In this volume, Josef Fuchs has brought together 12 important essays which consider various aspects of the relationship between Christian morality and human behavior. Among the subjects he discusses are the connections between moral theology and Christian experience, the absolute character of moral norms, and the importance of ethical reflection in shaping the future of the human race.
The Responsible Self was H. Richard Niebuhr's most important work in Christian ethics. In it he probes the most fundamental character of the moral life and it stands today as a landmark contribution to the field. The Library of Theological Ethics series focuses on what it means to think theologically and ethically. It presents a selection of important and otherwise unavailable texts in easily accessible form. Volumes in this series will enable sustained dialogue with predecessors though reflection on classic works in the field.
Appointed by Pope John XXIII to the Pontifical Commission on Population, Family, and Birth, Fuchs ultimately found himself disappointed in his three years of service and spent the next thirty years exploring a broad array of issues pivotal to a reconstruction of Roman Catholic natural law theory. This is the first full-length analysis of Fuchs's efforts. Beginning historically by looking at Fuchs's writings and beliefs before the Pontifical Commission appointment, including his defense of natural law during the "situation ethics" debates of the 50s and 60s, the concept of personal salvation, and the status of "nature" and "human nature," Graham moves to the intellectual conversion that inspired Fuchs to reconsider his concepts following the commission appointment. From there, Graham engages in a sustained critique of Fuchs's natural theory, addressing both the strengths and weaknesses to be found there and suggest possible avenues of development that would make a positive contribution to the ongoing quest to rehabilitate the Roman Catholic natural law theory that continues to dominate the landscape of moral theology today.
In Charles E. Curran’s latest book, Diverse Voices in Modern US Moral Theology, he presents the diverse voices of US Catholic moral theologians from the mid-twentieth century to the present. The book discusses eleven key individuals in the development and evolution of moral theology as well as the New Wine, New Wineskins movement. This diversity, which differs from the monolithic understanding of moral theology that prevailed until recently, comes from the diverse historical circumstances or Sitz im Leben of the authors. Each of these theologians developed her or his approach in light of these circumstances and in response to shifts in the three audiences of moral theology—the Church, the academy, and the broader society. By exploring this diversity, Curran recognizes the deep divisions that exist within Catholic moral theology between the so-called “liberal” and “conservative” approaches and acknowledges the need for greater dialogue between them, providing a deeper understanding of the methods and approaches of these significant figures. This new book from a major figure in the field will be an important resource for students and scholars of US Catholic moral theology and for anyone seeking to understand the current state of moral theology in America today.
Does morality apply to international politics? Can one be a realist and ethical at the same time? Willard D. Keim answers these questions in Ethics, Morality, and International Affairs, arguing that the key to the paradigm of foreign relations is the recognition of the freedom of other human beings. Drawing upon Jean-Paul Sartre's two principles--being in-itself and being for-itself--Keim proposes that while morality should be pertinent to international policy, the world is imperfect, and values are not absolutes derived from nature. He develops the idea of lucidity, and in the final chapter applies his theories to the Persian Gulf War. Scholars of international politics as well as philosophers, and the general educated public, will find this book a fascinating read.
Faith & Morals Here - carefully documented, footnoted, and indexed - is not only what the Church teaches but also why it is obligated to do so. And, why its members are obligated to examine and to apply that teaching. This updated and expanded edition of a text long trusted and widely used in colleges, universities, and seminaries (as well as in high schools and parish religious-education programs), offers the latest Catholic teaching on moral theology, including: Moral theology: its nature, purpose, and biblical foundation Human dignity, free human action, virtue, and conscience Natural law, moral absolutes, and sin Christian faith and our moral life Read why - and how - living what the Church teaches can transform hearts, minds, and souls.
Heated debates over such issues as abortion, contraception, ordination, and Church hierarchy suggest that feminist and natural law ethics are diametrically opposed. Cristina L.H. Traina now reexamines both Roman Catholic natural law tradition and Anglo-American feminist ethics and reconciles the two positions by showing how some of their aims and assumptions complement one another. After carefully scrutinizing Aquinas’s moral theology, she analyzes trends in both contemporary feminist ethics, theological as well as secular, and twentieth-century Roman Catholic moral theology. Although feminist ethics reject many of the methods and conclusions of the scholastic and revisionist natural law schools, Traina shows that a truly Thomistic natural law ethic nonetheless provides a much-needed holistic foundation for contemporary feminist ethics. On the other hand, she offers new perspectives on the writings of Josef Fuchs, Richard McCormick, and Gustavo Gutierrez, arguing that their failure to catch the full spirit of Thomas’s moral vision is due to inadequate attention to feminist critical methods. This highly original book proposes an innovative union of two supposedly antagonistic schools of thought, a new feminist natural law that would yield more comprehensive moral analysis than either existing tradition alone. This is a provocative book not only for students of moral theology but also for feminists who may object to the very notion of natural law ethics, suggesting how each might find insight in an unlikely place.
In this collection of recent essays (1988-92), all but one previously unavailable in English, noted theologian Josef Fuchs, SJ, examines key issues in normative morality. Identifying two strains, one based on natural law and a more situational one based on the Golden Rule, he explores the need for plurality in both individual and societal ethics, and the problem of universal versus only general validity. Central ideas that Fuchs develops are the concept of innovative morality as the individual's responsible search for God's will in personal situations; and the significance of the conscience in the face of official statements by the church's magisterium. Among the topics he considers are marriage and sexuality; the beginning and end of life; and international solidarity and social justice.
