Veritatis Splendor And The Renewal Of Moral Theology

The encyclical Veritatis splendor (The Splendor of Truth) represents the first document of the magisterium devoted to the foundations of the Catholic moral life. Though it was intended to confront a genuine crisis of moral disintegration and to offer positive directions for carrying out the work of renewing moral theology, it was fiercely criticized by theologians who regarded it as a simplistic and "repressive" document. Now, several years after the publication of the encyclical, Livio Melina offers an original contribution not only to the study of Veritatis splendor and the controversy surrounding it, but also to the field of moral theology as a whole. In Sharing in Christ's Virtues, Melina proposes a blueprint for organizing moral theology, one that is in harmony with the directions given in Veritatis splendor and one that likewise respects the requirements of both the "theological" and the "scientific" character of the discipline. He describes it as a "Christocentricism of the virtues," which understands the moral life of Christians as a participation in the virtues of Christ by means of the grace of one's ecclesial incorporation in Christ. Melina argues that the renewal of moral theology should result in, first, a search for a more integral and dynamic understanding of human action, and second, a theological "re-dimensioning" of morality to better comprehend the synergy between human action and God's action. The contents of the book are: Part One: Toward a Christocentrism of the Virtues: Lines of Renewal 1. Between Crisis and Renewal: The Cultural and Theological Context of Morality Today 2. An Ethics of the Good Life and of Virtue 3. An Ethics Founded on the Truth About the Good of the Person 4. A Morality of Faith: The Salvific Relevance of Moral Action 5. A Christocentric Ethics of the Virtues Part Two: Ecclesial Sense and Moral Life: Perspectives and Developments 6. Ecclesial Dimensions of Moral Theology 7. The Call to Holiness in the Catechism of the Catholic Church: The Morality and Spirituality of "Life in Christ" 8. Moral Conscience and Communio: Toward a Response to the Challenge of Ethical Pluralism Livio Melina is professor of moral theology at the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family at the Lateran University in Rome. In addition to numerous articles, he has written and coauthored several books, including La conoscenza morale. Linee di riflessione sul Commento di san Tommaso all'Etica Nicomachea; Morale: tra crisi e rinnovamento; Corso di bioetica. Il Vangelo della vita; Amor conjugal y vocacion a la santidad; Domanda sul bene e domanda su Dio; and Quale dimora per l'agire? Dimensioni ecclesiologiche della morale. "Melina's thought-provoking and powerful presentation of key themes in moral theology will be welcomed by English readers.... One comes away with an understanding and appreciation of the basis of Christian morality for the twenty-first century. The excellent bibliography lists authors from Aristotle to John Paul II, many not well known in the English literature on moral theology. . . . Melina's work is timely. ..."--Catholic Library World

Insights and reflections by ten internationally known scholars on what may be the single greatest encyclical of our era.

Pope John Paul II's encyclical Vertatis Splendor is an historic document: the first extensive analysis of the foundations of morality by a pope. It stands alongside the new catechism as a major statement about Christian morality, the role of reason in the moral life, and the vision of life for the disciple of Jesus.

The Papal Encyclical Veritatis Splendor (1993) proposes a model of moral theology based on the notion of universal and unchanging ethical principles that guide the Christian moral life. It also helps to clarify a number of questions about the moral teachings of the Post-Vatican II Church. But Veritatis Splendor has not been received without some serious criticisms. Among the various reservations about the encyclical are that it misrepresents the current state of the questions in contemporary moral theology, that it parodies the positions of a number of responsible moral theologians, and that it offers a vision of moral-theological issues that does not correspond to the world with which most professional and pastoral workers are familiar. The contributors to this volume - all leading professional Roman Catholic theologians - clearly interpret various key statements made by Veritatis Splendor and assess the overall accuracy of the encyclical's moral vision. In the process these essays also demonstrate the true significance of this important Church document for Christians today.

This study offers a comprehensive survey of developments in moral theology since the Second Vatican Council. The author discusses the call of the Council for the renewal of moral theology and the role the Council itself played in this renewal. Odozor also explores the various issues and controversies which have marked the discipline since the 1960s. The dramatic changes and developments in moral theology during this period rival any in the history of the Church. of Christian morality, natural law, scripture and ethics, moral norms, the Church's teaching authority, virtue ethics, and casuistry. Odozor provides a constructive proposal for a common ground which makes these debates in moral discourse possible. ethicists, systematic theologians and anyone interested in Catholic cultural and intellectual history since Vatican II.

The comprehensive introduction to Catholic moral theology by the leading theologian and author of The Moral Virtues and Theological Ethics. In Introduction to Moral Theology, Father Romanus Cessario, O.P. presents and expounds on the basic and central elements of Catholic moral theology written in the light of Veritatis splendor. Since its publication in 2001, this first book in the Catholic Moral Thought series has been widely recognized as an authoritative resource on such topics as moral theology and the good of the human person created in God’s image; natural law; principles of human action; determination of the moral good through objects, ends, and circumstances; and the virtues, gifts of the Holy Spirit, and the Beatitudes. The Catholic Moral Thought series is designed to provide students with a comprehensive presentation of both the principles of Christian conduct and the specific teachings and precepts for fulfilling the requirements of the Christian life. Soundly based in the teaching of the Church, the volumes set out the basic principles of Catholic moral thought and the application of those principles within areas of ethical concern that are of paramount importance today.

The first collection of its kind available in any language, this volume features the twenty most significant essays written by Pinckaers since his highly praised Sources.