CMP Essay Plan

Question 1

Introduction

Answer 1

• Agape – christian love that reflects the love of God
• The bible – special authority and status for christians
• Tradition – the collective memory of what the church is, where is has come from, what is exists fro and how christians should love and practice faith
• Must be used together when considered from a christian perspective as together they all encourage the right thing but if used alone they do not work

Question 2

Paragraph 1

Answer 2

Love is the only source of authority :

• Agape – unconditional love
• 1 Corinthians 13: 4 - Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud
• ‘The greatest commandment is love’
• Tillich – love is the most important, it is underpinned by justice and is guided by wisdom, agape is person-centred and should drive the decision in each situation
• Love gives us confidence to follow our instincts
• Love is the only force that can fully recognise the ever-changing moral situation in ones self
  Love is not enough
• It over simplifies Jesus teachings
• Different people may interpret love in different ways

Question 3

Paragraph 2

Answer 3

The bible and tradition as the source of authority:
- It is a set of rules and instructions from God – you must obey God’s word
- Jesus teachings and life is a good example to follow
Not a good guide:
- It is no help for modern issues
- Needs to be interpreted – everyone has different reason and ideas so alone is not good
- Jesus criticised the traditions and laws of the Pharisees
- The biblical tradition is shaped exclusively shaped for males – it may need to be interpreted to include the female perspective and to make it relevant for modern women, Rosemary Radford Ruether

Question 4

Paragraph 3

Answer 4

Use all of them together:

• Love is a key teaching of the bible
• Agape is person centred – helps you make the best decisions for your situation
• Can’t exclude the bible and traditions – you need to use them as they are God’s rules and can’t ignore them
• Follows Jesus and the golden rule

Question 5

Conclusion

Answer 5

Must use all of them as a source of authority and in conjunction to each other