Moral Theology / A Complete Course Based on St. Thomas Aquinas and the Best Modern Authorities

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

35354

Title

Moral Theology / A Complete Course Based on St. Thomas Aquinas and the Best Modern Authorities

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

A comprehensive moral theology course based on St. Thomas Aquinas, this text explores human acts, ignorance, and justice. It examines the morality of actions, the nature of sin, and the conditions for lawful conduct, offering a structured guide to ethical decision-making grounded in classical philosophy and modern application.

Summary up to 500 words

Moral Theology, a comprehensive course by John A. McHugh and Charles J. Callan, systematically explores ethical conduct rooted in the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas. The work defines human acts as those governed by reason and will, distinguishing them from involuntary actions caused by ignorance, violence, or lack of knowledge. It meticulously categorizes ignorance into concomitant, consequent, and antecedent forms, further dividing it into invincible and vincible types to determine an agent's guilt. The text establishes that acts lacking actual knowledge are either involuntary or less voluntary, depending on the will's relation to that lack of knowledge. It extends this analysis to voluntary acts, omissions, and the distinction between free and necessary actions. A significant portion addresses justice, specifically distributive and commutative justice. The authors condemn favoritism in spiritual and secular offices, emphasizing that appointments must be based on merit and fitness for the common good rather than personal connections. Bias based on wealth, friendship, or political affiliation is strictly prohibited. The discussion on homicide defines it as any act or omission causing human death, distinguishing between voluntary and involuntary killing. While killing animals is not inherently sinful, killing humans is strictly prohibited except for capital punishment or legitimate self-defense. The text argues for the lawfulness of capital punishment based on Scripture, tradition, and reason, noting its role in protecting society, though it must be applied prudently. Finally, the work addresses vices against commutative justice, including theft, fraud, and usury, as well as the grave sins of parricide, regicide, and murder in sacred places, highlighting the gravity of violating piety and religion.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Religion
• Christian ethics