What is moral theology? What are the concerns of the moral theology

What is moral theology? What are the concerns of the moral theology?

Morality is the term, which deals with the human behaviour. And this is done with

some regularities,

some rules and

norms, and

these are based on the commands of God.  We have seen that the word Morality comes from the Latin word “mos” which means ‘custom’ or ‘practice’ or an accepted way of acting, which is more or less fixed.

And theology is the understanding of God. That is the faith seeking study of understanding. That means it deals with God and of everything in relation to God, according to reason and Revelation.

Concerns of the M.theology:

So the moral theology searches for the norms of free human conduct in the light of Revelation, where the act of faith must be set in the forefront. That means discerning the moral act the faith must be given priority. And that is why the Vat II speaks of the concerns of the moral theology, which are:

• It concerns about how man called to be Christians,
• how should he behave,
• how should he live.

The theology of Christian morality is the theology of the Christian life.

It is the way of life that is revealed by God in Christ.

·         It presents the truth, and

·         Shows the connection between one truth with other truth.

·         It studies Christ and Christian Revelation as a way of life.

A short history of Moral theology

In the OT

Christian ethics clearly derived from the OT, and Christianity is the religion, which comes from the Hebrew religion and ethics.

This is our natural understanding that to develop the current situation we must follow some past or old custom and rules.

Jesus lived within the framework of the Hebrew tradition and culture. 

So the morality that Jesus tought was not out of the morality, which already existed.

That is why we see that Jesus freely acknowledged his debt to the faith of his fathers, and declared that he came not to abolish the law and the prophets but to fulfill them.

In the NT

Jesus did not show any systematic way of Christian life. But he by his preaching showed the fundamental principle of the life,

through conversation,

parables,

in challenging and drawing attentions, replying to questions and through discourses.

Jesus gave some important questions from where we find the contents of the Moral teaching of Jesus Christ.

You are the salt of the ………….its saltiness be restored.

Jesus is very demanding in his moral standards:

“ For I tell you, unless you righteousness exceeds that of …………kingdom of heaven.”

“Truly, truly I tell you, unless one is born anew …. ………………..kingdom of heaven”.

“Truly I say to you , unless you …………….like children………..kingdom of heaven.”

Then we see the “hxïi AóKj¨vY evYxÓ

Saint Paul also speaks of our justification and our salvation of marriage and

virginity,

faith,

charity etc.

Patristic teaching:

Who are the Church fathers?

In the early century in the church those who were inspiring the people to God through their Holy writings they are called the Church fathers. Among them ;

1)       Clement of Rome

2)       Ignatius of Antioch

3)       Tertullian

4)       Cyprian

5)       Clement of Alexandria

6)       Origen

7)       Athanasius

8)       Basil

9)       Gregory of Nyssa

10)   Ambrose

11)   Jerome

12)   Augustine

13)   Gregory the great, etc-

They all accepted that the theme of the morals is established by the Divine command.

They preached the doctrine of the Christ regarding

Pagan worship

the making of the idols by Christians

the theatre

fashion

martyrdom

reconciliation of the public sinners obedience to authority,

virginity as the supreme testimony of faith and love prayer,

the use of wealth,

the prides of riches and

lies etc.

St. Augustine’s important writing:

Monographs on moral and pastoral question. for an example; the good marriage, holy virginity, continence, against lying, patience, summary of faith, hope and charity.

He also wrote about doctrinal problems, which are the fundamental of Christian life. eg:  grace and freedom,

faith and good works,

the natural law and the revealed law etc.

However, in the writing of the Fathers of the Church we have no systematic moral theological teaching.

Middle ages:

In the early scholastics, the moral theological parts were exposed together with the Dogma.

St. Tomas Aquinas’s “Summa Theology” nicely brings out the tradition of the previous ages that was handed down as well as notable beginning in the moral theology.

The moral subjects in the “Summa Theology”

doctrine of the last things

freedom of will

the passion and the habits

the virtues in general

sins

natural, human, and civil law

grace

theological virtues and cardinal virtues.

In the 13^th, and 14^th cent, “Summae confessorum” contained the ready information of the priests and confessors in the care of the souls:

moral obligations,

rulings of canon law,

liturgical prescriptions,

pastoral instructions on sacraments.

In the 15^th cent. Moral theology was separated from Dogma and canon law and existed as separate science. 

Classical period:

The 16^th cent was the blossoming of the moral theology.

Important theologians:

Francis of Victoria (+1546)

Melchior Cano (+1560)

Dominic Soto (+1560)

Bartholomew Medina (+1581)

Dominic Banez (+1604)

Gabriel Vasquez (+1604)

Francis Suarez (+1617)

They wrote commentaries on the “Summa Theology” of St. Tomas.

St. Alphonsus Liguori was the founder of the modern moral theology.

The early renewal of Moral theology:

In the 19^th cent. some tried with the new approaches to this subject.

John Michael Sailer (1751-1832) “Handbook of Christian Morality” tried to make moral theology a science of virtue and a way of the perfection.

Schilling (1920) “Charity is the leading principle of the moral theology”

Emile Mersch : “Motality and the Mystical Body”

Gerard Gilleman (1952) “Primacy of  Charity in Moral Theology” tried to bring out the theme “Christian dispensation”. eg:

Love of God and neighbors through out the science of moral theology.

Bernard haring: “Chrito-centric and personalistic” approach.

The real renewal:

The Vat-II. says

·         Special attention needs to be given to the development of moral theology.

·         Scientific exposition should be more thoroughly nourished by scriptural teaching.

·         It should show the nobility of the Christian vocation of the faithful, and their obligation to bring forth fruit in charity for the life of the world.

It is a call to sanctity or holiness. All Christians are called to be saints.” you, therefore, must be. ………Father is perfect.”

The Christians are called to be the light and salt of the world.

Moral theology should draw its nourishment from the Scripture.

Christ is the way, truth, and life.

The renewal of the M.Theology should be scientific of its various subjects, which demands:

Commensurate examination “_vh‡_vfv‡e cixw¶ZÓ of the data of

Theological

Philosophical and psychological anthropology, and

A corresponding confrontation with other moral theories, Christian and non-Christian.

MORAL THEOLOGY AND ALLIED SUBJECTS

Moral theology and Dogmatic theology:

Theology is the faith seeking study of understanding, treats of God and of everything in relation to God, according to reason and Revelation.

There are Two divisions of Theology:

I) Speculative and,

II) Practical.

Speculative theology treats-      God as One,

as the beginning and end of things,

as truths “to be believed”.

When we speak of God as the beginning and end of things,

we specially deal with the creation of man, his Elevation, his Redemption.

Practical theology studies  “God in Himself” and as the beginning and end of things.

It concerns with the things “to be done” so that man may knowledge Him as his creator.

Speculative theology is Dogmatic Theology. And

Practical theology is Moral Theology.

MORAL THEOLOGY AND ETHICS

Ethic = Moral Philosophy

Protestants = Moral theology

“Ethics”                 Gk  “ethos” = “custom” or “practice” a characteristic manner of acting.

o   Ethics deals with the Morality of human acts through the natural reason only.

o   Moral theology studies man’s actions under the supernatural light of Revelation and teaching of the Church.

o   Christian Ethics embraces and perfects Natural ethics. The end of the ethics is natural perfection.

o   Where as the end of the moral theology is the supernatural perfection.

o   Ethics considers only natural means.

o   The moral theology on the other hand considers supernatural means especially the sacraments.

For the Christian there is only one morality that is Christian morality.

That is why more Christian we become more human we become.