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Review Of Theology And Catholic Higher Education: Beyond Our Identity Crisis, Joseph Simmons Jan 2026

Review Of Theology And Catholic Higher Education: Beyond Our Identity Crisis, Joseph Simmons

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.


Lessons From Mysticism For Healthcare Providers: Health Care As A Space For Intersubjective Encounters Of Care, Micaela Plantinga, Alexandre A. Martins Jul 2025

Lessons From Mysticism For Healthcare Providers: Health Care As A Space For Intersubjective Encounters Of Care, Micaela Plantinga, Alexandre A. Martins

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

Society’s deep divisions, fueled by individualism, competition, consumerism, rigid ideologies, and limited dialogue, have impacted health care, leading to weakened connections between providers and patients. In the U.S., heavy reliance on medical technology and the rise of AI have further eroded these intersubjective bonds, reducing empathetic engagement in care. To address this challenge, the paper explores insights from Christian mystics Saint Teresa of Avila and Edith Stein. Teresa’s teachings on self-examination and humility, despite her life as a cloistered nun, influenced both her religious order and the broader Church. Meanwhile, Stein’s phenomenological approach emphasized empathy and "suffering with" others, viewing …


Review Of Viri Dignitatem: Personhood, Masculinity, And Fatherhood In The Thought Of John Paul Ii, Christine Falk Dalessio Jul 2025

Review Of Viri Dignitatem: Personhood, Masculinity, And Fatherhood In The Thought Of John Paul Ii, Christine Falk Dalessio

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.


“Tormented By Difficulties Of Every Kind”: Catholic Teaching On Contraception In Social Context, Kathleen Cavender-Mccoy, Conor M. Kelly Dec 2024

“Tormented By Difficulties Of Every Kind”: Catholic Teaching On Contraception In Social Context, Kathleen Cavender-Mccoy, Conor M. Kelly

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

The Catholic Church notably condemns all forms of artificial birth control and advocates natural family planning as the only morally licit means of spacing births. This teaching is presented as the quintessential pathway to the fullness of human sexuality, but many Catholics struggle with it, and the magisterium itself recognizes that this path is not an easy one to follow. This article uses recent developments in Catholic moral theology around the notion of structural sin to examine the structural constraints complicating ordinary Catholics’ pursuit of their tradition’s vision for marital sexuality, demonstrating that larger structural forces can considerably affect the …


Family Welfare And Pernicious Property: White Womanhood And Catholic Social Thought In The United States, Kate Ward Jun 2023

Family Welfare And Pernicious Property: White Womanhood And Catholic Social Thought In The United States, Kate Ward

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

A significant literature presents the Catholic social thought tradition (CST) as a resource for combating racism and white supremacy, and an equally important body of work critiques the documentary tradition for the ways it fails to adequately address these pernicious social sins. This essay will combine elements of both approaches to address a topic relatively modest in scope: showing how attention to the historical and contemporary operation of white womanhood, exposed by sociologist Jessie Daniels in her book Nice White Ladies, informs, critiques, and presents opportunities for Catholic social thought on gender and family, both in the ecclesial documents and …


An Interdisciplinary Theological Method From The Knowledge Of The Forgotten, Alexandre A. Martins Jan 2023

An Interdisciplinary Theological Method From The Knowledge Of The Forgotten, Alexandre A. Martins

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.


Dialogue After Dobbs: Introduction, M. Therese Lysaught, Mari Rapela Heidt, Mary Doyle Roche, Kate Ward Jan 2023

Dialogue After Dobbs: Introduction, M. Therese Lysaught, Mari Rapela Heidt, Mary Doyle Roche, Kate Ward

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.


Desafíos Éticos De Una Crisis Mundial: Una Crisis Latente, Su Manifestación (Covid-19) Y Consideraciones A Partir De La Ética Social Católica, Alexandre A. Martins Jun 2021

Desafíos Éticos De Una Crisis Mundial: Una Crisis Latente, Su Manifestación (Covid-19) Y Consideraciones A Partir De La Ética Social Católica, Alexandre A. Martins

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.


Review Of Catholic Perspectives On Sex, Love, And Families, Conor M. Kelly Jan 2021

Review Of Catholic Perspectives On Sex, Love, And Families, Conor M. Kelly

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.


From Quandary Cases To Ordinary Life: New Opportunities To Connect Social Ethics And Health Care Ethics, Conor M. Kelly Jan 2021

From Quandary Cases To Ordinary Life: New Opportunities To Connect Social Ethics And Health Care Ethics, Conor M. Kelly

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

In Christian bioethics, the call for a greater integration of social ethics and medical ethics is a popular refrain, yet lasting progress toward this goal has been elusive, in part due to the traditional emphasis on quandary cases in medical ethics. This article develops an alternative approach to moral discernment in health care, employing a theological interpretation of solidarity to promote greater social consciousness in ordinary health care decision making. This shifts the ethical analysis from abstract scenarios to everyday choices, elevating the moral significance of seemingly mundane concerns like antibiotic use and diet and exercise.


A Crisis Of Mistaken Identity: The Ethical Insufficiency Of The Corporate University Model, Conor M. Kelly Oct 2020

A Crisis Of Mistaken Identity: The Ethical Insufficiency Of The Corporate University Model, Conor M. Kelly

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.


Lessons From “Fratelli Tutti” For The Contemporary United States, Vincent J. Millwer, Kate Ward, Drew Christiansen, Kevin Ahern, C. Vanessa White Oct 2020

Lessons From “Fratelli Tutti” For The Contemporary United States, Vincent J. Millwer, Kate Ward, Drew Christiansen, Kevin Ahern, C. Vanessa White

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.


Everyday Solidarity: A Framework For Integrating Theological Ethics And Ordinary Life, Conor M. Kelly Jul 2020

Everyday Solidarity: A Framework For Integrating Theological Ethics And Ordinary Life, Conor M. Kelly

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

As moral theology responds to the pastoral emphases of Pope Francis’s pontificate, more work must be done to facilitate the integration of theological ethics and ordinary life. In order to pursue this goal in a consistent fashion, this article proposes a new form of “everyday solidarity” as a framework for linking Catholic theological convictions with everyday moral choices. The article clarifies the often-ambiguous notion of solidarity found in Catholic social teaching and describes how the new species of everyday solidarity can function as both a principle and a virtue to transform discernment in ordinary life.


Virtue And Human Fragility, Kate Ward Mar 2020

Virtue And Human Fragility, Kate Ward

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

New perspectives from virtue ethicists engaged with human fragility make concrete moral theology’s long understanding that humans are both free and constrained in our virtue pursuit. Theologians examine the possibilities of virtue under conditions of oppression as well as the virtue and vice of oppressors. Some adapt the term “moral luck” from philosophy to describe how persistent life circumstances shape the pursuit of virtue. Others focus on determinative individual acts through the lens of moral injury, a concept developed by psychologists caring for veterans. Finally, theologians engaged with disability describe flourishing, virtuous lives lived amid human mental and physical fragility.


Wealthy Hyperagency In The Throwaway Culture: Inequality And Environmental Death, Kate Ward Jan 2020

Wealthy Hyperagency In The Throwaway Culture: Inequality And Environmental Death, Kate Ward

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.


Review Of Kant And The Question Of Theology, Edited By Chris L. Firestone, Nathan A. Jacobs And James H. Joiner, Philip Rossi Jul 2019

Review Of Kant And The Question Of Theology, Edited By Chris L. Firestone, Nathan A. Jacobs And James H. Joiner, Philip Rossi

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.


From Vatican Ii To Amoris Laetitia: The Catholic Social And Sexual Ethics Division And A Way Of Ecclesial Interconnection, Alexandre Andrade Martins Jul 2019

From Vatican Ii To Amoris Laetitia: The Catholic Social And Sexual Ethics Division And A Way Of Ecclesial Interconnection, Alexandre Andrade Martins

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

This paper navigates the development of ethical issues during Vatican II and the impulse to develop a new moral theology just after the Council. This paper argues, on one hand, that Gaudium et Spes develops a new moral theology based on the imperative of conscience mediated by faith in issues of social ethics. On the other hand, the old moral orientation was preserved on sexual ethics. After the council, these two moral faces have led magisterial teaching to two different paths that can be seen chronologically in approaches used for issues of social and sexual ethics. Vatican II encouraged a …


The Nature And Operation Of Structural Sin: Additional Insights From Theology And Moral Psychology, Conor M. Kelly Jun 2019

The Nature And Operation Of Structural Sin: Additional Insights From Theology And Moral Psychology, Conor M. Kelly

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

Recent work has improved the understanding of social structures in theological discourse, but ambiguity persists with respect to structures of sin. Here, a revised definition of structural sin reconnects this concept with its theological roots, adding clarity to the nature of structural sin and strengthening the moral weight of the term. Parallels with fMRI research in the field of moral psychology then refine the existing account of the operation of structural sin. Together, these insights aid in the identification of structures of sin and improve efforts to combat their influence.


Ethics And Public Discourse: Building A Bridge Between Theology And The Destitute Sick, Alexandre A. Martins Jan 2019

Ethics And Public Discourse: Building A Bridge Between Theology And The Destitute Sick, Alexandre A. Martins

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.


The Imperative Connection Between Scripture And Ethics In A Catholic Context, Conor M. Kelly Jan 2019

The Imperative Connection Between Scripture And Ethics In A Catholic Context, Conor M. Kelly

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.


Virtue Ethics In Social Contexts, Kate Ward Jan 2019

Virtue Ethics In Social Contexts, Kate Ward

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.


Grace At The End Of Life: Rethinking Ordinary And Extraordinary Means In A Global Context, Conor M. Kelly Jan 2019

Grace At The End Of Life: Rethinking Ordinary And Extraordinary Means In A Global Context, Conor M. Kelly

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.


John’S Gospel And The Ethics Of Freedom And Love, Alexandre A. Martins Jan 2019

John’S Gospel And The Ethics Of Freedom And Love, Alexandre A. Martins

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.


The Unity Of The Virtues In A Missionary Key, Andrew J. Kim Jan 2018

The Unity Of The Virtues In A Missionary Key, Andrew J. Kim

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

The thesis of the unity of the virtues—one must possess all of the virtues to possess even one of them—was upheld in different forms by Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, and Aquinas. However, contemporary moralists almost universally decry this thesis as distorting the nature of virtue as it is materialized in the lives and actions of ordinary people. Unfortunately, academic discourse regarding the unity of the virtues has tended to be either entirely theoretical or narrowly limited to particular individuals or groups as “test cases” regarding the validity of the thesis. It is both significant and reinvigorating, therefore, that in his apostolic …


Sloth: America's Ironic Structural Vice, Conor M. Kelly, Christopher D. Jones Jan 2017

Sloth: America's Ironic Structural Vice, Conor M. Kelly, Christopher D. Jones

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

Individualism is a popular cultural trope in the United States, often touted for its promotion of industriousness and rejection of laziness. This essay argues that, ironically, America's brand of individualism actually promotes a more fundamental form of the very vice it purports to oppose. To make this case, the essay defines the unique form of individualism in the United States and then retrieves the classical definition of sloth as a vice against charity (not diligence), contrasting Aquinas and Barth with Weber to demonstrate that this peculiarly American individualist impulse undermines civic charity by reaping the benefits of civic relationships while …


The Role Of The Moral Theologian In The Church: A Proposal In Light Of Amoris Laetitia, Conor M. Kelly Dec 2016

The Role Of The Moral Theologian In The Church: A Proposal In Light Of Amoris Laetitia, Conor M. Kelly

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

Pope Francis’s apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia recast pastoral decisions in terms of conscience and discernment and asked moral theology to do the same. Such a request invites reforms for moral theology, requiring a shift from the traditional role of the moral theologian as an external judge to a more personalist role as a counselor for conscience. This change entails prioritizing the process of discernment ahead of the definition of rules, specifying the place of the ideal in Catholic morality, and attending to the ethics of ordinary life.


Catholic Moral Traditions And Energy Ethics For The Twenty-First Century, Erin Lothes Biviano, David Cloutier, Elaine Padilla, Christiana Z. Peppard, Jame Schaefer Jan 2016

Catholic Moral Traditions And Energy Ethics For The Twenty-First Century, Erin Lothes Biviano, David Cloutier, Elaine Padilla, Christiana Z. Peppard, Jame Schaefer

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.


Intertextual Reception: Re-Thinking The Concept Of Revelation In Light Of Divine Immanence And The Dignity Of The Person And The Cosmos, Thomas Hughson Oct 2015

Intertextual Reception: Re-Thinking The Concept Of Revelation In Light Of Divine Immanence And The Dignity Of The Person And The Cosmos, Thomas Hughson

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.


Catholic Theology And The Enlightenment (1670–1815), Ulrich Lehner Jan 2015

Catholic Theology And The Enlightenment (1670–1815), Ulrich Lehner

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

This chapter examines the Catholic Church’s engagement with the Enlightenment from 1670–1815. It considers Catholic philosophies of the Enlightenment and new conceptualizations of natural law. The chapter also explores Catholic exegetical discussions during the period, showing how Enlightenment concerns enabled new styles of attention to the Scriptural text, new Patristic scholarship, and the origins of the later liturgical movement. Jansenist and Gallican theologies stimulated reflection on eccelesiology and the papacy, and a variety of thinkers developed new theologies of the state, and of the economy. This period also saw the rise of the Catholic ultramontanism that was to mark Church …


The Anonymous Theology Of Modern Family, Conor M. Kelly Oct 2014

The Anonymous Theology Of Modern Family, Conor M. Kelly

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

The popular television show Modern Family follows sitcom conventions and attempts to send a moral message about how relatives can live well together. An examination of the specific content of this message shows that it prioritizes self-giving love for the sake of forgiveness and reconciliation. This creates a recognizable parallel with the Christian conception of agape, and a discussion of this notion in the work of Karl Rahner in conjunction with his idea of the “anonymous Christian” allows for the identification of Modern Family’s moral vision as an anonymous theology of family ripe with theological significance and pedagogical potential.