Welcome to Fundamental Moral Theology I.

 

SUBJECT OVERVIEW 

TEACHER: Fr Paul Muller

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The study of fundamental moral theology is a reflection on the Christian life, in light of Revelation and the teachings of the Church, that offers students solid foundations by which to orient their personal actions and choices, and to equip them to make a difference in society and culture today.

OBJECTIVES

By the end of this course students should be able to:

  1. Identify and use key concepts for evaluating human behaviour in light of Revelation and the natural moral law
  2. Recognise and respond to fideistic and rationalist approaches to morality
  3. Explain the Christian understanding of morality as new life: a) reborn in Christ, b) modelled on the life of Christ, c) rooted in the sacraments, d) aiming for holiness, beatitude and communion with God, to which every person is called
  4. Understand the moral life as a response to God’s prior gift, and, in this context, the relationship between: a) freedom moved by grace, b) Divine Wisdom and its manifestations, especially in the moral law, c) moral conscience understood as a personal path to the divine plan, subjectivity and ‘objective’ moral good.

PROGRAM

I. INTRODUCTION

  • Nature and Characteristics of Moral Theology
  • Christian Moral Doctrine and Sacred Scriptures
  • Tradition and Magisterium of the Church in the study of Moral Theology
  • The History of Moral Theology

II. THE VOCATION TO LIFE IN CHRIST

  • Theological analysis of the essence and foundation of morality
  • Life in Christ
  • Christian life as new life in Christ
  • Christian life as a response to the divine call
  • Eschatological fullness of Christian life
  • Specification of Moral Theology.

 III. THE DIVINE CALLING AND THE DIVINE WILL

  • The law as manifestation of the divine Will

  • Nature of the moral law
  • Nature of the eternal law
  • The New or evangelical law, law of grace and of the Spirit
  • Natural Moral Law
  • Law and the unique existence of the Christian

 IV. PERCEPTION OF THE DIVINE WILL

  • Moral conscience, path towards the knowledge of the will of God
  • Psychological conscience and moral conscience
  • Different types of conscience
  • Deformation of the moral conscience
  • Decisions of conscience
  • Formation of conscience

A detailed version of the program is available here | VIEW

      

    ASSESSMENT

    To be advised

    BIBLIOGRAPHY

    Cafarra, C., Living in Christ, (San Francisco: Ignatius Press) 1987.

    Rodríguez Luño, A., and Colom, E., Chosen in Christ to Be Saints: Fundamental Moral Theology, 2014. |  VIEW

    Fernandez, A., Socias, J., Our Moral Life in Christ. A Basic Course on Moral Theology, (Chicago: Midwest Theological Forum), 1997.

    Grisez, G., The Way of the Lord Jesus, vol. I: Christian Moral Principles, (Chicago: Franciscan Herald
    Press), 1984.

    Further Reading

    Catechism of the Catholic Church, nn. 1691-1775; 1776-1876; 1949-2051. |  VIEW

    Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes, 7.12.1965, nn. 12-22. |  VIEW

    Second Vatican Council, Decree Optatam Totius, 28.10.1965, n. 16. |  VIEW

    Second Vatican Council, Declaration Dignitatis Humanae, 7.12.1965. |  VIEW

    John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation Reconciliatio et Paenitentiae, 2.12.1984.  |  VIEW

    John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Veritatis Splendor, 6.8.1993. |  VIEW

    John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Fides et Ratio, 14.9.1998, nn. 68, 98.  |  VIEW

    St Augustine, ‘De libero arbitrio’, On Grace and Free Will,  PL 32, 1221-1310, |  VIEW

    St Augustine, ‘De moribus Ecclesia catholicae’ On the Morals of the Catholic Church, PL
    32, 1309-1378.  |  VIEW

    St Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, I-II, qq. 1-114. |  VIEW

    Escrivá, Josemaria, Homily ‘Towards Holiness’, in Friends of God. |  VIEW