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3	Some Starting Questions Who Do We See Ourselves To Be? How Do We Look Upon God? How Do We Consider Right & Wrong? How Do We Consider Sin? What Should Our Response To Sin Be? How Do We Live In The World?
4	Historico-Theological Context The Context of the Israel Covenant The Role of the Prophets The Public Ministry of Jesus The Passion and Death of Jesus The Resurrection Experience Jesus’ Commission to the Apostles
5	Community of Disciples We are all called, individually, to enter into this community of followers of Jesus Christ Look at the picture of the disciples in the Gospels Not the “best and the brightest” But chosen by the Lord, and those who in the last analysis remain with him, And who are called to be fishers of persons and entrusted by Jesus with the Church’s mission to make disciples of all nations
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7	Fishers of Persons What does it mean to “catch” someone? Not in the web of sin, but in the net of God’s grace Thus, the primary Gospel response to sin and injury is not punishment and retaliation, but forgiveness and reconciliation. St. Paul speaks of this as being a “ministry” of the Church, and in this spiritual ministry we are all “ambassadors of Christ” (cf. 2 Cor 5: 18-21).
8	The Early Christian Community Early Tensions Christian Identity and the Moral Life New Creation in Christ Discipleship Community Efforts of the Church to Live a Gospel-Grounded Spirituality
9	Key Themes in Moral Theology Human Flourishing: Gloria Dei vivens homo (The Glory of God is the Human Person Fully Alive) The Moral Person in the Moral Community Conscience and Its Development The Natural Law and Moral Norms The Common Good Understandings of Sin, Grace, and Redemption
10	Sources & Methodology for Moral Theology Scripture: The Sacred Text Tradition: The wisdom of the community Human Experience Rational Reflection on the Truly Human
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12	Sacred Claim Axis Scripture, as the revealed Word of God, must exercise a normative “sacred” claim on individual Christians and the whole Christian community However, this claim is grounded in the tradition of the community, and must also be in essential harmony with reason and human nature.
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15	Scriptural Axis Cuts Both Ways Scripture comes out of the Tradition of the community, but it acts as the “norming norm” norma normans on both the individual and the community. No one stands above the Scripture (cf. Dei verbum #10) Both the individual and the community must seek and follow God This does not demand “perfection” of us, but rather ongoing conversion; We are all members of a Church always in need of and being reformed (ecclesia semper reformanda), or as Vatican II stressed, the Pilgrim People of God.
16	Attend to the Sacred Claim with True Discernment of Spirits
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18	Sacred Claim vs. Sacred Cow The Scriptures are not “stand alone” sources If they purport to reveal God’s will for humankind, then what they reveal must stand in harmony with true human flourishing Some examples… Need to attend to the ultimate reference point of Scripture, which is God-with-us
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26	Rational Claim Axis Since the Roman Catholic view of moral agency is grounded primarily in an understanding of the natural law we begin our consideration along the “Rational Claim” axis However, keep in mind that both poles of this axis must figure in the discussion, and that the starting point is in human experience
27	The Rational Axis Also Cuts Both Ways Our reflection often begins based on human experience; but once we can establish a principle as being normatively human it does bind on us as a norma normans [non] normata moral norm However, given that key aspects of human nature include culture and historicity, any moral principle must be tested, verified, retested, and refined according to human experience, which may change according to time and/or place
28	The Rational Claim Takes Effort
29	And Community Discussion
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31	Summary of the Moral Sources The Sacred Claim Axis Scripture Tradition The Reason Claim Axis Data from Human Experience Understanding of Normatively Human Both Axes Operate in Each Person
32	Source Content Questions What is used, and why? What is ignored, and why? What is rejected, and why? What is reinterpreted, and why? Which source(s) is (are) decisive when there is a conflict, and why?
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36	Levels of Natural Law Moral Norms Universal Precepts Middle Axioms Concrete Material Norms Always binding, expressed as abstract truths, such as “drive safely” Generally true, in most cases (ut in pluribus) but exceptions exist Apply to a specific situation but are more open to both change and fallibility
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41	Two Basic Moral Theories Deontology (duty-based) Teleology (goal-based)
42	Moral Theory #1: Deontology The word "deontological" comes from the Greek *,@<, [deon] which means "duty." Deontological ethical theory stresses clear moral norms which establish parameters, or limits, of what must not be done (prohibitions and proscriptions) as well as prescriptions of what must be done. The latter are given as moral duties which often indicate at least a certain basic minimum set of moral expectations
43	Moral Theory #2: Teleology Comes from J,8@H,[telos] the Greek word for "end." In general teleological ethics stresses two aspects of a moral telos, end-as-goal, which should orient proper moral action, and end-as-ideal, which furnishes a goal and a vision which supports us in our ethical growth and moral striving
44	Contra Naturam “Against nature” Not against the “laws of nature” But against the “nature” or purpose of a faculty of the human person Thus, contraception was wrong since it frustrated the “nature” of sexual relations in blocking procreation.
45	Further Points on Teleology stresses the "becoming" aspect of our moral nature, such as genuine moral growth and integration, often expressed in terms of moral character, and what aids this process, such as an understanding of our moral identity (e.g. as disciples of Jesus), coupled with a guiding moral vision, which in turn is sustained and nourished by the virtues to be cultivated and the vices to work against and to root out.
46	Teleology and Discernment In moral conflict situations: i.e., in cases when one is confronted with the dilemma of having two or more "evils," one must always choose the lesser evil, or when faced with two or more options which seem to be good, then one must choose the better one.
47	A Last Reminder The foregoing discussion has been situated largely along the “Rational Claim” axis, moving from human experience to an understanding of the normatively human Both poles of this axis (human experience and reason) are indispensable However, for Christians, the Sacred Claim axis of Scripture and Tradition must also play a role in our moral reasoning.
48	Criteria for Moral Discourse
49	Six “C’s” of Moral Discourse Comprehensive (to the situation) Comprehensible (to the target audience) Consistent (internally and externally) Credible (dialogical and realistic) Convincing (to the target audience) Christian (the ultimate “test” criterion)
50	Bring it all together Both Axes, Sacred and Rational Claim Six C’s of Moral Discourse Our Christian understanding of moral goodness grounded in our relationship with God
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52	What Might Shift? If we move to integrate the Sacred Claim Axis, what might change? Different emphases? Different insights? Different pastoral responses?
53	Neither the Answers Nor the Processes Are Simple…. Need for genuine search for the truth Need for openness to the Spirit wherever it moves Need for prayer Need for dialogue
54	St. Augustine’s Guideline In fide, unitas: in dubiis, libertas; in omnibus, caritas "In faith, unity; in doubt, liberty; in all things, charity." Attributed to St. Augustine, this is an important principle of Christian discernment: unity in faith is important, but in cases of doubt a plurality of opinions and practices should be allowed, and the over-riding principle must always be charity towards each other.