Moral Theology for the 21st Century

'The essays are essentially honest enquiries, seeking to shed some light on some of the most pressing moral issues of our time, such as divorce and second marriage, homosexuality, the relationship between conscience and authority. While at times they disagree with official Church teaching, it is always with a respectful and scholarly concern for the Christian tradition and a willingness to learn from others, both Christian and non-Christian.' Kevin Dean -- Kevin Dean
"As a public voice honoring the life and work of Kevin Kelly, this collection raises the bar on what such Festschriften can achieve...This Festschrift not only introduces readers to Kelly's wide range of influence (at least in the English-speaking world), but it also suggests that members of the guild commit to dialogically probe the depths of the tradition, to bring more experiences to the table, and to collaborate in finding what matters most in and for the real world." -Mary Jo Iozzio, Theological Studies, Sept. 2009
"This collection offers meaningful theological reflection and insights for undertaking moral theology in the twenty-first century." -Kathryn Lilla Cox, Worship, Vol. 83, July 2009
Title reviewed by Peter Mullen in Catholic Herald, 2008.
"The book's unity and strength arise from several elements. Most of the essays in some way challenge the magisterial status quo and all of them reflect directly or indirectly Kelly's concerns and influence. Most importantly, however, the essays share a pastoral sensibility - a concern for the person that is stronger than that the concern for doctrinal purity - that derives from Kelly himself. The challenges to the church's treatment of, for instance, the AIDS crisis and its attending controversies are rooted in the actual lives of those most affected. Kelly's conviction that the moral theologian must work with the heart of a pastor is evident throughout the book. No prior familiarity with Kelly's work is necessary to learn from these essays, but it is unlikely that many will finish the book without then reaching soon for Kelly's own work." --Eric Biddy, Anglican Theological Review 92:1 -- Eric Biddy * Anglican Theological Review *
As such, the volume includes rigorous, pastorally-sensitive essays on a multitude of specific areas: sexual complementarity, contraception, homosexuality, animal ethics, HIV/AIDS, ecclesiological issues such as ecumenism, and many more. Usefully, however, it also contains what might be called meta-ethical reflections, such as those on the nature of conscience, doctrine, and moral theology itself.' Susannah Cornwall -- Susannah Cornwall * Reviews in Religion and Theology *
'This Festschrift not only introduces readers to Kelly's wide range of influence (at least in the English-speaking world), but it also suggests that members of the guild commit to dialogically probe the depths of the tradition, to bring more experiences to the table, and to collaborate in flnding what matters most in and for the real world. With these issues inmind, the collection will be helpful in a graduate course dedicated to the principal preoccupations of moral theology since Vatican 11.' Mary Jo Iozzio, Barry University, Miami Shores, Fla. -- Mary Jo Iozzio * Theological Studies *