[The conviction that the common teaching of the bishops was a sure guide for Christian faith goes back to the earliest centuries. In the decades since Vatican II, appeals to this category of common episcopal teaching, now referred to under the rubric “ordinary universal magisterium,” have grown dramatically. The author here documents the expanded appeals

[Pope John Paul II in Apostolos suos has decreed that doctrinal statements to be issued by episcopal conferences either must have been approved unanimously, or, if approved by a two-thirds majority, must have received the recognitio of the Holy See. The author argues that these requirements are consistent with Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger’s opinion that the

[The practical-critical soteriology of Schillebeeckx understands and orients the experience of salvation in relation to liberating political praxis and social emancipation. Practical-critical soteriology develops the claim that liberation is intrinsic to and constitutive for the experience and interpretation of eschatological salvation. The interaction between liberation and salvation in his soteriology can be described as an

[The author suggests that the reception of ecumenical consensus is related to an adequate appreciation of theological method. The functional approach outlined in Bernard Lonergan’s Method in Theology provides a framework for reflecting on the role of ecumenical consensus statements and their relation to diverse expressions of the apostolic faith in the past, present, and

[The gifts of the Holy Spirit played a major role in the moral theology of Thomas Aquinas. For a variety of theological and ecclesial reasons, they were largely ignored after the Council of Trent. A review of theological and literary interest in the gifts in the first half of the 20th century shows that they

[In an effort to clarify foundational categories for moral theology, the author explores several polarities that have often been woven into discussions of moral formation. The first issue she addresses concerns the roles of socialization and autonomy, tradition and innovation, “heritage” and “discovery” in moral development. These principles of change are seen to be complementary

[Female initiation rite is one of the many traditional practices found in some African communities. The many rituals during this time of initiation include female circumcision/female genital mutilation, a socially justified mark of maturation, dramatizing the break with childhood and incorporation into adulthood. This practice has received much criticism because of sexist, health, and human