John Henry Newman on Following Your Conscience – Dr. Christopher Mooney

About this episode

Dr. Christopher Mooney discusses John Henry Newman’s perspective on conscience as the application of divine moral law.

Christopher Mooney argues that John Henry Newman’s teaching on conscience means conscience is not mere personal preference or social conditioning, but the practical application of divine moral law to particular actions. This lecture was given on March 9th, 2026, at Ohio State University. For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events . About the Speakers: Dr. Christopher Mooney is an assistant professor of theology at the Augustine Institute Graduate School in St. Louis, Missouri, where he teaches on Catholic theology, scriptural interpretation, and the Church Fathers. His teaching and research specialize in Augustine, the Fathers, and historical theology, and he is the author of Augustine's Theology of Justification by Faith (2026). A native of Connecticut, he studied at Georgetown and Yale Divinity School before receiving his PhD from the University of Notre Dame. He also serves as a theological representative for the USCCB's Catholic-Reformed dialogue. He lives next door to the Augustine Institute's campus with his wife and four children. Keywords: Authority, Conscience, Divine Law, Eternity, Faith, John Henry Newman, Moral Truth…

People in this episode

Guest: Dr. Christopher Mooney

Topics covered

• conscience
• moral law
• Catholic theology
• John Henry Newman
• divine law
• faith

Keywords

• Authority
• Conscience
• Divine Law
• Faith
• Moral Truth
• John Henry Newman
• Particular Cases

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Ohio State University, Augustine Institute Graduate School, USCCB

Books & works: Augustine's Theology of Justification by Faith

Places: Connecticut, St. Louis

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