| Description |
1 online resource |
| Contents |
Introduction -- I. Contextualizing This Book -- II. Organization of This Book -- III. Methodology of This Book -- A. Which Virtue Ethics? -- B. Authoritative Voices on the Sermon -- C. A Word on Alignments -- 1. The Beatitudes and Happiness: The Christological and Ecclesiological Vision of Matthew 5:1-16 -- I. The Beatitudes Are about Happiness -- II. The Beatitudes: The Relation They Posit between Qualifying Condition and Reward -- A. Defining "Intrinsic Relation" and Ascribing it to the Beatitudes -- B. Examining Particular Beatitudes -- 1. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" -- 2. "Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted" -- 3. "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land" -- 4. "Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied" -- 5. "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy" -- 6. "Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God" -- 7. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God" -- III. Ramifications of the Intrinsic Relationship between the Activities of the Qualifying Conditions and the Activities of Happiness Attained -- A. Eschatology and Ethics: "When" Do the Beatitudes' Rewards Occur? -- B. Why a "Set" of Beatitudes? -- 1. Traditional Explanations of the Set of Beatitudes -- 2. Contribution to Explanations of the Beatitudes as a set: Increasing Continuity of Activity -- 3. Further Contribution to Explanations of the Beatitudes as a set: Alignment with Virtues -- Transition: Happiness, Suffering, and Jesus Christ -- IV. Salt and Light: a Christological -- Ecclesiology -- Conclusion -- 2 A Virtue Ethics Approach toward the Fulfillment of the Law in Matthew 5:17-48 -- I. "Fulfilling" the Law -- A. "Fulfilling" the Law: Surveys of Possible Interpretations -- B. Jesus' Moral teaching as Fulfillment of the Law -- 1. First and Second Antitheses: Overview of Fulfill -- 2. Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Antitheses - Fulfillment Despite Different Material Content -- a. Fifth Antithesis-Prescribing Limits and Enjoining Greater Perfection -- b. Fourth Antithesis - The New law and Prudence -- c. Third Antithesis - Morality in a New Era -- d. Sixth Antithesis - Restoring the True Meaning -- C. Fulfillment of the Ceremonial Law -- 1. Recent Debates over Christian "Supersessionism" -- 2. Refining the Question -- 3. The New Law as Fulfillment of the Old Ceremonial Law -- II. Grouping the Antitheses -- A. Grouping the Antitheses: the Moral Significance -- B. Grouping the Antitheses: the Ceremonial Significance -- III. Jesus Christ and the New Law -- Conclusion -- 3 Intentionality, Growth in Virtue, and Charity in Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 -- I. "To Be Seen by Others": Intentionality and Human Action -- |
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A. The Importance of the End in Human Action - "They Have Received Their Reward" -- 1. Thomistic Action Theory and the Further End of Human Action -- 2. Reward in Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 -- Excursus: Uneasiness with Reward in Biblical Scholarship -- B. The Importance of the Object in Human Action - "Do Not Be Like the Hypocrites" -- II. Guidance on Growth in Virtue -- A. Intentional Action, Development of Habits, and Character Formation -- B. Metaphors and Audience -- Conclusion -- 4 Seeking First the Kingdom: Temporal Goods and Relations with Others in Matthew 6:19-7:12 -- I. The Nature and Function of the Last End in Mt 6:19-24 -- II. A God of Provident Gratuity: Mt 6:25-34 -- A. The Last End: Our Heavenly Father -- B. Faith in Our Heavenly Father and Temporal Goods: Avoiding Worry -- III. Relations with Others in Mt 7:1-11 -- A. Relations with Our Brothers in Mt 7:1-5 -- B. Relations with Outsiders in Mt 7:6 -- C. Relations with God in Mt 7:7-11 -- Conclusion -- 5 Hope and the Life of Discipleship in Matthew 7:13-29 -- I. Continuity of Activity between This Life and Our Eternal Destiny: The Virtue of Hope -- A. The Challenge of Living This Life toward Eternal Life -- B. The Importance of Hope for Activity in This Life -- II. Lacking Continuity between This Life and Eternal Happiness: The Vice of Presumption -- A. The Thomistic Tradition on Presumption -- B. Failure to Attain the Eternal Life in Mt 7:13-27: Guidance from Biblical Scholarship -- Conclusion -- 6 A Virtue Ethics Approach to the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:7-15 -- I. Four Consistencies (and a Lacuna) in the History of Commentary on the Lord's Prayer -- A. Commenting on the Petitions -- B. Numbering the Petitions -- C. Grouping the Petitions -- D. Aligning the Petitions with Other Groupings -- E. A Lacuna: Aligning the Petitions with the Theological and Cardinal Virtues -- II. The Lord's Prayer and the Virtues: An Illuminating Convergence -- A. Seven Petitions and Seven Virtues -- 1. "Hallowed Be Thy Name": Faith -- 2. "Thy Kingdom Come": Hope -- 3. "They Will Be Done": Love -- 4. "Give us This Day Our Daily Bread": Prudence -- 5. "Forgive Us Our Trespasses": Justice -- 6. "Lead Us Not into Temptation": Temperance -- 7. "Deliver Us from Evil": Fortitude -- B. Reading the Lord's Prayer in the Conjunction with the Virtues: Implications for Virtue and the Christian Life -- 1. Ordering of the Petitions and Virtues -- 2. Grouping the Petitions and Virtues -- 3. The Primacy of Infused Virtue in the Petitions -- 4. The Relationship Between Happiness Virtue in the Petitions |
| Summary |
In this volume, William C. Mattison, III demonstrates that virtue ethics provides a helpful key for unlocking the moral wisdom of the Sermon on the Mount. Showing how familiar texts such as the Beatitudes and Petitions of the Lord's Prayer are more richly understood, and can even be aligned with the theological and cardinal virtues, he also locates in the Sermon classic topics in morality, such as the nature of happiness, intentionality, the intelligibility of human action, and the development of virtue. Yet far from merely placing the teaching of Aristotle in the mouth of Jesus, he demonstrates how the Sermon presents an account of happiness and virtue transformed in the light of Christian faith. The happiness portrayed is that of the Kingdom of heaven, and the habits needed to participate in it in the next life, but even initially in this one, are possible only by God's grace through Jesus Christ, and lived in the community that is the Church |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references and index |
| SUBJECT |
Sermon on the mount -- Criticism, interpretation, etc
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Sermon on the mount fast |
| Subject |
Christian ethics -- Biblical teaching
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Virtue.
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RELIGION -- Christian Theology -- Ethics.
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Christian ethics -- Biblical teaching
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Virtue
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| Genre/Form |
Criticism, interpretation, etc.
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| Form |
Electronic book
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| ISBN |
9781316774755 |
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1316774759 |
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1316775372 |
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9781316775370 |
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9781316775684 |
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1316775682 |
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9781316761342 |
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1316761347 |
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