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REL 330 Christian Morality: Module 2- Moral Norms
Moral Norms
Moral norms are criteria for judging the various actions or decisions we should make. Norms also
provide ideals by which we judge the type of persons we should be in response to the Christian message
and example of Christ.
A Moral Norm is an indication of how human persons ought to exercise their freedom.
Moral norms point us toward achievable ideals.
A moral norm is very much like a carpenter’s square, or a chalk line used in construction. The
carpenter’s square is used to determine a straight line or true right angle; it is a “norm” or ideal by
which an angle or line is judged.
Moral norms are also ideals that serve as standards against which we measure what is actually done.
Ideal
Actual
Measures
Morally normative does not necessarily mean normal or typical.
Moral norms can be expressed as rules, principles or character traits and even the life of a person.
The life and person of Jesus Christ is the most complete moral norm. Moral norms are derived from
values, particularly as they pertain to the value of persons and their social relations. Norms are
expressed as either positive or negative statements.
The Sources of Christian Norms:
o Scripture: Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor is a norm or rule from
scripture. It is a negative norm in that it tells us what not to do. It is a material
norm because it also specifies a specific physical action. (see definition below of
material norms.)
o Reason : (Includes Natural Law) – Self preservation is an example of how reason provides
us with norms. It is reasonable to expect persons to defend themselves against an
attacker.
o Tradition: The Just War Doctrine is a set of norms that has been passed down and developed
over time. It suggests ways to determine when going to war is just.
o Experience: Some norms are the result of experiences from the past or from personal
experience. The experience of Hiroshima and Nagasaki suggest that a nuclear
war cannot target only non-combatants.
Three types of Norms:
1. Material Norms: these specify the “matter” or means of specific actions.
Material norms answer the question what should or should not be done?
They focus on doing and tend to indicate actions. Material norms often include “implied
qualifiers” such as “all things being equal” or “if there are no further intervening
factors.” Material norms attempt to guide us away from evil whenever possible and are
usually not absolutes.
Example: Intentionally targeting and killing non-combatants in war is wrong.
REL 330 Christian Morality: Module 2- Moral Norms
There are some material norms that fall in the “virtually exceptionless” category
however. They include prohibitions against rape, adultery, and mandates for obtaining a
patient’s consent before any experimental medical treatment, etc.
2. Formal Norms: These norms specify the form of acting or the form of being. They relate to
character. They are permanent and enduring norms, official standards or
laws that govern behavior. They express values which are universal among
humankind.
They answer the question “How should or shouldn’t one act? Or
Who should or shouldn’t one be?
The focus is on being and formal norms tend to indicate character traits or dispositions.
Formal Christian or Church Norms The example of Jesus and the Apostles, scripture, wisdom of church fathers.
 The commandment to love, openness to the poor, conversion or change of heart.
 Love God and love your neighbor as yourself. Mt 22:37-40
 Whatever you wish others to do to you, do so to them. Mt 7:12; Lk 6:31
 Formal norms as virtue: be honest, be just, be humble, be reasonable.
3. Synthetic Norms- A synthetic norm includes both a material action as well as a moral judgment.
It can combine what is done with how it is done and/or why.
The focus is on both.
Example: Thou shall not murder. This is a negative synthetic norm.
The use of language such as murder, adultery, lying, stealing, or blasphemy
within a norm already offers judgment. Murder has a different, more
judgmental meaning than “killing” for instance. Likewise using the word
“adultery” is judgmental in a way that “sexual relations” or “sex” is not.
Positive and Negative Norms- A norm is positive if it tells you to do something or to be something. It is
negative if it tells you not to do something or not to be something.
Values- Values are expressed as nouns. Values are those attributes, beliefs or goals that are meaningful.
Whether we are consciously aware of them or not, every individual has a core set of personal values.
Values can range from the common widely accepted beliefs such as the belief in hard work
and punctuality, to the more psychological, such as self-reliance, concern for others, and harmony of
purpose.
Consider for a moment what you value most in your life. Does your list of values include family, friends,
faith, work, success, money, freedom, beauty, knowledge, or safety? Chances are that those things that
you value the most play a role in the direction of your life.
The center of value for Christians is God.