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On Friday, November 11, the Boisi Center was happy to celebrate the publication of A History of Catholic Theological Ethics by one of the world鈥檚 premier theological ethicists and Boston College professor James Keenan, S.J. An esteemed panel of professors and students shared brief reflections on the importance of Keenan鈥檚 work. The panel included Lisa Cahill, J. Donald Monan Professor of Theology; Daniel Daly, Associate Professor of Moral Theology; M. Cathleen Kaveny, Darald and Juliet Libby Professor of Theology and Law; Brett O鈥橬eill, S.J., doctoral candidate in theological ethics; and Katherine Ward, M.T.S. student.听

Cahill began her praise of Keenan鈥檚 book by exploring the innovations鈥揵oth good and bad鈥搃n the history of moral theology. Moral theology, she argued, is both a structure of sin in that it controls adherents and is rooted in a power imbalance, but also a structure of grace in that it facilitates and cultivates virtue. She explored the development of sexual ethics as illustrative of these innovations. From Augustine, who, she said, Keenan made look less concerned about who one鈥檚 sexual partner was and more about if one was the dominant or passive partner in that encounter to that of Alphonsus Liguori, who emphasized the mediation of grace in ethical teachings鈥揳 desire not to burden the laity with constraints and penance. Then after Vatican II, more people were questioning the 鈥渃ontrol鈥� the Church鈥檚 moral theology wielded over the faithful to that point. And now, the global view of theological ethics has introduced pluralism into the conversation. Keenan鈥檚 book aptly describes this shift throughout the tradition. So what Keenan draws attention to, Cahill argued, is the struggle within moral theology between concerns about power and structure and the gradual attention to pastoral theology and pluralism.

Daly鈥檚 remarks drew attention to Keenan鈥檚 ethical framework beginning with Jesus Christ. This 鈥渙rienting principle鈥� is the most important contribution in Keenan鈥檚 book, Daly argued. This, he claimed, was Keenan shifting the focus in moral theology from a preoccupation with sin toward virtuous living and following Jesus. Daly then drew attention to Keenan鈥檚 focus on confraternities鈥搇ay organizations that help cultivate the faith lives of their members鈥搕hat flourished in the 16th century. This, Daly argued, is evidence that Catholics have always been focused on charity in community, not merely individualistically avoiding sin. Daly claims this refocuses the thread that ties the tradition of moral theology together. In addition to its academic contribution, the work, Daly argued, has the capacity to inspire Catholics. Even the confraternities encouraged Daly鈥檚 current students to seek out new, modern 鈥渟chools of virtue.鈥� Finally, Daly brought attention to Keenan鈥檚 description of the role of the moral theologian鈥揳 demand, he said, that only Keenan could make. This claim is evidenced most notably in the foregrounding of global voices in the field that deserve a seat at the table, ultimately because Catholic theological ethics is the reflection of a global Church.

Ward鈥檚 comments started with a reflection on her experience as a fourth grade teacher and the questions her students would ask about morality. The limits of her own moral knowledge were revealed to her when she attempted to answer their questions. Her own questions emerged鈥揻or example, about colonization and marginalization by and within the Church. In the face of so many voices in moral theology vying to claim authority, this book, she argued, helps get a handle on the populous field. It shows how the tradition has developed, but it also gives insights into how one might be able to shape that same tradition. Speaking from the graduate student perspective, she reflected on her own desire鈥揳long with her peers鈥欌�搕o try to innovate within the field, and that, to do so, those students need teachers like Keenan and the tool that is his text. Her own goals in higher education make her a practitioner in the world outside of a theology department, she recognized, but she noted that with Keenan鈥檚 text, she feels equipped to apply Church teachings in the new contexts in which she will be working.听

O鈥橬eill, once a student of Keenan鈥檚, had in his classes been introduced to those same innovators that earlier panelists had discussed. But in Keenan鈥檚 book, O鈥橬eill saw the model of Keenan鈥檚 theological ethics through his engagement with the work of Francisco de Vitoria, Bartolom茅 de las Casas, and Liguori, who reflected in their own theologies the need for both theological education and pastoral accompaniment. O鈥橬eill sees this pastoral accompaniment as shedding a light on Keenan鈥檚 mantra that to be an ethicist requires one to be an activist. The ethicist, he sees Keenan as arguing, is not to merely parrot the teaching of the magisterium. Instead, he noted, the ethicist is a part of a living, dynamic tradition.听

Kaveny wrapped up the panelists鈥� remarks by calling the book 鈥渕agisterial,鈥� as both comprehensive and showing evidence of long reflection and in the sense of coming from an authoritative teacher. Keenan, she said, is a teacher and a teacher in conversation鈥搊ne who, at the same time, teaches and learns. She then focused her remarks on casuistry鈥揳 shared interest with Keenan. Casuistry, the analysis of moral 鈥渃ases鈥� in all their particularities and not as 鈥渃ookie cutter鈥� situations, has two levels: low and high. Low casuistry is the deductive approach to morality鈥揹educing the right action within a situation from principles with little to no attention paid to the context or circumstances of the particular situation. High casuistry, on the other hand, confronts the 鈥渞ules鈥� of moral theology and demands a response to the real suffering in the world that people face in their particularity. Unlike Keenan, Kaveny acknowledged, Pope Francis is not a fan of casuistry (even calling it 鈥渉ypocritical thinking,鈥� a 鈥渄eception,鈥� and 鈥渄ecadent Thomism鈥�). She concluded with this question: What does Francis鈥� remarks about casuistry mean for theological ethicists who engage in the practice?听

At the conclusion of the panelists鈥� remarks, Keenan offered a few remarks of his own. He said that he understands his work as a counterpoint to that of John Mahoney鈥檚 The Making of Moral Theology: A Study of the Roman Catholic Tradition鈥搊ffering a new way of understanding how we think about theological ethics and moral theology, shifting away from a preoccupation with avoiding sin toward a focus on growing in holiness. This better reflects the history of the Church that is marked by a concern for practices over teaching, seeking out spiritual directors over confessors, etc. This focus on loving accompaniment is seen in the confraternities, especially evident in the Confraternity of Divine Love who set up hospitals for the 鈥渋ncurables鈥� (i.e., those diagnosed with syphilis in the 16th century) and who concerned themselves with those ostracized from society, most shamed, and most likely to die painful deaths.

To Kaveny鈥檚 question regarding Francis, Keenan spoke half-jokingly, arguing that Francis needed to read more. One piece of evidence of casuistry鈥檚 value, Keenan argued, is the development of necessary maritime insurance from the earlier prohibition on usury. This, he said, reflected an inductive ruling, analogically reaching the conclusion of a just maritime insurance. This is in stark contrast to the deductive logic that draws decisions from abstract principles, devoid of the realities of life.听

Finally, he brought up Liguori. As Keenan got to know Liguori, whom he initially thought to be too concerned with sin, he got to like him more because Liguori raised up the voices of the poor and attended to those suffering at the hands of unjust legal structures. While Liguori had excessive scrupulosity, it did not detract from his belief that the people deserved pastoral accompaniment. This, Keenan argued, is evidence of our own need to listen to the concerns of real persons as we continue the process of traditioning in the Church.听

A few questions followed from the role of Jesus in Christian theological ethics, the relationship between moral theology and spirituality, the influence of the sacrament of confession on the development of moral theology, and comparing Protestant and Catholic casuists.

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