Charles Curran has been described as “the foremost Catholic moral theologian in the U.S.” (Richard P. McBrien), "the most influential U.S Catholic moral theologian for the last forty-five years” (Dennis Coday, NCR), and “the dean of U.S. Catholic ethicists" (John F. Kane).
In essays reflecting the broad themes that have characterized his career, Charles Curran examines developments in Catholic social thought, sexual morality, and the question of reform and renewal in the church. His overview of Catholic Social Teaching includes a personal response to the challenge of “white privilege,” and a fascinating treatment of human rights— “an excellent example of discontinuity and even error in the Catholic tradition” as the church has moved from hostility to enthusiastic support for human rights. In Part II, he considers the bioethical and sexual traditions in Catholic moral theology, while in Part III he addresses the reforms of Vatican II and their ongoing meaning for the church. While noting that the struggle for reform will always be part of the church’s life, he concludes with a hopeful appraisal of Pope Francis and signs of renewal—especially in the field of moral teaching.
Charles E. Curran, a Catholic priest and distinguished moral theologian, teaches at Southern Methodist University. He has served as president of the Catholic Theological Society of America (and first winner of its John Courtney Murray Award) as well as of the Society of Christian Ethics and the American Theological Society. He has published over fifty books, including Loyal Dissent, The Development of Moral Theology, The Social Mission of the U.S. Church, and Catholic Moral Theology in the United States.
