Moral Theology, Part 2: Tools and Norms (#460)

About this episode

In this episode, Greg Smith discusses key categories of Catholic moral reasoning and the Church's teachings on moral theology.

In the second part of this three-part series, Greg builds directly on the foundation laid in “The Anatomy of Evil” and moves into the practical schematics the Church has spent two thousand years refining. He walks through the key categories of Catholic moral reasoning: universal, unchanging principles rooted in human dignity and the natural law; intrinsically evil acts whose object is always disordered; positive obligations that call us to active love and justice; the virtue of prudence that guides real-world application; and the legitimate space for prudential judgment where faithful Catholics of good will can disagree in good faith. You’ll also explore the idea of authentic development of doctrine—Newman-style organic growth that deepens without reversing—and what it means when the Magisterium declares something “inadmissible” in light of the Gospel. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and…

People in this episode

Host: Greg Smith

Topics covered

• moral theology
• Catholic moral reasoning
• natural law
• human dignity
• prudential judgment
• development of doctrine

Keywords

• moral theology
• Catholicism
• natural law
• human dignity
• prudence
• doctrine development

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Magisterium

Books & works: The Anatomy of Evil

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