Contemplative Ethics: An Introduction

This book seeks to respond to the challenge put forth by the late Pope John Paul II to all the Catholic faithful to “put out into deep water” (Duc in altum) by contemplating the face of Christ as they navigate the waters of the new millennium. It brings the discussion about the relationship between spirituality and morality to a deeper level of theological discourse by looking at the common ground shared by the action of contemplation and the spiritual moral life. Its aim is to incorporate a contemplative attitude toward life into the methodology, discourse, and way of thinking of Catholic moral theology. After developing a contemplative methodology for the Catholic spiritual moral life, it applies this approach to moral discernment to the Eternal Word, the Incarnate Word, Jesus’ life and ministry, his suffering and death, and his risen life. It then offers concrete guidelines for the spiritual moral life that flow directly from this contemplative approach to the mysteries of Christ. To engage its readers at a still deeper level, it offers a series of reflection questions and practical exercises at the end of each chapter. The book emphasizes the close bond between contemplation and action for Christian living and highlights how immersing oneself in the mystery of Christ affects the way a person thinks about the nature and scope of his or her action in the world. †