Jewish ethicists face a twofold task of persuading audiences that (a) their proposal for an issue of social concern and justice is the right and good thing to do, and (b) their proposal fits within the Judaic tradition writ large. Whereas most scholarship in the field focuses on how Jewish ethicists argue by dividing arguments into halakhic formalist, covenantalist and narrativist categories, these efforts fail both to reflect the diverse ways ethicists actually argue and to explain why they argue in these ways. My project proposes a new methodology to understand how and why Jewish ethicists argue as they do on issues of justice and concern. My project combines philosophical theology and discourse analysis. The first examines an ethicist’s notion of covenant (brit) in light of theories found in the Jewish textual tradition. Clarifying an ethicist’s notion of covenant uncovers that person’s assumptions about the scope and binding nature of elements in the Judaic tradition, and that person’s conception of an audience’s responsibilities to the normative argument s/he articulates. Certain themes come to the fore for each ethicist that, when mapped, reveal striking relationships between an ethicist’s notion of covenant and anticipated ethical rhetoric. These maps begin to show why certain ethicists argue as they do. Discourse analysis then identifies the interrelationships between the speaker, the spoken and the audience – as they are actually articulated in Jewish ethicists’ practical arguments. These relationships form the how of Jewish ethical arguments insofar as they reflect an author’s rhetorical choices. My project applies discourse analysis to the rhetoric of a sample of living Jewish ethicists (J. David Bleich, Elliot Dorff, Eugene Borowitz) who speak out on issues of social concern and justice. As will be seen, a rich and complex relationship exists between an ethicist’s theory of covenant and his subsequent moral rhetoric. This twofold methodology enables the student of Jewish ethics to understand how and why seemingly disparate styles of normative speech are nonetheless participating in a common endeavor and discourse. And it supports the theologically-based rhetoric of religious ethical discourse in shaping justice in multi-cultural societies.

Thesis advisor: Andrea Vicini / Thesis advisor: James Keenan / This thesis studies the impact of AI on education and how to respond to the challenges within the context of Catholic education. The approach is through the lens of Catholic social thought. The thesis is divided into three chapters. Chapter One discusses the relationship between education and technology, and current trends in AI as applied to education. It also presents Jesuit education as one example of Catholic education and focuses on a specific context, Spanish Jesuit schools. Chapter Two introduces a range of resources from theological ethics. This includes fundamental concepts from Catholic social teaching, and different perspectives of theological ethics applied to technology. This chapter also presents how education is envisioned from a Catholic point of view. Finally, in Chapter Three, by applying the concept of human dignity and other concepts from Catholic social teaching, we propose some reflections on how to discern the use of AI in education. / Thesis (STL) — Boston College, 2023. / Submitted to: Boston College. School of Theology and Ministry. / Discipline: Sacred Theology.

This dissertation analyzes the shape and scope of the virtuous life as it is made possible by and oriented toward God in the thought of two of the most consequential philosophical and theological thinkers in Christianity and Islam, Thomas Aquinas (d. 1274) and Abu Hamid al-Ghazālī (d. 505/1111), respectively. My analysis reveals that they share a commitment to the importance and reality of divine agency in shaping human moral action but sharply diverge in their vision of what constitutes a good human life. I argue that attending to these convergences and divergences in their ethics presents contemporary scholars and practitioners with a wide set of resources to theorize or navigate questions and challenges related to loving God, living well, and making moral decisions. This dissertation is a work of comparative theological ethics and engages in historical and rational reconstruction alike. I analyze Aquinas’s and al-Ghazālī’s central arguments on their own terms before extending them into contemporary conversations about divine agency, human happiness, and love. I clarify ongoing disputes about virtue in Aquinas scholarship by arguing for the compatibility of the acquired and infused moral virtues through a more robust appreciation of his account of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the beatitudes. I also contribute to burgeoning analyses of al-Ghazālī’s neglected account of virtue by arguing that his varied use of terms like good character traits (khulq), states of the soul (aḥwāl), and stations (maqāmāt) are united by his commitments to habituation and to his conception of happiness as grounded in the love of God alone. I argue that al-Ghazālī’s insights regarding eternal happiness can inform ongoing debates about the compatibility of acquired and infused moral virtues in Aquinas scholarship and can help Christian theologians and practitioners better appreciate the necessity of the presence of both kinds of virtue in the Christian moral life. I utilize Aquinas’s well-developed account of the infused theological virtue of charity (caritas) to illumine al-Ghazālī’s station of love (maḥabba) as a virtuous activity that can structure a moral way of life oriented toward the end of knowing and loving God. Aside from its contributions to our understanding of these figures and these dimensions of moral thought and life, this dissertation also demonstrates the value of comparison more generally as a tool to clarify debated and neglected concepts in moral philosophy and theology, to enrich ethical deliberation, and to deepen love of God and neighbor. / 2026-05-16T00:00:00Z

Text in German and English / Basing the following on the premise that one-seded balance of power in mission work impedes fellowship and partnership (chapter 2), it is the intention of this treatise to investigate, with the help of the method of text pragmatics and incorporating the Malian context (chapter 1), what findings from 1 Corinthians 9 are helpful towards dealing with the problem (chapters 3-4). Paul describes the problem of financial support in detail, yet actually it serves to lead to the real aim of the text, i.e. Paul, while in Corinth, lived exemplarily by renouncing, on his own free will, his apostolic rights, thus demonstrating a model of how the "strong" and the "weak" could treat each other in good partnership. Paul lived his apostolic freedom being bound to Christ and in responsibility for people. This mentality of incarnational lifestyle (chapter 5) enables us to put the missionary's behaviour and the partnership problem between Western mission agency and African church in their proper place both, christlogically, and ecclesiologically (chapter 6). When applying this to practice in missionary life (chapter 7), it becomes evident ... - what consequences renunciation on his own free will has on the missionary's status and social and communicative behaviour (chapter 7.2 and 7.3); - how "power, control and one-sidedness" may be reduced where partners in missionary work cooperate. When putting this in concrete terms we have to ask, how missionaries can contribute to strengthen their partner in the host country by renouncing their right to a say, within the structures on the national level (chapter 7.4). Additionally, possibilities of the African partner having more say in administering finances and in where the missionaries are to serve, are shown. On the international level, suitable management structures are to make clear that the West is ready to renounce one-sided control, and to invite African partners to share responsibilities on the highest level. Finally, it becomes clear that more interchurch partnership certainly reduces the hegemony of the mission agency, but, in the end, may stimulate the missionary effort (chapter 7.5). Annotations on financial support of missionary work ends this treatise. / Ausgehend von der Prämisse, dass einseitige Machtverhältnisse in der Missionsarbeit Gemeinschaft und Partnerschaft negativ beeinträchtigen (Kap. 2) verfolgt die vorliegende Studie das Ziel, mit Hilfe der textpragmatischen Methodik und unter Einbeziehung des malischen Kontextes (Kap. 1) zu untersuchen, welche Einsichten aus 1 Kor. 9 hilfreich sind, um dieser Problematik zu begegnen (Kap. 3-4). Obwohl Paulus das Problem der materiellen Unterstützung ausführlich darstellt, dient es letztlich nur als Hinführung zum eigentlichen Skopus des Textes. Dieser besteht darin, dass Paulus in Korinth freiheitlichen Verzicht auf Inanspruchnahme apostolischer Rechte exemplarisch gelebt hat und so ein Modell aufzeigt, wie "Starke" und "Schwache" partnerschaftlich miteinander umgehen können. Paulus lebt apostolische Freiheit als Bindung an Christus und in Verantwortung für Menschen. Diese Mentalität des inkarnatorischen Lebensstil (Kap. 5) ermöglicht es, das Verhalten des Missionars heute und die Partnerschaftsproblematik zwischen westlicher Missionsgesellschaft und afrikanischer Kirche sowohl christologisch als auch ekklesiologisch einzuordnen (Kap. 6). Bei der missionspraktischen Anwendung (Kap. 7) wird deutlich, ... - wie sich freiheitlicher Verzicht auf den Status und das soziale und kommunikative Verhalten des Missionars auswirkt (Kap. 7.2 und 7.3). - wie "Macht, Kontrolle und Einseitigkeiten" in der Kooperation der am missionarischen Handeln beteiligten Partnern reduziert werden können. Die Konkretionen beziehen sich auf die Frage, wie Missionare im Gastland durch freiwilligen Verzicht auf Mitspracherechte in den Strukturen auf nationaler Ebene zur Stärkung des Partners beitragen können (Kap. 7.4). Des Weiteren werden die Möglichkeiten verstärkter Mitsprache afrikanischer Partner bei der Verwaltung von Finanzen und dem Einsatzort der Missionare aufgezeigt. Auf internationaler Ebenen sollen adäquate Leitungsstrukturen die Bereitschaft des Westens zum Verzicht auf einseitige Kontrolle verdeutlichen und afrikanische Partner zur Mitverantwortung auf höchster Ebene einladen. Schliesslich wird deutlich, dass verstärkte zwischenkirchliche Partnerschaften zwar die Vormachtstellung der Missionsgesellschaft reduziert, aber letztlich die Missionsarbeit befruchten kann (Kap. 7.5). Anmerkungen zur finanziellen Unterstützung missionarischer Arbeit beschliessen die Abhandlung. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D.Th. (Missiology)

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Text in German and English / Basing the following on the premise that one-seded balance of power in mission work impedes fellowship and partnership (chapter 2), it is the intention of this treatise to investigate, with the help of the method of text pragmatics and incorporating the Malian context (chapter 1), what findings from 1 Corinthians 9 are helpful towards dealing with the problem (chapters 3-4). Paul describes the problem of financial support in detail, yet actually it serves to lead to the real aim of the text, i.e. Paul, while in Corinth, lived exemplarily by renouncing, on his own free will, his apostolic rights, thus demonstrating a model of how the "strong" and the "weak" could treat each other in good partnership. Paul lived his apostolic freedom being bound to Christ and in responsibility for people. This mentality of incarnational lifestyle (chapter 5) enables us to put the missionary's behaviour and the partnership problem between Western mission agency and African church in their proper place both, christlogically, and ecclesiologically (chapter 6). When applying this to practice in missionary life (chapter 7), it becomes evident ... - what consequences renunciation on his own free will has on the missionary's status and social and communicative behaviour (chapter 7.2 and 7.3); - how "power, control and one-sidedness" may be reduced where partners in missionary work cooperate. When putting this in concrete terms we have to ask, how missionaries can contribute to strengthen their partner in the host country by renouncing their right to a say, within the structures on the national level (chapter 7.4). Additionally, possibilities of the African partner having more say in administering finances and in where the missionaries are to serve, are shown. On the international level, suitable management structures are to make clear that the West is ready to renounce one-sided control, and to invite African partners to share responsibilities on the highest level. Finally, it becomes clear that more interchurch partnership certainly reduces the hegemony of the mission agency, but, in the end, may stimulate the missionary effort (chapter 7.5). Annotations on financial support of missionary work ends this treatise. / Ausgehend von der Prämisse, dass einseitige Machtverhältnisse in der Missionsarbeit Gemeinschaft und Partnerschaft negativ beeinträchtigen (Kap. 2) verfolgt die vorliegende Studie das Ziel, mit Hilfe der textpragmatischen Methodik und unter Einbeziehung des malischen Kontextes (Kap. 1) zu untersuchen, welche Einsichten aus 1 Kor. 9 hilfreich sind, um dieser Problematik zu begegnen (Kap. 3-4). Obwohl Paulus das Problem der materiellen Unterstützung ausführlich darstellt, dient es letztlich nur als Hinführung zum eigentlichen Skopus des Textes. Dieser besteht darin, dass Paulus in Korinth freiheitlichen Verzicht auf Inanspruchnahme apostolischer Rechte exemplarisch gelebt hat und so ein Modell aufzeigt, wie "Starke" und "Schwache" partnerschaftlich miteinander umgehen können. Paulus lebt apostolische Freiheit als Bindung an Christus und in Verantwortung für Menschen. Diese Mentalität des inkarnatorischen Lebensstil (Kap. 5) ermöglicht es, das Verhalten des Missionars heute und die Partnerschaftsproblematik zwischen westlicher Missionsgesellschaft und afrikanischer Kirche sowohl christologisch als auch ekklesiologisch einzuordnen (Kap. 6). Bei der missionspraktischen Anwendung (Kap. 7) wird deutlich, ... - wie sich freiheitlicher Verzicht auf den Status und das soziale und kommunikative Verhalten des Missionars auswirkt (Kap. 7.2 und 7.3). - wie "Macht, Kontrolle und Einseitigkeiten" in der Kooperation der am missionarischen Handeln beteiligten Partnern reduziert werden können. Die Konkretionen beziehen sich auf die Frage, wie Missionare im Gastland durch freiwilligen Verzicht auf Mitspracherechte in den Strukturen auf nationaler Ebene zur Stärkung des Partners beitragen können (Kap. 7.4). Des Weiteren werden die Möglichkeiten verstärkter Mitsprache afrikanischer Partner bei der Verwaltung von Finanzen und dem Einsatzort der Missionare aufgezeigt. Auf internationaler Ebenen sollen adäquate Leitungsstrukturen die Bereitschaft des Westens zum Verzicht auf einseitige Kontrolle verdeutlichen und afrikanische Partner zur Mitverantwortung auf höchster Ebene einladen. Schliesslich wird deutlich, dass verstärkte zwischenkirchliche Partnerschaften zwar die Vormachtstellung der Missionsgesellschaft reduziert, aber letztlich die Missionsarbeit befruchten kann (Kap. 7.5). Anmerkungen zur finanziellen Unterstützung missionarischer Arbeit beschliessen die Abhandlung. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D.Th. (Missiology)

Doctor Theologiae / South Africa

[pt] Teologia moral contemporânea: Status questionis, ética e hermenêutica em 1Jo 2,15-17 propõe uma reflexão acerca das questões morais que assolam a humanidade, de Sócrates aos seres humanos contemporâneos. Faz um estudo filosófico do campo que alguns nomeiam de ética e outros, de moral para propor uma reflexão acerca da teologia moral e/ou da ética religiosa. Essa dissertação inicia pelo estado da questão, para perceber o fundamento filosófico presente em toda teologia moral. Realiza uma síntese da ética filosófica, destacando seus horizontes e as principais correntes éticas contemporâneas. Apresenta uma fundamentação histórica da teologia moral, do horizonte tridentino ao contexto pós-Vaticano II, procurando demonstrar que ela sempre esteve a reboque dos acontecimentos, e não diante deles, acenando por qual caminho o cristão pode e deve enveredar-se. Na sequência, faz uma tentativa de refletir acerca do possível substrato bíblico da teologia moral, expondo os pontos essenciais do documento da Pontifícia Comissão Bíblica, denominado Bíblia e Moral. Por fim, traça rotas de investigação para a compreensão da moral nos livros bíblicos, detendo-se nas Cartas Católicas – aspectos principais da primeira Epístola de João – e realiza uma análise particular da ética na hermenêutica de 1Jo 2,15-17, a fim de poder demonstrar que o papel da teologia moral católica na contemporaneidade é o de humanizar o ser humano, reafirmando que não há outro modelo a ser seguido a não ser Jesus Cristo. / [en] Contemporary moral theology: Status questionis, ethics and hermeneutics in 1Jo 2,15-17 addresses the moral issues that plague humanity, from Socrates to contemporary human beings. It performs a philosophical study of the field named by some as ethics or as moral by others, in order to propose a reflection on moral theology and / or religious ethics. This dissertation begins with the state of the investigation, highlighting the philosophical foundation of all moral theology. A synthesis of the philosophical ethics follows, highlighting its horizons and the main contemporary ethical currents. It then engages on a historical view of the foundation of moral theology, from the Tridentine horizon to the post-Vatican II context, demonstrating that moral theology has always been in the wake of the events, and not before them, indicating the direction Christians can and should take. At this point, a study on the possible biblical substratum of moral theology is offered, exposing the essential points of the Pontifical Biblical Commission s Bible and Moral document. Finally, it identifies investigation trends for the understanding of morality in the biblical books, dwelling on the Catholic Letters, major elements John s first Letter. In particular, it accomplishes a specific analysis of the ethics in the hermeneutics of 1 John 2: 15-17 in order to be able to demonstrate that the role of Catholic moral theology today is to humanize the human being, reasserting that no other model is to be followed except for Jesus Christ.

The purpose of this study is to investigate how religious ethics, while retaining its identity, can contribute to political debate and to the understanding of justice. The inquiry addresses these issues by focusing on theological perspectives which challenge the solutions offered to these questions by the liberal paradigm. Three kinds of challenges are studied, each of which is represented by one thinker from the Islamic tradition and one from the Christian tradition, in order to enable a comparative perspective on the contributions of religious traditions. The thinkers studied are: 1) modified liberalism, represented by Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na’im and Duncan B. Forrester; 2) liberationism, represented by Ali Shariati and Gustavo Gutierrez; and 3) radical traditionalism, as developed by Tariq Ramadan and John Milbank. The study is organized around three main questions. First, how can innovative interpretations of religious tradition be plausibly justified? Second, what role should religious arguments and reasons play in the political sphere? Third, what can religious ethics and theological thought contribute to the understanding of social justice? The questions are engaged by means of a critical and reconstructive engagement with the six thinkers. The suggested solutions are assessed in terms of the criteria of authenticity, communicability, and potential for transformation. It is argued that a religious ethic can rely on a tradition without accepting conservative understandings of that tradition. Furthermore, it is argued that the coherence of religious ethics can be made available for public discourse but that the hospitability of the public forum to such contributions needs to be realized through a deepened democratic culture and a critique of power structures which condition perceptions of rationality. While religious ethics do not articulate complete alternative understandings of justice, they articulate contributions by relating justice to human sociality and to transcendence.