Benedict M. Ashley è Professore Emerito di Teologia Morale, il cui lavoro approfondisce le considerazioni etiche, in particolare nell'ambito dell'etica medica cattolica, dove è riconosciuto come una figura fondamentale. Il suo percorso intellettuale, iniziato dall'ateismo e dal comunismo fino a un profondo impegno con la filosofia tomista, offre una lente unica attraverso cui affronta l'indagine teologica. La dottrina di Ashley enfatizza le intricate connessioni tra filosofia, scienze politiche e teologia, creando un ricco arazzo di pensiero. I suoi scritti sono caratterizzati da un'analisi rigorosa basata su una profonda tradizione filosofica e un impegno verso i principi etici.
The book addresses the urgent need for moral reflection on recent advancements in cloning and stem cell research, emphasizing that ethical concerns are relevant to all citizens, not just medical professionals. It highlights the Catholic tradition in health care ethics while also incorporating broader Christian and humanistic perspectives, grounded in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The third edition reflects significant developments in theology and health care over the past decade, featuring updated teaching aids like case studies, study questions, and summaries.
Focusing on enhancing the liberal arts education, this book serves as both a handbook and textbook for high school and freshman college students. It emphasizes the essential processes of definition, statement, and argumentation, encouraging their application across various subjects. Teachers are urged to integrate these logical processes into their curriculum, ensuring effective learning and transfer of skills. While it complements traditional English courses, it also acts as a guide to help students engage with material that fosters their development in the liberal arts.
"The decades following the Second Vatican Council witnessed Catholic theology's break from classicism. Deductive, classical theology was replaced by an empirical, historically minded theology. The result was moral confusion and intellectual controversy whose effects are still felt by the Church. Benedict Ashely agreed that some revision in moral theology was necessary after Vatican II to formulate and integrate the mysteries of the Catholic faith. The question was how such teachings could be reformulated while preserving their substantive content. Ashley presents a method of theological reflection that challenges the subjectivity, relationality, and language of historical mindedness with a tradition focusing on Scripture, the Magisterium, sound natural science, and a considered relationship between subjectivity and objectivity. This volume also contains commentary by four distinguished scholars: Matthew McWhorter provides an intellectual biography of Ashley, examining the development of this thought before and after Vatican II. Rev. Cajetan Cuddy, OP, reviews Ashley's philosophical theology in its principles, especially as grounded in natural law philosophy. Matthew Minerd assesses Ashley's approach to the authority of the Catholic Magisterium, the papacy, and the formation of conscience. Rev. Nicanor Pier Giorgio Austriaco, OP, evaluates Ashley's application of his moral theology to beginning- and end-of-life decision-making."-- From the back cover
