Catholic Moral Theology and Christian Anthropology

Vocabulary flashcards reviewing core Catholic concepts, moral theology, the Theology of the Body, Marian dogmas, virtues, and types of sin.

True Happiness

Comes from living in accord with our human dignity as children of God.

Human Dignity

The quality of being worthy of esteem or respect; each person is made in God’s image.

Beatitudes

Attitudes and actions that prepare us for Heaven.

Free Will / Freedom

The power, rooted in reason and will, that enables a person to perform deliberate actions on one’s own responsibility; the ability to act rightly.

License

The absence of rules, distinct from true freedom.

Original Holiness

The teaching from the Theology of the Body describing Adam and Eve's closeness with God.

Original Solitude

The teaching from the Theology of the Body that humans are different from the rest of creation.

Original Unity

The teaching from the Theology of the Body that Adam and Eve were a gift to one another.

Original Nakedness

The teaching that before Original Sin, Adam and Eve could see one another's full dignity and were free in one another's presence.

Original Sin

The first sin of Adam and Eve and the state of separation from God into which all humans are born.

Concupiscence

The human tendency to sin.

Recapitulation

The Christian teaching that by His obedience, Jesus undoes the harm that Adam’s disobedience caused.

Salvation History

The story of how God is reconciling humankind through covenants.

Covenant

An agreement by which two parties become family.

Law of the Gift

The concept that humans are created to make a gift of themselves.

Four Traits of the Gift of Self

Free (uncoerced), Total (complete, not holding anything back), Faithful (permanent and exclusive), and Fruitful (bringing new life—spiritual or physical).

Holiness

Closeness to God; the state of being like God and in relationship with Him.

Universal Call to Holiness

The Catholic teaching that everyone is called to be holy.

Consecrated Life

A state of life for people who live set apart for God.

Consecrated Virginity

A form of consecrated life open to unmarried women living in the world.

Religious Life

Consecrated people who live in community and take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.

Hermits

Consecrated persons who live separately in a life of prayer and penance.

Secular Institutes / Third Orders

Lay people who live a particular charism in the world.

Virtue

A habitual and firm disposition to do the good.

Faith

A theological virtue: belief in God and His revelation.

Hope

A theological virtue: trusting in God and desiring Heaven.

Charity

A theological virtue: loving God for His own sake and willing the good of the other for the other’s and God’s sake.

Prudence

A cardinal virtue: doing the right thing in the right way.

Justice

A cardinal virtue: giving the other what is their due.

Temperance

A cardinal virtue: moderating the desire for good things.

Fortitude

A cardinal virtue: strength to resist temptation and overcome obstacles.

Conscience

A judgment of reason by which the person recognizes the moral quality of a specific act.

Theotokos

Title for the Blessed Virgin Mary meaning Mother of God.

Immaculate Conception

The dogma that Mary was conceived without original sin.

Assumption of Mary

The teaching that at the end of her life, Mary was taken up, body and soul, into heaven.

Perpetual Virginity

The teaching that Mary remained a virgin for her whole life.

Principle of Double Effect

A way of navigating moral situations in which an action will have both good and bad consequences.

Law

An ordinance of reason for the common good of a society.

Eternal Law

God’s will and wisdom directing His creatures to their end goal.

Natural Law

The light of understanding God places in us, discoverable by human reason even outside of religion.

Revealed Law

The Old Testament law and the law of the Gospel that fulfills it.

Moral Object

One of the three sources of morality: the action itself.

End / Intention

One of the three sources of morality: the reason for acting.

Circumstances

One of the three sources of morality: conditions that have some bearing on an action.

Protoevangelion

The 'first Gospel,' signifying that God immediately set into motion the course of events through which He would reconcile humanity with Himself.

Personal Sin

Sin that an individual chooses to commit.

Mortal Sin

Sin that destroys grace in the soul.

Venial Sin

Sin that weakens our relationship with God.

Social Sin

Cooperating in one another's sin.

Mitigating Factors

Factors that reduce our freedom and thus our culpability or responsibility for an action.

Greed

An inordinate desire for material things.

Avarice

An excessive desire for riches and the power that comes from them.

Envy

Sadness at another’s good fortune and a willingness to take it from them.

Perjury

Telling an untruth after taking an oath to tell the truth.

Detraction

Revealing someone's faults to another who had no need of knowing.

Calumny

Lying about someone so that others will make false judgments.

Lying

To speak or act against the truth in order to lead someone into error.

Unitive Aspect

The trait of the sexual act that brings the spouses closer together.

Procreative Aspect

The trait of the sexual act that is open to creating new life.