MO530CE Foundations of Catholic Moral Theology

Course Syllabus

MO530CE      Foundations of Catholic Moral

An introduction to Catholic moral teaching including natural law; character, virtue, acts and object of acts; scriptural basis for moral teaching; an introduction to Veritatis splendor and Magisterial teaching.

Required Textbook

An Introduction to Moral Theology – Second Edition, William May, © 2003, Our Sunday Visitor Publications Division. ISBN # 978-1-931709-92-7

Required Subscription        

A subscription to Ethics and Medics, a monthly newsletter published by the National Catholic Bioethics Center, for $28.00, is available at:

https://www.ncbcenter.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=1035

You will be using this site for readings on a regular basis.  Each reading is approximately two pages, and the ethical issues are timely. Although the major emphasis of the publication is bioethics, there are a number of articles that deal with broader questions of moral theology.   Some articles illustrate particular points in morality theology.

Your subscription will allow you access to the readings and will allow you to stay current on moral theology and biomedical ethics for a year. You will discover what a wonderful site this is and how it will keep you informed and involved in an important area of ministry.

Other Resources

This text will be supplemented by selected readings from, inter alia, Pope John Paul II’s encyclical, Veritatis splendor, and other Magisterial sources, as well as some selected articles.

The instructor will provide 12 introductory articles for the course.  Each article will present some relevant themes.  Some articles will include references to the Catechism of the Catholic Church

Learning Modules

Module 1         Moral Theology:  Its Nature, Purpose and Biblical Foundation

Module 2         Human Dignity, Free Human Action, Virtue and Conscience

Module 3         Natural Law and the Moral Life (I)

Module 4         Natural Law and the Moral Life (II)

Module 5         Moral Absolutes (I)

Module 6         Moral Absolutes (II)

Module 7         Sin and the Moral Life

Module 8         Christian Faith and Our Moral Life

Module 9         The Church as Moral Teacher

Module 10       Christian Moral Life and John Paul II’s Teaching

Veritatis Splendor (I)

Module 11       Christian Moral Life and John Paul II’s Teaching

Veritatis Splendor (II)

Module 12       Christian Moral Life and the Catechism of the Catholic Church

Course Objectives – MO884DE: Moral Theology