Theology 131/ Mariles A. Borja/ 2nd Semester, SY 2013-2014 C-E Wk 3: 11/18-22 Christian Morality: A Response of Love To Love I. II.

Review on Vocation: Definition not just to call! Acknowledge the kalon (Jesus) who calls X your response yet! Your response is already something else, which we will discuss today. Definition of Morality As Following Christ

John 13, 14-15: If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one anothers feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do. CFC # 674: For Christians, moral living is simply following Christ. Yet, when we think morality, think of laws, dos and donts and heavy punishment if we dont follow them. But morality is a way of life. CFC #675: growing in love and holiness, process of becoming authentically human (RH #14) Larry Christenson (Back to Square One): Christianity isnt a philo of life, although it has a philosophy. It isnt a set of moral values, although it has moral values. In Christianity, we enter a rel with Jesus, a living person, unseen, immortal, REAL. CFC # 676 being moral is not easy; We need the Spirit of God working in us to make us good. Peter Kreeft, in his book, Making Choices says we need to be moral because the world is getting worse. James Keenan, SJ says what makes Catholic Moral Theology distinctive is mercy. [Source: Mercy: What Makes Catholic Morality Distinctive, Church 16 (2000) 41-43] Andrew Purves: Not enough to engage in private acts of charity! - In Veritatis Splendor #10, PJPII describes moral life as: a RESPONSE to God out of love for Him. III. Responding to Love in Love Chapter 2 of the book of ONeil and Black, The Essential Moral Handbook Starts out with chap 1: Created by Love for Love Gyst: 1. God always acts first and so, moral life doesnt begin with us but begins with Gods grace. 2. We respond in freedom in the moral life to something that happens to us. We make sense of it/interpret it. Either respond morally or immorally. 3. It begins with God. So our notion of God is so important. Since morality is according to PJPII in Veritatis Splendor #10, a response to God and His love, our image of God is crucial because how we imagine Him will affect how we respond to Him morally. Ex. If I think God is a judge/punisher, feel Hes watching my every move waiting for mistake, I will treat myself and others ruthlessly. But God is a God of Mercy. (He never punishes us, but only sends us good things to build us up.) If I see God as Tester, I will feel God is sending problems to test me. So, I will feel need to test others, too! Its like that quote from Abraham Maslow: When the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to treat everything as if it were a nail. But God is Creator. (God doesnt need to test us. Problems dont come from God. They just happen. God

sends us His Spirit to console us. Life is not a test but a journey with Christ and others to our heavenly home. I do good and avoid evil not out of fear, but love for God and others. Check out the false and true images of God from chapter 1 of ONeil and Blacks book, The Essential Moral Handbook: A Guide to Catholic Living (Bangalore, India: Asian Trading Corporation, 2006). False Images Of God 1. God As an Overpersonalized God (spiritual life separated from moral life; love God but hate neighbor) 2. God As Lawgiver (legastic, all laws; external behavior over growth in character) 3. God As Judge/Punisher (God is watching my every move, ready to punish me) 4. God As Tester (God sends problems to test our faith in Him. Our faith is weak if we allow selves to get depressed or frustrated. Appreciate every adversity because these come from God.) Authenic Images Of God God as Father who relates to ALL His Children (desires good for me but also good of the whole world)

A God Who Loves (goal of moral life is to imitate Christ; laws help but go beyond the laws) A God of Mercy (God never punishes, but only sends us good things that will build us up.) God As Creator (God doesnt need to test us. Problems dont come from God. They just happen. God sends us His Spirit to console us. Life is not a test but a journey with Christ and others to our heavenly home. I do good and avoid evil not out of fear, but love for God and others. A God of Freedom (God has a general plan of salvation but He also respects human freedom. God doesnt cause evil to happen to us. He empowers us to do good despite the evil in the world. I cant remain complacent because I am called to make a difference in the world and actively fight against the evil.)

5. God As Controller (God controls everything in my life. I cant escape His Will. God planned everything in my life from the start. God has a reason for allowing bad things to happen to me.)

CHAPTER 2, BASICS OF MORALITY: A. Moral Response (H Knowledge and Freedom) H Responses are conscious. Have to do with knowledge and freedom. Human Act vs Act of A Human (you have a choice) (it just happened, accident, almost knee-jerk response, etc.) H act depends on capacity to know and freedom to do KNOWLEDGE (awareness): knows, is aware of rightness or wrongness of act Conceptual knowledge vs. evaluative K, or head K and heart K, info vs. value, I know it but do I value it? FREEDOM: presupposes choice Freedom from and freedom for, etc. will discuss next week when talk about freedom; prepares you for the more philosophical article of OConnell In relation to subj culpability (sin), we take K and F to ask: Did the person KNOW? Was the person FREE? B. Dynamics of Moral Response (Virtue As Gift and Pursuit of Excellence) Being moral - synonymous to being virtuous.

Virtue fr CCC #1803: an habitual and firm disposition to do the good. (internal disposition toward the good) Hungers of heart and head (emotional and intellectual) of a virtuous person are on target - longs for what is right and good. Context for Exercising Freedom is Right Ordered Feeling, Thinking and Willing/Choosing (objective!) o Right Ordered Feeling: St. Thomas Aquinas says love (recognizes something as good and lovable), desire (moves us toward the good), joy (feeling once the love is ours; by-product) o Right Ordered Thinking: promotes authentic human good for right rel. with God, self, others and nature/creation. o Right Ordered Willing/Choosing: willing = more than desire, but the strong desire that will lead you to choose (not choice yet); choosing = actual follow through of what you feel and think. C. Patterned Human Responses (Virtues Towards the Good) Virtue: on-going disposition toward the good; nurtured SKILLS for living a life of love in union with God. The habit makes our perception of what is good, easier; SHAPE us to what God wants us to be.; makes us most likely to do good Through on-going right feeling, thinking and choosing, formed in virtue, cooperate with Gods grace. Cardinal virtues (the human virtues) cardinal means hinge; hinge virtues b/c present in every act of virtue o Prudence right judgment of what has to be done; cautious and careful so as to make right judgment; charioteer of the virtues b/c steers other virtues ; queen of all virtues o Justice right action; give whats due to God and neighbor in a consistent and firm manner; righteousness; right relationships; equity not equality o Fortitude courage and constancy in adversity for right action; perseverance to endure; willing to sacrifice o Temperance moderation in exercising ones passion; balance Theological virtues (divine virtues; gifts) come from God and move us towards God; further excellence in human virtues which in turn, are rooted in these divine virtues; gifts (Importance of Grace! not opposed to freedom; cant do good w/o Gods help! Grace helps man choose good but God works through h freedom as He does through h nature. His Spirit is there but capable of rejecting Him.) o Faith belief in God; loving knowledge of Him; friendship with Him; will make us to the right thing (right moral action) and want to share God with others (evangelization) o Hope joyful longing for the coming and fullness of Gods kingdom; confidence in God o Love/Charity love of God and neighbor; virtue moves us towards others; we are made for love! Virtue Ethics: pursuit of happiness via virtues

James Keenan, SJ: Virtue Ethics arose b/c of dissatisfaction we have of doing morality today. Not about actions but about persons. Richard Gula: Emphasis on virtue doesnt mean no norms. Who we are flows into what we do. Virtue teaches us not to ponder, argue or fuss, but simply to move. Characteristics of Virtue Ethics (Paulinus Ikechukwu Odozor): increasing attention to tradition as context of moral inquiry Importance of narrative (especially Biblical narratives but not only) Teleological basis of moral justification (why we do things depends on our goal/telos) Focus on moral action as acting out values and commitment, necessary for building character Telos is reason for virtues.

Source: Paulinus Ikechukwu Odozor, ed. Two Alternative Approaches: Virtue Ethics and Casuistry, in Moral Theology in an Age of Renewal: A Study of the Catholic Tradition since Vatican II (Notre Dame, Indiana: University of Notre Dame Press, 2003), 247-253. Aristotles view: telos teleological (the end) and not consequentialism is the way to happiness Aristotles goal/telos was eudaimonia happiness, yes, but more accurately, human flourishing. How does one flourish and grow? By doing the good! Every activity aims at some good the state of being well Highest h. good is happiness (end in itself) How do we become happy? Virtues! (But not just happiness. Eudaimonia! Human flourishing!) Aristotles Nicomachean Ethics was on Virtue James Keenan, SJ says: Virtue ethics is concerned with the person, not particular actions (being, not doing); personalist; goal-oriented ethics to grow into perfection in imitation of Christ 3 Qs to ask: 1. Who Am I? - when know who we are, well know where to improve Who Am I is really, Am I just, temperate, brave and prudent? (4 cardinal virtues) based on how we act in ordinary life. Also, recognize that we are graced. Need Gods grace which He gives us. Grace unmerited favor; we dont deserve it but He freely give His Spirit out of love. 2. What Ought I To Become? Fundl task of moral life develop a VISION and strive to attain it Always aim to grow! What type of person do we want to become? (BEING) 3. How Am I To Get There? Find the golden mean in every situation b/c not fixed & varies with persons capacities. (The golden mean is the balance of a virtue. The extreme lack of it is wrong, and the extreme superlative of it is wrong. Example: courage. Having no courage at all is cowardice. Having too much of it is rashness, which is wrong, too, because you dont count the cost!) The table offers more examples.

ARISTOTLE'S NICOMACHEAN ETHICS /TABLE OF VIRTUES AND VICES SPHERE OF ACTION OR FEELING Fear and Confidence Pleasure and Pain Getting and Spending (minor) Getting and Spending (major) Honour and Dishonour (major) Honour and Dishonour (minor) EXCESS Rashness Licentiousness/Selfindulgence Prodigality Vulgarity/Tastelessness Vanity Ambition/empty vanity MEAN Courage Temperance Liberality Magnificence Magnanimity Proper ambition/pride DEFICIENCY Cowardice Insensibility Illiberality/Meanness Pettiness/Niggardliness Pusillanimity Unambitiousness/undue humility

Anger Self-expression Conversation Social Conduct Shame Indignation

Irascibility Boastfulness Buffoonery Obsequiousness Shyness Envy

Patience/Good temper Truthfulness Wittiness Friendliness Modesty Righteous indignation

Lack of spirit/unirascibility Understatement/mock modesty Boorishness Cantankerousness Shamelessness Malicious enjoyment/Spitefulness

Source: Aristotle: The Nicomachean Ethics. Translated by J.A.K. Thomson, Penguins Books, 1976, London.

Prudence is the queen of all virtues b/c about making proper choices & avoiding extremes It works on moderation! Virtue Ethics is so Ignatian b/c want to be more (MAGIS be more, do more) Pursuit of perfection; (Good is enemy of best, so pursue the best.) You are your own benchmark; compete against yourself; process, never-ending till the day you die; you never stop pushing yourself D. Components of Moral Acts (Act, Intention, Circumstances) What makes an act good or evil? How does one judge a specific moral situation? Traditionally, three dimensions of every moral act have been highlighted: (1) the act chosen, (2) the intention, and (3) the circumstances. The three are dimensions of the one moral act; hence they must always be considered together to make an adequate moral judgment. (CFC #711) How to evaluate the morality of an act: o Obj. of the Act the nature of the act in itself; some actions are always and everywhere wrong b/c go against the good of the person as image and likeness of God; CCC#80: homicide, genocide, abortion, euthanasia, slavery, prostitution, trafficking of women and children o Intention reason behind the action; why do it o Circumstances events, people involved, surrounding elements CFC # 711 goes on to say If focus on the act alone, forget the person who engages in the act as well as the context. If focus on intention, neglects obj nature of moral act. (Just b/c you have good intentions, it doesnt mean.) If focus on circumstances, forget obj nature of act and forget all moral norms. When does an act become moral right? If all 3 dimensions are positive, or at least neutral. If one is negative, then the act is morally wrong. Ex. Obj of the act is abortion Intention fear of parents or coerced by bf Circumstances were 12 yrs old You need to look at all three to determine whether the act is morally right or morally wrong! Good intentions: Americans join war efforts WWII to save many American lives, but the how (circumstances) is atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing and maiming thousands of Japanese civilians. Is killing 1 man for the sake of an angry crowd? What about killing 10 for a whole world?

Thomas A Becket says this from the TS Eliot play Murder in the Cathedral: The last temptation is the greatest treason: to do the right deed for the wrong reason. St. Thomas A Becket (1118-1170) was Archbishop of Canterbury who was murdered after opposing Henry II. E. The Spiritual-Moral Life The Transformation of Character by NT Wright (2010) ! Human character the pattern of thinking that runs through someone, so that wherever you cut into them, you see the same person through and through (p. 27). When jolted, put to the test, in a crisis, its what will spill out because its what fills you (p. 28). MAB: Reminds me of LK. 6, 45: From the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. ! H. character - not automatic. You have to work at it. You have to consciously choose it and allow the Holy Spirit to form your character in ways that may seem unnatural at the start (p. 28). Aristotle Goal Human flourishing Jesus and His followers Human flourishing + flourishing of whole world! Human persons contributing to Gods kingdom Develop moral strengths called virtues including love, kindness, forgiveness, etc., even humility! Same long-formed habits to result in the right character but way they were to be learned and practiced was different

Getting to the goal Ultimate aim

Develop moral strengths called virtues A kind of character who would act rightfully automatically because of long-formed habits

o Christian virtue isnt about you your happiness, fulfillment, self-realization, but God and Gods kingdom as the center. Aristotles vision of the virtuous person focuses on the individual. ! Christian behavior in the world isnt about good works moral living, keeping the rules, etc. But good works are doing things which bring Gods wisdom and glory to birth in the world. Then you get moral living thrown in as well. ! Dont concentrate on the good moral works themselves. Like the cart before the horse! ! Virtue is about the whole of life, not just moral choices, rules or consequences. We are called to be genuine, image-bearing, God-reflecting human beings. ! We are bit-players in Gods great drama. We will share in Gods wise rule, our original vocation. Reflections by MAB ! NT Wright brings back to the forefront virtue ethics, which goes well with a personalist approach to the HP and morality, with the human person as a process being. (also consisent with the Ignatian idea of magis.) Answers the open-ended thirst of postmodernity for a constant openness to transcendence, but balances it off with a sense of communal spirit versus individualism. ! Virtue leading to transformation of character speaks of a vocation to holiness (following Christ) and a call to human perfection possible only through grace. Character transforms us little by little (how nature works), from glory to glory (All of us... being transformed into the same image from glory to glory... 2 Cor. 3,18), but it takes time. Virtue is a skill. The concept of gift and task about the human person; character rather than simply human acts ! Aristotles Nichomachean ethics studied in philosophy is good, but lacking (ex. of circle vs. sphere) ! Fascinating how we can form our brains (neuroscience); CAN teach old dogs new tricks. ! Not against rules, not do whatever you want, but follow Christ.

! Gods earthly Kingdom: yes, work for peace and justice but this is a long term job and wont be done in our lifetime (Kingdom of God as here but not yet). The idea of the spiritual-moral life is its not just do good but recognize who moves you! The Holy Spirit we asked to bless our year in the Mass of the Holy Spirit; the Spirit who transforms us. W/o Him, we would not be able to do any real good. Questions for Reflection: 1. If you reflect on your own life, how moral would you say you are? 2. Do our notions of God really matter? Why/why not? What false notions of God were purified? 3. How can the components of moral acts (act, intention, circumstances) help you better assess the morality of acts in your life, and evaluate the morality behind current moral issues, esp. in the Philippines? 4. How do knowledge and freedom connect with morality? 5. How important is virtue ethics today? Do you see how it connects with Ignatian spirituality, the idea of magis and a personalist view of morality? 6. Are the cardinal and theological virtues presented by Aquinas still relevant today? Are they do-able? Could there be other virtues that we need more today? THESIS STATEMENT # 3 (of Oral Comprehensive Exam/FINALS): While the components of moral acts are important in discerning the morality of an act, foremost in morality is the response of love to love, in the light of virtue ethics, knowledge and freedom (ONeil and Black). Virtue ethics is concerned with the person growing in perfection in imitation of Christ through the golden mean. Its goal is eudaimonia through grace.