Paul Ricoeur on the specificity of Christian morality: Retrieving foundations for a new theological consensus

This dissertation explores the contributions Paul Ricoeur's writings and analytical methods make toward clarifying and developing some level of theological consensus regarding the specificity of Christian morality in relation to moral philosophy. Chapter One details the ongoing debate on this issue, and uncovers the non-historical, oppositional thinking that perpetuates the conflict between confessionalist theologians (e.g., Hauerwas, Lindbeck) and apologetic theologians (e.g., Fuchs, Curran). Subsequent chapters explore how Ricoeur's unified, historically conscious approach to inquiry corrects these deficiencies, and clarifies aspects of the faith/ethics relation that have eluded recent theological discussions.;Chapter Two traces the development of Ricoeur's philosophical anthropology and hermeneutic theory, which reveal connections between human subjectivity and scripture that are overlooked or rejected by most moral theologians. Chapter Three examines Ricoeur's understanding of scripture as a "poetic" text with a unique revelatory function. Chapter Four follows Ricoeur's critical analyses of concrete morality and the Christian faith, and explores how his global approach overcomes embedded obstacles that obscure the poetic dynamism of the faith/ethics relation.;Ricoeur's comprehensive studies reveal that a morality informed by scripture doesn't produce a "specifically Christian" morality, but institutes a dramatic shift in perspective that provides Christians and non-Christians alike with the existential insights and creative sources necessary for the authentic actualization of their freedom.;In light of these analyses, Chapter Five compares Ricoeur's methodology to those of the participants in the debate, and concludes that his unified, historically conscious approach provides the necessary corrective to the distortions in traditional thinking that perpetuate the conflict. Moreover, his "poetic" conception of the faith/ethics relation mediates the opposing viewpoints in the debate: it protects the distinctiveness of biblical revelation and affirms the Bible's centrality for the moral life (confessionalist), and it establishes scripture's universal significance for understanding the human condition (apologist). Ricoeur's inquiries thus illuminate the middle ground necessary for attaining some level of agreement on what difference being a Christian makes to the moral life.