Basic Principles in Catholic Moral Theology (Human Acts, Conscience) - 2. Lecture - Doyen Nguyen

Basic Principles in Catholic Moral Theology (Human Acts, Conscience) - (Participate in the whole lecture series! https://vimeo.com/ondemand/marriagele...) - 2. Lecture of the course: "Human Sexuality, Marriage, and the Pursuit of Beatitude" by Doyen Nguyen, OP, M.D, S.T.D. - Academy for Philosophy and Theology (APT) at the Gustav-Siewerth-Akademie

The last several decades have witnessed a relentless disintegration in the moral fabric of human society, especially in Western countries. Nowhere is this more evident than in the realm of human sexuality and marriage, where permissiveness for sexual hedonism, under the banner of freedom, equality, and non-discrimination, has become, as it were, the law of the day.

The harmful consequences on men and women caused by the widespread moral disintegration in human sexuality are self-evident, as attested by the increase in divorce (even among Catholics), broken families, poverty, and sexual exploitation of women, among others. Part and parcel with such moral disintegration is that young people, in addition to being exposed at quite an early age to a culture oversaturated with sex, are not taught (whether at school or at home) the values that make marriage and parenthood possible. Will they, as adults, be able to embrace the lifetime commitment of marriage with steadfast faithfulness?

For those of the Catholic faith, however, there is a powerful “tool” to avert the harmful influence of the contemporary hedonistic culture. It is none other than the Church’s teaching on human sexuality and marriage – a teaching which, being grounded in Sacred Scriptures and having evolved organically over the centuries, offers a solid and holistic vision of the beauty of human sexuality and marriage.

This course is specifically designed to help Catholics (especially young adults) to rediscover the Church’s teaching on human sexuality and marriage. It is hoped that this will help married couples live out their marriage as a love-flourishing and life-giving reality, and as a common journey to holiness.

Course Overview

1. What is Beatitude? Christian Moral-Spiritual Life is Teleological (Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Veritatis Splendor)

2. Basic Principles in Catholic Moral Theology (Human Acts, Conscience)

3. How Did We Arrive at the Current Situation? – The Sexual Revolution

4. Human Sexuality in Sacred Scriptures – An Overview

5. Human Sexuality in the Catholic Tradition – A Brief Survey

6. Human Sexuality in the Contemporary Magisterium (part I)

7. Theological development (von Hildebrand, Wojtyla)

8. Human Sexuality in the Contemporary Magisterium (part II)

9. Defense of Humanae Vitae against the Attacks from the "Right"

10. Defense of Humanae Vitae against the Dissension from the "Left" – Teleological Organicity

11. Synthesis: a Holistic Understanding of the Church’s Teaching on Human Sexuality – Marriage, a Love-Flourishing and Life-Giving Reality, and a Common Journey to Holiness.

12. Homosexuality (part I) – Physical and Mental Dimensions of Sexual Development

13. Homosexuality (part II) – Theological and Moral Considerations

14. Concluding Remarks – Chastity in Sexual Education