Preface by Alisdair MacIntyre
Fr. Pinkcaers, one of the foremost writers on Catholic morality for the coming generation of laymen, sharply distinguishes his view of morality from modern "moralities of obligation," which regard the moral life primarily as obedience to rules that limit human freedom and curb human desires. Instead of regarding freedom as the capacity to engage in excellent acts of virtue, the modern view understands freedom as the radical ability to do good or evil indifferently. Pinkcaers argues convincingly that this view of freedom and the morality of obligation that flows from it have impoverished the Catholic understanding of the moral life. This book offers the reader a compelling itinerary of moral development, rooted in the theology of St. Paul and the morality of the Gospels.
"Pinkcaers 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. He shows that 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 proposal of Morality is thoroughly Christ-centered, humanistic, and faithful to the magisterial teaching of the Church. Warmly recommended."
- First Things
"Pinkcaers offers a mature, grounded view of morality, of law, of freedom, of happiness - yet one that is fresh, stimulating, renewing. In the book's preface, Alasdair MacIntyre remarks that "Father Pinkcaers is an extraordinary author and this is an extraordinary book." MacIntyre speaks the plain truth."
- National Catholic Register