Seeds for an Encounter Ethics: The Fruit of Reading Veritatis Splendor Beyond a Post-Conciliar Binary Narrative

Two of the more recent methodological narratives about twentieth-century moral theology, written by James Keenan and Matthew Levering, argue that an intractable methodological division over law and conscience emerges in the wake of Vatican II. Within these narratives, _Veritatis Splendor_ is situate...

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Main Author: Catherine Moon
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: The Journal of Moral Theology, Inc. 2025-04-01
Series:Journal of Moral Theology
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.55476/001c.136484
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author Catherine Moon
author_facet Catherine Moon
author_sort Catherine Moon
collection DOAJ
description Two of the more recent methodological narratives about twentieth-century moral theology, written by James Keenan and Matthew Levering, argue that an intractable methodological division over law and conscience emerges in the wake of Vatican II. Within these narratives, _Veritatis Splendor_ is situated as authoritatively taking sides amidst this division, leaving _Veritatis Splendor_’s key methodological insights out of view. While (re)turning to a more spiritual approach to moral theology, the Second Vatican Council does not set out a clear method for the discipline but instead leaves post-conciliar moral theology with the task of figuring out how to do moral theology according to this new paradigm. _Veritatis Splendor_ ought to be read as a continuation and deepening of this post-conciliar moral methodological project set in motion by Vatican II. Through the concept of “encounter with Christ” and its emphasis on the lives of the saints, _Veritatis Splendor_ plants seeds for the development of a post-conciliar moral theological method consistent with the methodological task set out by the Second Vatican Council, a foundational point of methodological continuity between “revisionists” and “traditionalists,” and responsive to unresolved methodological concerns from the Council.
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spelling doaj-art-1f1215ee516c4952bc307d8ed21b68bd2025-08-20T02:26:35ZengThe Journal of Moral Theology, Inc.Journal of Moral Theology2166-28512166-21182025-04-0114SI 110.55476/001c.136484Seeds for an Encounter Ethics: The Fruit of Reading Veritatis Splendor Beyond a Post-Conciliar Binary NarrativeCatherine MoonTwo of the more recent methodological narratives about twentieth-century moral theology, written by James Keenan and Matthew Levering, argue that an intractable methodological division over law and conscience emerges in the wake of Vatican II. Within these narratives, _Veritatis Splendor_ is situated as authoritatively taking sides amidst this division, leaving _Veritatis Splendor_’s key methodological insights out of view. While (re)turning to a more spiritual approach to moral theology, the Second Vatican Council does not set out a clear method for the discipline but instead leaves post-conciliar moral theology with the task of figuring out how to do moral theology according to this new paradigm. _Veritatis Splendor_ ought to be read as a continuation and deepening of this post-conciliar moral methodological project set in motion by Vatican II. Through the concept of “encounter with Christ” and its emphasis on the lives of the saints, _Veritatis Splendor_ plants seeds for the development of a post-conciliar moral theological method consistent with the methodological task set out by the Second Vatican Council, a foundational point of methodological continuity between “revisionists” and “traditionalists,” and responsive to unresolved methodological concerns from the Council.https://doi.org/10.55476/001c.136484
spellingShingle Catherine Moon
Seeds for an Encounter Ethics: The Fruit of Reading Veritatis Splendor Beyond a Post-Conciliar Binary Narrative
Journal of Moral Theology
title Seeds for an Encounter Ethics: The Fruit of Reading Veritatis Splendor Beyond a Post-Conciliar Binary Narrative
title_full Seeds for an Encounter Ethics: The Fruit of Reading Veritatis Splendor Beyond a Post-Conciliar Binary Narrative
title_fullStr Seeds for an Encounter Ethics: The Fruit of Reading Veritatis Splendor Beyond a Post-Conciliar Binary Narrative
title_full_unstemmed Seeds for an Encounter Ethics: The Fruit of Reading Veritatis Splendor Beyond a Post-Conciliar Binary Narrative
title_short Seeds for an Encounter Ethics: The Fruit of Reading Veritatis Splendor Beyond a Post-Conciliar Binary Narrative
title_sort seeds for an encounter ethics the fruit of reading veritatis splendor beyond a post conciliar binary narrative
url https://doi.org/10.55476/001c.136484
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