360012 DR Moral issues since Vaticanum II (2018W)

The Second Vatican Council did not issue a separate document on ethical issues or the discipline of theological ethics, but it was precisely this area of theology that generated most debates and even became controversial in the post-conciliar period. The first clue to finding an answer why this happened and what does it entail can be detected in the conciliar document Optatam totius, no. 16 which stated: “Special attention needs to be given to the development of moral theology. Its scientific exposition should be more thoroughly nourished by scriptural teaching.” This and similar statements prompted theological ethicists to start working on the renewal of their discipline in the post-conciliar period and this task proved to be much more substantial than most could have imagined at the time.
The primary goal of this doctoral seminar is to explore the topics that were discussed among theological ethicists in the period between the Council and today. Through an exploration of these topics in terms of contents, arguments, methods, and presuppositions, the participants will be encouraged to draw out implications for the discipline of theological ethics as such and to detect, as precisely as possible, what is the current state of the discipline.
Some of the topics (broadly defined) that will be explored are the following (depending on the number of participants): Moral Norms and Catholic Tradition, The Distinctiveness of Christian Ethics, The Magisterium and Morality, The Use of Scripture in Moral Theology, Official Catholic Social Teaching, Dissent in the Church, Natural Law and Theology, Catholic Sexual Teaching, Feminist Ethics and the Catholic Moral Tradition, John Paul II and Moral Theology, Morality and Politics, Change in Official Catholic Moral Teachings, Conscience, Marriage.