Morality: The Catholic View

by Servais Pinckaers, Alasdair MacIntyre (Preface), Michael Sherwin (Translator)

“As Alasdair MacIntyre notes in the preface, the work of Pinckaers attracted strong

and fully justified notice in this country with the publication in English of his The

Sources of Christian Ethics. As Pinckaers himself notes in the text, excellently translated

by Michael Sherwin, the interest should in no way be limited to Roman

Catholics. Morality recasts the earlier book in an argument that is both lower and

upper case ‘catholic,’ and is accessible to readers and teachers outside the limited

circle of moral theologians and academic ethicists. Pinckaers contends that

Christian morality is not first of all about obligations but about happiness, understanding

that the happiness of union with God is our natural destiny made possible

by grace. The Sermon on the Mount is at the center of an approach to morality

that turns on the distinction between ‘freedom for excellence’ and ‘freedom of

indifference,’ the former understood as human flourishing and the latter as a ‘neutral’

capacity to choose between controversies. The proposal of Morality is thoroughly

Christ-centered, humanistic, and faithful to the magisterial teaching of the

Church. Warmly recommended.”

First Things 

“If you want to have the experience of reflecting on Catholic morality as though

you were reading about it for the first time, treat yourself to Father Servais

Pinckaers’ The Catholic View. He has recovered the classical view of the

moral life as the quest for happiness and has presented it with disarming simplicity.

Bringing us back to the Sermon on the Mount and Romans 12–15, the writings

of Augustine and Aquinas, and the theme of natural law, he has freed those texts

from the layers of legalism which has hidden their liberating, spiritual powers for

moral living. By distinguishing freedom of indifference from freedom for excellence,

he has restored a wise vision of freedom. No one has shown better the role

of virtues as building blocks for morality. Catechists need to read this book.”

Rev. Alfred McBride, O.Praem., Professor of Homilectics and Catechetics at Blessed

Pope John XXIII Seminary, Weston, Massachusetts

“Father Pinckaers has given us a masterful exposition of Christian living. The clarity

and brevity of his presentation – captured well by the translator – make this book

ideal for classroom and parish use.

     “Readers will find the historical and systematic observations very informative.”

Romanus Cessario, St. John’s Seminary, Brighton, Massachusetts

148 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 30, 2020

Reviews

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here we have an excellent understanding of what Catholic morality should be. The emotional appeal commonly ascribed to the Baptists is utilized with the perspective of level-headed thinkers like Thomas Aquinas. What you get is a too-brief account of how Catholics ought to view morality as a calling, not a duty, and I am all here for it.

Catholicism seems to have slightly forgotten how to absolutely cook on topics like this. This work points out how Aquinas’ entire essay on human happiness got discarded by the thinkers who liked the raw logical appeal of his works. Given this, we’re presented with a whole new approach to morality (for a Catholic - not sure what the Protestants have going over there; we might be behind them here). I adore this work. We basically get a simultaneous gutting and reconstructing of the typical worldview, all contained within less than 200 pages.

Can’t recommend enough. Even for a non-Catholic, here you will find a well-articulated walkthrough of what it means to seek a moral life.

And who knows? You may be drawn to stained glass instead of Jumbotrons.