Thomas Dubay

The State of Moral Theology: A Critical Appraisal

It is well known in the circles of professional education that educators are too specialized and too close to their work to assess in broad vision the over-all thrust and direction in which they are going. And so it is customary that college boards of directors be made up of businessmen and housewives, lawyers and dentists, as well as of academics of one type or another. Few theologians would now contest the proposition that modern theology must be interdisciplinary. Bernard Lonergans Method in Theology presents an impressive account of why this is so. There is no need to repeat the point here. I wish in this article to suggest some reasons why we may not evaluate the general thrust and trends in moral theology from the vantage point of moral theology alone. Charles E. Curran has written an assessment of the current condition of moral theology that strikes this observer much as would an evaluation of education offered by an educator. His article expresses an enlightened awareness of details, but it is less successful in assessing over-all import. While he describes the trees well, he says less about the forest.

Book Review: The Preaching Word: On the Theology of ProclamationThe Preaching Word: On the Theology of Proclamation. By SemmelrothOtto, S.J., Translated by HughesJohn Jay. New York: Herder and Herder, 1965. Pp. 256.

These criticisms, of course, are marginal in view of the main theme of the book. In so far as it shows that human life will be intelligible only if one understands the meaning of the liturgy in all its ramifications and will be fruitful only if one commits himself fully to the deepest meaning of the liturgical act, this essay realizes its goal. S. offers a number of valuable insights based on the liturgy of the Orthodox Church which should prove inspirational to all Christians.