Life in Christ: Foundations for Theological Ethics (DT8002C)

Postgraduate, 24.0 points

Content

This unit examines the development of Catholic moral theology from its biblical foundations, through the influence of auricular confession, to its renewal at Vatican II and subsequent developments in response to contemporary contexts. Grounded in the dignity of the human person and the call to life in Christ, the unit explores the dynamic relationship between Scripture, tradition, reason, and human experience in moral discernment. Key themes include the call–response structure of the Christian moral life; Christian anthropology; the sources of moral theology (Scripture, natural law, the magisterium, and lived experience); conscience and moral agency; the moral act; sin and conversion; virtue and character formation; spirituality and ethics; and the development of doctrine.

Unit code: DT8002C

Unit status: Approved (Major revision)

Points: 24.0

Unit level: Postgraduate Foundational

Unit discipline: Moral Theology

Proposing College: Catholic Theological College

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Learning outcomes

1.

Critically evaluate the relationship between Christian faith and moral life, engaging contemporary ethical challenges in a pluralistic and digital culture.
2.

Interpret and integrate the principal sources of Catholic moral theology—Scripture, natural law, magisterium, tradition, and human experience—in ethical reasoning.
3.

Distinguish and appraise key concepts (conscience, freedom, sin, virtue, conversion, moral agency) within the Catholic moral tradition and their interrelationships.
4.

Evaluate the development of moral doctrine, including its historical evolution and contemporary applications.
5.

Apply principles of Catholic moral theology to concrete ethical questions, including those arising from emerging technologies.

Pedagogy

Lectures and workshops.

Indicative Bibliography

  • Astorga, Christiana A. Catholic Moral Theology and Social Ethics: A New Method. Orbis Books, 2014.
  • Harrington, Daniel J., and James F. Keenan. Jesus and Virtue Ethics: Building Bridges Between New Testament Studies and Moral Theology. Sheed & Ward, 2002.
  • John Paul II. Veritatis splendor. Encyclical letter. 1993.
  • Keenan, James F. Moral Wisdom: Lessons and Texts from the Catholic Tradition. 3rd ed. Rowman & Littlefield, 2010.
  • Kim, Andrew. An Introduction to Catholic Ethics Since Vatican II. Cambridge University Press, 2015.
  • Lamoureux, Patricia, and Paul J. Wadell. The Christian Moral Life: Faithful Discipleship for a Global Society. Orbis Books, 2010.
  • Mahoney, John. The Making of Moral Theology: A Study of the Roman Catholic Tradition. Clarendon Press, 1987.
  • Newman, John Henry. An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine. Longmans, Green, and Co., 1845.
  • Newman, John Henry. Letter to the Duke of Norfolk (Certain Difficulties Felt by Anglicans in Catholic Teaching). Longmans, Green, and Co., 1875.
  • Pinckaers, Servais. The Sources of Christian Ethics. Catholic University of America Press, 1995.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Seminar or Tutorial

10 minute presentation + 5 minute oral defence.

 1000 20.0
Essay

4000-word essay

 4000 50.0
Oral Examination

Oral exam involves short-answer questions.

 2000 30.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Prof Albert Haddad on 25 Jun, 2026

Unit record last updated: 2026-06-25 10:20:57 +1000