The Christian Moral Life: Directions for the Journey to Happiness

by John Rziha

Overview

To take a journey, travelers must know where they are, where they are going, and how to get there. Moral theology examines the same three truths. The Christian Moral Life is a handbook for moral theology that uses the theme of a journey to explain its key ethical concepts. First, humans begin with their creation in the image of God. Secondly, the goal of the journey is explained as a loving union with God, to achieve a share in his eternal happiness. Third and finally, the majority of the book examines how to attain this goal. Within the journey motif, the book covers the moral principles essential for attaining true happiness. Based on an examination of the moral methodology in the bible, the book discusses the importance of participating in divine nature through grace in order to attain eternal happiness. It further notes the role of law, virtue, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit in guiding and transforming humans into friends of God, who participate in his happiness. Following this section on moral theology in general, the book analyzes the individual virtues to give more concrete guidance. The entire project builds upon the insights of great Christian thinkers, such as Thomas Aquinas, Thérèse of Lisieux, and John Paul II, to uncover the moral wisdom in scripture and to show people how to be truly happy both in this life and the next. This book will be of great interest to undergraduate students of moral theology, priests and seminarians, parents and teachers seeking to raise and to form happy children, and anyone interested in discovering the meaning of true happiness.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780268101848
Publisher:	University of Notre Dame Press
Publication date:	06/30/2017
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	368
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

John Rziha is professor of theology at Benedictine College and author of Perfecting Human Actions: St. Thomas Aquinas on Human Participation in Eternal Law.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii

Abbreviations and Translations ix

Introduction 1

Part I Moral Theology in General 5

1 In the Image of God 7

2 The History of Human Nature 26

3 Happiness: God's Goal for Humans 40

4 Moral Methodology in the Bible 53

5 The Individual Steps on the Journey: Human Actions 66

6 The Transforming Power of Grace 89

7 Law. Guidance to Proper Actions 99

8 Virtue: Good Habits Perfecting the Natural Inclinations 113

9 Guidance from the Holy Spirit 132

10 Sin, Temptation, and Vice: The Road to Unhappiness 145

11 Completing the Map to Happiness 157

Part II The Individual Virtues and Laws 171

12 Faith: The First Virtue of the Moral Life 173

13 Hope: Trust in God's Mercy 183

14 Charity: Friendship with God 189

15 Prudence: The Virtue of Making Good Decisions 215

16 Justice: Part One 224

17 Justice: Part Two 242

18 Temperance: The Virtue of Enjoying Truly Good Things 257

19 Fortitude: The Virtue of Striving for Truly Good Things 278

Conclusion 285

Notes 288

Bibliography 347

Index 353

Editorial Reviews

The Christian Moral Life provides a necessary corrective to the popular misperception of Christian morality as nothing more than a system of oppressive rules that impair human freedom. He methodically sets forth the Christian moral life in all its splendor as nothing less than our grace-filled journey to personal fulfillment and eternal happiness, drawing upon scripture and the timeless wisdom of the saints. We used an earlier version of this text in our permanent diaconate program, and the students found it eminently readable and enlightening.” —Leon Suprenant, Archdiocese of Kansas City, Kansas

"John Rziha's book satisfies the long-awaited hope for a suitable textbook for students and professors of moral theology that is both robustly Catholic and rigorously academic from cover to cover. His copious work provides the framework and principles for a study that is both soundly Thomistic and refreshingly personalistic. This delightful text, laudably unencumbered by needless technical jargon, leads the reader to a fruitful contemplation and critical apprehension of the way toward genuine human beatitude in Christ by way of grace, virtue, and law. More than merely a suitable textbook, Dr. Rziha's book exemplifies true Christian and Catholic humanism at its finest. As such, this text ought to be standard fare for all students and professors of Catholic theology—not only those whose work directly treats of the moral life in Christ." —Michael G. Sirilla, Franciscan University of Steubenville

“What is unique about The Christian Moral Life is that it at once offers a comprehensive treatment of moral theology with the necessary background in theological anthropology, takes an approach based in the virtues, beatitudes, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, and also treats the numerous elements of the law pertinent to the virtues.” —Christopher J. Malloy, University of Dallas

“Rziha always writes in accessible language to convey deep philosophical and theological ideas to the uninitiated. . . . The Christian Moral Life is a sound introductory textbook on the complexities of moral theology.” —Catholic Library World

“. . . a welcome offering and an excellent resource for anyone teaching moral theology at the undergraduate level. The book’s subtitle, Directions for the Journey to Happiness, suggests the guiding analogy for the content and structure of the text, namely that of a pilgrim on a journey. Using this analogy Rziha presents the Thomistic synthesis of law, virtues, and grace as perfective of the human desire for happiness and corrective of the theological history of human nature.” —Reading Religion

From the Publisher

"John Rziha's book satisfies the long-awaited hope for a suitable textbook for students and professors of moral theology that is both robustly Catholic and rigorously academic from cover to cover. His copious work provides the framework and principles for a study that is both soundly Thomistic and refreshingly personalistic. This delightful text, laudably unencumbered by needless technical jargon, leads the reader to a fruitful contemplation and critical apprehension of the way toward genuine human beatitude in Christ by way of grace, virtue, and law. More than merely a suitable textbook, Dr. Rziha's book exemplifies true Christian and Catholic humanism at its finest. As such, this text ought to be standard fare for all students and professors of Catholic theology—not only those whose work directly treats of the moral life in Christ."

Michael G. Sirilla

The Christian Moral Life provides a necessary corrective to the popular misperception of Christian morality as nothing more than a system of oppressive rules that impair human freedom. He methodically sets forth the Christian moral life in all its splendor as nothing less than our grace-filled journey to personal fulfillment and eternal happiness, drawing upon scripture and the timeless wisdom of the saints. We used an earlier version of this text in our permanent diaconate program, and the students found it eminently readable and enlightening.

Leon Suprenant

What is unique about The Christian Moral Life is that it at once offers a comprehensive treatment of moral theology with the necessary background in theological anthropology, takes an approach based in the virtues, beatitudes, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, and also treats the numerous elements of the law pertinent to the virtues.” Christopher J. Malloy, University of Dallas

Christopher J. Malloy

Rziha always writes in accessible language to convey deep philosophical and theological ideas to the uninitiated. . . . The Christian Moral Life is a sound introductory textbook on the complexities of moral theology.

Catholic Library World