Theology and Christian Morality Lecture Notes

Vocabulary flashcards covering Christian anthropology, discipleship, moral theories, Aquinas's theology of happiness, human acts, and the sources of morality.

Imago Dei

The theological concept that man is created in the image and likeness of God, possessing dignity, intellect, and freewill.

Stewardship

The moral principle acknowledging that God's grant of authority and dominion over creation does not denote total control or sovereignty.

The Other

A philosophical concept introduced by Emmanuel Levinas regarding human relationships and ethics.

Operant Conditioning

B.F. Skinner's behavioral theory stating that behavior is determined by its consequences.

Incarnation

The mystery in which God gave Himself to humanity through Christ, meaning Jesus not only became one of us and lived with us, but also set the standard of living as both God and Man.

Gospel

Good News and a form of literature pertaining to the good news of salvation, presenting Jesus as both God and Man, divine and human.

Open and Relational

A characteristic of the human person from the Catechism of Filipino Catholics stating that no one exists by oneself.

Conscious Beings

A trait of the human person reflecting awareness and the capacity to recognize one's purpose and goals in life.

Embodied Spirits

A characteristic of the human person defining humanity as a composite unity of body and soul.

Unique and Fundamentally Equal

A characteristic of the human person indicating that all individuals are created by God with equal dignity.

Discipleship of Jesus

The commitment to follow Jesus (the Way, the Truth, and the Life) by following God rather than oneself, leading others to the truth, rejecting disinformation, and engaging in spiritual, corporeal, and societal actions.

Metanoia

A process that is not just a simple conversion, but entails a full transformation from an old self to a new self.

Hedonism

A perspective or value system that highly values pleasure.

Materialism

A worldview that prioritizes material wealth over spiritual values.

Consumerism

A lifestyle centered around the consumption and purchase of material goods.

Eudaimonism

An ethical theory centered on virtues and good habits in the pursuit of genuine happiness.

The Rich Young Man Story

A Gospel account showing that following the commandments is merely the minimum requirement to achieve salvation, which ultimately demands loving one's neighbor.

Beatitudes

Moral standards preached by Jesus on the Sermon on the Mount beginning with 'Blessed / Happy are those…', with Jesus' crucifixion serving as their exemplary model.

False Contenders to Happiness

Common sources of false or imperfect happiness identified by St. Thomas Aquinas: wealth, power, honor, fame, and glory.

Imperfect Happiness

A form of earthly happiness exemplified by acts such as service to others, rather than seeking happiness solely for oneself.

Perfect Happiness

The ultimate end according to St. Thomas Aquinas, consisting of the beatific vision of the Uncreated Good (God) in heaven.

"Solo Dios Basta"

A Spanish phrase by St. Teresa of Avila translating to 'God alone suffices.'

Human Acts

Actions done with sufficient knowledge and full deliberate consent of the agent, directed toward an end or goal through intellect and freewill.

Acts of Man

Natural acts arising from vegetative and sense faculties that are performed without deliberate intellect and freewill.

Primo-Primi Acts

Quick, nearly automatic reflex actions that are nearly instantaneous.

Constituents of Human Acts

The three essential elements required for an action to be considered a human act: knowledge, freedom, and voluntariness.

Perfectly Voluntary Act

A human act characterized by the positive commission of an action.

Negatively Voluntary Act

A human act characterized by the omission of an action.

Consequentialism

A moral theory that focuses exclusively on the results or consequences of actions and treats intentions as irrelevant, equating good consequences with good actions.

Utilitarianism

An ethical framework based on actual consequences that advocates choosing the greatest good for the greatest number of people.

Sources of Morality

The three criteria from the Catechism of the Catholic Church used to evaluate the moral character of a human act: the object of the act itself, the intention (or end), and the circumstances.

Principle of Double Effect

A moral principle governing actions that produce both good and bad effects, stipulating that the moral object cannot be evil, the good and evil effects must proceed at least equally directly from the act, the agent's intention must be good, and a proportionately grave reason must exist to permit the evil effect.