CMP REVIEWED STUDY
QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS
GRADED A+ 2025-2026
Introduction to CMP - ANS-How do we decide what to trust as a guide for moral action?
Christians arguably may take a different approach to moral decision-making than
other people but how do they decide what to trust as a moral guide. Perhaps they
might follow the theonomous approach, drawing solely on the Bible, or using both
church tradition and reason to help make sense of this text, adopting a heteronomous
approach. However some may prefer more autonomy over their moral decisions, using
agape as a general guide.
Propositional knowledge - ANS-knowing or accepting something so e.g. knowing when
your birthday is. I has a 'truth' value
Non-propositional knowledge - ANS-knowing how to do through experience e.g.
knowledge of how to ride a bike. Your knowledge increases the more you do
something
Propositional faith and revelation - ANS-faith as acceptance of truths revealed by God
in the Bible. Not accessible through reason or experience of the world.
Non-propositional faith and revelation - ANS-· faith in God through experience of Him.
Propositional approach to the Bible - ANS-· accepts as truth the words of the Bible as
the messages of God; he is revealed directly to the reader through the words on the
page. Has led some Christians to view the commandments and Beatitudes as fixed
moral principles, the life and work of Jesus as actual events to know about, and the
parables to having fixed meanings.
,Non-propositional approach to the Bible - ANS-when God revealed himself in Jesus, he
didn't write a book or a set of propositions but lived a human life and died a human
death. The Bible is a gateway into encountering the living God. A more personal and
experiential approach to the Bible. Many Christians understand the story of Jesus' life,
death and resurrection as speaking to their whole life, and their experiences in life:
hope, love, denial, being handed over or abandoned, facing the fear of death.
Theonomous Christian Ethics - ANS-place God at the centre of ethics. His biblical
commandments are what is required for living morally
Heteronomous Christian Ethics - ANS-· variety of sources of authority for morals e.g.
Church Tradition and reason.
Autonomous Christian Ethics - ANS-· The authority to make a moral decision is placed
on the individual. Christian ethics are just ethical decisions that happen to be made by
Christians and love is often the guiding force.
Bible/scripture - ANS-· the collection of canon of books in the Bible which contain
God's revelation
Church tradition - ANS-· how Christian life in community works in worship, prayer and
practical moral life and the teaching and reflection of church handed down across time
Sacred tradition - ANS-· the revelation of Christ is communicated in two ways.
Scripture and through the apostolic/ authoritative teachings of the church council and
the Pope
Different types of approaches + Hays' advice on how to use the Bible properly for
moral guidance - ANS-· The Bible contains teachings, rules, symbols, the whole
paradigm of the human condition and God's nature. It is an important moral source for
all Christians
Ø There are questions as to whether the bible should be interpreted, taken literally and
which parts should be given the most weight
· Sola scriptura - the Bible alone is the source of ethical guidance as it is the literal
word of god.
Ø Bible based morality is all about obedience to the Bible's commands
, · For some Christians, the church tradition makes sense of the Bible, the Bible gets its
authority from the church, whose authority determined its content.
· Protestants see the Bible, church tradition and reason with a part to play in moral
decision making ; reason interprets the Bible's moral messages for todays' world
· Within Catholicism, there is the idea that Sacred Tradition is a separate stream of
moral guidance, the oral tradition that Jesus passed to his followers through
generations of apostolic succession
· Some see morality centred on agape
Ø more relaxed approach to morality OR a wish for a more just and loving world that
doesn't abandon moral rules
· HAYS thinks we should ask certain questions when reading the Bible for moral
guidance
Ø Have you chosen a text that only supports what you want to get from it?
Ø What range of texts have you used?
Ø Have you used the Bible as a whole?
Ø How are conflicting texts managed?
Ø Are particular focal images used?
Ø When interpreting, have they focused on rules, the principles, the paradigms, stories,
or the symbolic word of the Bible?
THEONOMOUS ETHICS - the Bible as the only authority for Christian ethical practices -
ANS-· the Bible is the only authority for Christian ethics, it directly reveals God's will.
· 'Sola scriptura' means 'by scripture alone'
Ø it is the doctrine that says that the Bible is the supreme authority in all matters of
doctrine and practice
Ø therefore all of God's Biblical ethical commands should be followed i.e. the 10
commandments in Exodus 20:1-17
Ø scripture is self-authenticating, it offers propositional knowledge on ethics
Ø any rational reader can clearly and obviously see the meaning presented, 'scripture
interprets scripture'
· Some Christians (especially Protestants and evangelicals) consider the Bible as the
literal word of God; the writers were scribes recording God's direct word.
Ø the Bible says that it was 'inspired by God'
QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS
GRADED A+ 2025-2026
Introduction to CMP - ANS-How do we decide what to trust as a guide for moral action?
Christians arguably may take a different approach to moral decision-making than
other people but how do they decide what to trust as a moral guide. Perhaps they
might follow the theonomous approach, drawing solely on the Bible, or using both
church tradition and reason to help make sense of this text, adopting a heteronomous
approach. However some may prefer more autonomy over their moral decisions, using
agape as a general guide.
Propositional knowledge - ANS-knowing or accepting something so e.g. knowing when
your birthday is. I has a 'truth' value
Non-propositional knowledge - ANS-knowing how to do through experience e.g.
knowledge of how to ride a bike. Your knowledge increases the more you do
something
Propositional faith and revelation - ANS-faith as acceptance of truths revealed by God
in the Bible. Not accessible through reason or experience of the world.
Non-propositional faith and revelation - ANS-· faith in God through experience of Him.
Propositional approach to the Bible - ANS-· accepts as truth the words of the Bible as
the messages of God; he is revealed directly to the reader through the words on the
page. Has led some Christians to view the commandments and Beatitudes as fixed
moral principles, the life and work of Jesus as actual events to know about, and the
parables to having fixed meanings.
,Non-propositional approach to the Bible - ANS-when God revealed himself in Jesus, he
didn't write a book or a set of propositions but lived a human life and died a human
death. The Bible is a gateway into encountering the living God. A more personal and
experiential approach to the Bible. Many Christians understand the story of Jesus' life,
death and resurrection as speaking to their whole life, and their experiences in life:
hope, love, denial, being handed over or abandoned, facing the fear of death.
Theonomous Christian Ethics - ANS-place God at the centre of ethics. His biblical
commandments are what is required for living morally
Heteronomous Christian Ethics - ANS-· variety of sources of authority for morals e.g.
Church Tradition and reason.
Autonomous Christian Ethics - ANS-· The authority to make a moral decision is placed
on the individual. Christian ethics are just ethical decisions that happen to be made by
Christians and love is often the guiding force.
Bible/scripture - ANS-· the collection of canon of books in the Bible which contain
God's revelation
Church tradition - ANS-· how Christian life in community works in worship, prayer and
practical moral life and the teaching and reflection of church handed down across time
Sacred tradition - ANS-· the revelation of Christ is communicated in two ways.
Scripture and through the apostolic/ authoritative teachings of the church council and
the Pope
Different types of approaches + Hays' advice on how to use the Bible properly for
moral guidance - ANS-· The Bible contains teachings, rules, symbols, the whole
paradigm of the human condition and God's nature. It is an important moral source for
all Christians
Ø There are questions as to whether the bible should be interpreted, taken literally and
which parts should be given the most weight
· Sola scriptura - the Bible alone is the source of ethical guidance as it is the literal
word of god.
Ø Bible based morality is all about obedience to the Bible's commands
, · For some Christians, the church tradition makes sense of the Bible, the Bible gets its
authority from the church, whose authority determined its content.
· Protestants see the Bible, church tradition and reason with a part to play in moral
decision making ; reason interprets the Bible's moral messages for todays' world
· Within Catholicism, there is the idea that Sacred Tradition is a separate stream of
moral guidance, the oral tradition that Jesus passed to his followers through
generations of apostolic succession
· Some see morality centred on agape
Ø more relaxed approach to morality OR a wish for a more just and loving world that
doesn't abandon moral rules
· HAYS thinks we should ask certain questions when reading the Bible for moral
guidance
Ø Have you chosen a text that only supports what you want to get from it?
Ø What range of texts have you used?
Ø Have you used the Bible as a whole?
Ø How are conflicting texts managed?
Ø Are particular focal images used?
Ø When interpreting, have they focused on rules, the principles, the paradigms, stories,
or the symbolic word of the Bible?
THEONOMOUS ETHICS - the Bible as the only authority for Christian ethical practices -
ANS-· the Bible is the only authority for Christian ethics, it directly reveals God's will.
· 'Sola scriptura' means 'by scripture alone'
Ø it is the doctrine that says that the Bible is the supreme authority in all matters of
doctrine and practice
Ø therefore all of God's Biblical ethical commands should be followed i.e. the 10
commandments in Exodus 20:1-17
Ø scripture is self-authenticating, it offers propositional knowledge on ethics
Ø any rational reader can clearly and obviously see the meaning presented, 'scripture
interprets scripture'
· Some Christians (especially Protestants and evangelicals) consider the Bible as the
literal word of God; the writers were scribes recording God's direct word.
Ø the Bible says that it was 'inspired by God'
