Presuppositions of Engaging In Ethics .........................................................7 Metaethics, Normative Ethics, and Fundamental Questions .........................11 Questions of Metaethics.....................................................................12 Questions of Normative Ethics ..........................................................23 The Moral Methodology of H. Tristram Engelhardt, Jr.................................25 The Moral Methodology of Stanley Hauerwas..............................................37 Character, Vision and Narrative ........................................................38 The Moral Methodology of Richard A. McCormick.....................................49 Comparison of Metaethics and Normative Ethics of Engelhardt, Hauerwas, and McCormick.....................................................66 2. THE CHRISTIAN ETHICS OF ENGELHARDT, HAUERWAS, AND McCORMICK ..........................................75 A Contemporary Concept of Faith.................................................................76 Some Fundamental Issues of Christian Ethics...............................................86 H. Tristram Engelhardt, Jr. ............................................................................89 The Christian Telos and Ultimate Goal of Human Existence............90 The Status Quo of Human Existence: Our Broken Human Nature..............................................................92 iv Christian Morality: The Turn from Corruption to Holiness .............96 A Brief Critique of Engelhardt .........................................................101 Stanley Hauerwas ..........................................................................................102 The Christian Telos as the Kingdom of God .....................................104 The Status Quo of Human Existence: Living a False Narrative...................................................................107 Christian Ethics: The Change of Narratives .....................................110 A Brief Critique of Hauerwas ...........................................................116 Richard A. McCormick..................................................................................121 The Christian Telos of the Fully Human............................................121 The Status Quo of the Human Person ...............................................124 Christian Ethics: A New Insight into the Good ................................131 A Brief Critique of McCormick ........................................................137 Similarities and Differences...........................................................................140 3. PUBLIC THEOLOGY: THE ROLE OF CHRISTIAN FAITH IN PUBLIC MORAL DISCOURSE ........................................................................150 Contemporary American Society...................................................................151 “Public Theology” ........................................................................................158 H. Tristram Engelhardt, Jr. ...........................................................................163 Engelhardt’s Role of Christian Ethics in Society ..............................168 Engelhardt’s Goal of Christian Ethics in Society ..............................170 “Irreconcilable” Ethical Differences between the Church and Society in Engelhardt’s Thought ....................................................173 Stanley Hauerwas ..........................................................................................181 v Hauerwas’ Role of Christian Ethics in Society..................................182 Hauerwas’ Goal of Christian Ethics in Society .................................187 “Irreconcilable” Ethical Differences between the Church and Society in Hauerwas’ Thought ........................................................191 Richard A. McCormick .................................................................................196 McCormick’s Role of Christian Ethics in Society.............................197 McCormick’s Goal of Christian Ethics in Society ............................203 “Irreconcilable” Ethical Differences between the Church and Society in McCormick’s Thought ...................................................206 Conclusion .....................................................................................................210 General Similarities and Differences .................................................210 Specific Comparisons ........................................................................218 McCormick and Engelhardt ..................................................219 Engelhardt and Hauerwas .....................................................221 Hauerwas and McCormick ...................................................224 Causes ...............................................................................................227 4. ENGELHARDT’S APPROACH TO EUTHANASIA AND UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE .......................................................................................................230 Summary of Engelhardt’s Ethics ...................................................................231 Engelhardt’s Bioethics...................................................................................233 Euthanasia......................................................................................................238 Universal Health Care....................................................................................245 Summary........................................................................................................255 vi 5. HAUERWAS’ APPROACH TO EUTHANASIA AND UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE .......................................................................................................257 Summary of Hauerwas’ Ethics ......................................................................258 Ethics in the Medical Care of Others.............................................................263 Euthanasia......................................................................................................277 Universal Health Care....................................................................................287 Summary........................................................................................................294 6. McCORMICK’S APPROACH TO EUTHANASIA AND UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE .......................................................................................................298 Summary of McCormick’s Ethics .................................................................298 McCormick’s Health Care Ethics ..................................................................303 Euthanasia......................................................................................................311 Universal Health Care....................................................................................318 Summary........................................................................................................327 7. COMPARISON, CRITIQUE AND CONCLUSIONS ..............................................331 Summary of Ethical Methods ........................................................................331 Engelhardt .........................................................................................332 Hauerwas ...........................................................................................334 McCormick .......................................................................................337 Comparisons of Engelhardt, Hauerwas, and McCormick ............................340 The Human Person ............................................................................340 The Role of the Christian Community