User:Williavz/Stephen J pope

Steven J. Pope is a catholic theologian who resides and teaches in Massachusetts as a Professor of Theology at Boston College.

He achieved his Bachelors Degree at Gonzaga University in 1977, getting a bachelor of arts in Philosophy & Theology. He then went on to gain a Masters Degree in Divinity at the University of Chicago in 1983. His final academic title was gained at University of Chicago as well; In 1988 Pope earned a Ph.D. in Ethics and Society there.

Morality
Pope maintains that to be moral one must follow more than the biological impulses that animals follow. Though in the natural world certain actions may occur, there is an idea of community and reflective judgements that require humans to use their rational functions to transcend the limits of biology to become moral in the Christian sense; "The obligatory character of morality-the 'law'- binds the person to moral standards that promote the well-being, or flourishing, of the person and his or her community".

Evolution
Pope believes that the scientific theories of evolution and the ethics of the Christian faith do not exist in opposition to one another but rather exist in harmony. "Christian ethics," says Pope, "needs to engage evolutionary knowledge because it can help us better to understand important aspects of human nature and some of the enduring constituents of human flourishing. . It is important to understand human nature because some aspects of human nature, such as the natural-law tradition, give hints as to what the conditions for the further improvement of mankind are.

The Problem of Evil
Pope refutes the idea that evil disproves the harmony between evolution and Christian ethics by reason of a lack of a direct link between the natural world and God's willed world. "The evolutionary process produced species under conditions marked by high degrees of contingency and chance. If this is the case, then one cannot attribute animal behavior patterns to the direct creative intention of God", rather God's intention for human nature and the idea that species can evolve in cruel ways is a result of not God, but one of a few other possible sources. First, Pope mentions the idea of a "mystery" of Evil-- that is, it is an irrational object because no rational creature would turn from a God who is "absolute wisdom and love" to caused itself harm while acting upon that rational faculty. Pope also attributes the evil to human nature, saying that "human beings are responsible for the evils experienced by victims of our bad choices" to some extent. Lastly, Pope discusses the necessity of a teleological suspension. We cannot know the will of the creator, and in the scope of things small evils that we perceive may be working toward His greater plan; "We are only creatures within a larger cosmos... [not] everything that happens will be for the immediate or even long-term benefit of human agents".

Memberships
Society of Christian Ethics Catholic Theological Society of America