The Christian Moral Life: Faithful Discipleship for a Global Society

An introduction to moral theology through virtue ethics.

This book responds to a call issued more than forty years ago by the Second Vatican Council for a renewal of Catholic moral theology. The Council recommended that moral theology be more focused on Christ, rooted in the scriptures, and connected to the sacramental and spiritual life of the church. Following this recommendation, this text views the Christian moral life as one of faithful discipleship imbued with Christian virtues.

Faithful discipleship in an increasingly global world characterized by diversity in all aspects of life requires that Catholics in the West dialogue on the meaning of discipleship and moral principles with other Christians, with Catholic theologians in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, and also with the other major world religions. With this in mind, this fresh look at Christian ethics examines the meaning of the reign of God, the virtues, sin and conversion, conscience, love, the paschal mystery, and the work of the Spirit.

To make the discussion accessible to students, each chapter contains a conclusion, a list of key points, questions for reflection, and suggestions for further reading and study.