(a) Explain the relationship of the Moral theology with revelation,

 20. (a) Explain the relationship of the Moral theology with revelation, different anthropologies, cultures and philosophies. (b) Discuss about moral conscience focusing on its autonomous and relational dimension and elaborate its dynamic role in making human decision. How person can form his/her conscience respecting to the conscience and also of the conscience? Explain the role of Natural Law in the path of humanization of the person. 

Introduction: In Christian theology, the moral character of human actions is determined by their relation to God’s will. Man’s actions are morally good if they agree with God’s will, and they are morally bad if they disagree with it. God’s will is not primarily expressed in a set of codified law and rules but concerns an inner calling and a summons to accomplish a risk within the universal plan of God for man and this world. This is discussed in the moral theology. It concerns how Christian should behave. Thus it becomes the theology of Christian life. Here is description of the relationship of moral theology with other distinctive subject matters and different function of the conscience.    

Definition of Moral Theology: Moral theology is that branch of theology which states and explains the laws of human conduct in reference to man’s supernatural destiny, the vision and fruition of God. As a science, it investigates the morality of human acts, that is, the moral good and the moral evil in conduct in relation to man’s ultimate end. Christian Moral Theology is the scientific exposition of the ethical teaching of the Gospel, or, more definitely, that theological discipline which sets forth the laws, rules, and precepts man must know and obey in order to attain his supernatural destiny. 

The Relationship of Different Subjects with Moral Theology

1. Moral Theology with the Revelation

i) Work for human being: The aim and intention of Moral theology to guide the people on the right and moral path. It decorates the lives of the people and leads all towards the salvation. Revelation helps to do the work of Moral theology for human being. 

ii) Presupposed and Accept: Moral Theology presupposes Divine Revelation; it presupposes and accepts the proved conclusion of Dogmatic Theology. Revelation reveals the plan of God and moral theology try to give support on that plan. 

iii) God and human being: Revelation revel the mysteries and Supreme attribute of God. Creation story, manifestation (Jesus Christ), Holy Spirit in Jesus Christ and Church.

iv) Law: Moral theology take its source of norm from this old and the new Testaments; Ecclesiastical traditions from apostolic times; the teaching of the church, as well in papal and councilor documents as in the ordinary preaching and teaching of its accredited pastors; the teaching of the fathers and the divines of the church. So, Revelation theology revel God’s law and moral theology receive it as it source.

v) Law for human being: Revelation revels all the laws are for the human beings. Revel law does not do not applied for human harm. Moral theology also applied it for the human welfare and guide people to the very goal, to ultimate goal. 

vi) Making Judge: Moral Theology assumes the of a Divine Revelation, ecclesiastical tradition, and the supernatural order, whereas moral theology considers what is right or wrong, in so far as human reason unaided by Revelation can judge. Moral theology helps to accept the revelation. 

vii) Discussion matter: The discussion matter of moral theology is Moral teaching of the Old and New Testament, nature of morality and ultimate end, notion of moral law, law of God in the Holy Scripture, natural moral law, human law, civil law, divine law, moral obligation, conscience, formation of conscience, moral value of human act, nature, distinction, source of sin, nature of conversion, nature of virtue, essences and universality of the call to perfection, pathways of holiness. Though moral theology discusses and deals all of these tropics for the human being but all of these are the revel matter of salvation. Revelation revel the truth of God and moral theology want to apply it. 

2. Moral Theology with Anthropologies

i) Study of Man: Anthropology means ‘the scientific study of man’.  It tries to discover the origin human nature of man. It goes to the root, to the primitive age. Gradually this science gives a shape of historical development of human being. Moral theology also works for the human being. It discovers the origin of human being and finds that we are the best creation God. Moreover, all the subject of the moral theology is God. 

ii) Deals with the life of human being: In the branch of anthropology we see that it deals with the physical, social, cultural, Linguistic anthropology. In the sphere of moral theology gives the moral guideline and show the moral obligation and responsibility to build the healthy community. Moral theology applied its moral values to enrich the cultural faith, tradition, morality. Morality becomes their part of life. 

iii) Religion: Anthropology research and find out the religious teaching, making relation with the ultimate God. Anthropology finds their faith, region. Moral theology guides them toward God. 

3. Moral Theology with Philosophy

i) For human being: Philosophy means the study of wisdom. This wisdom is used for the human being, by the human being. The meaning of being a person, the meaning of life, body-soul-related issues, concept of the individual, inters subjectivity, freedom, death, etc. Philosophy anthropology is the aftermath of an increasing specialization in the human sciences. Moral theology does its all moral activities and advice for the human being. 

ii) Speaks on God: This branch of Theology presupposes the existence of God, the fact of a supernatural human destiny, the possibility of attaining it by human acts with the help of divine grace, the freedom of the will, the existence of a teaching infallible church. Philosophy treats abstract realities and raises problems and questions that go beyond the observable phenomena. It raises some fundamental queries including our belief in the existence of God and the meaning of our own existence. Moral Theology also deals with God and takes all the laws from God’s revelation. Sometime Moral theology tries to find out the answer of the philosophical question. 

iii) United with Ultimate goal: Philosophy discovered the presence of God in the creation and in the life of human being too. Philosophy always asks question, ‘who’, what, which, whom… This way once he fined that everything is going on in well by the supernatural power that is God. The source of everything is God, philosophy always search for Ultimate God. Moral theology show the moral way such as- following laws, growing the virtue, conversion from sin. Thus it helps to meet with the ultimate God. 

iv) Philosophy of Mind: Philosophy is the study of the mind, attempting to ascertain exactly what the mind is, how it interacts with our body, the existence of other minds, the working of the mind, and so on. Moral theology guides this mind toward good by giving some moral norms. 

v) Intellect, will, reasons: Philosophy deals with intellect will, reasons, knowledge. Moral theology also use intellect, well and reason to give any moral decision. 

vi) Philosophy of Religion, Philosophy of God: Philosophy of God answers questions such as, ‘is there a God’, can the existence of God be proved or disproved, is it reasonable to have religious knowledge, etc. It also looks into the nature and attributes of God. It analyses the role of religious experience in one’s life and the difference which the existence or non-existence of God creates in one’s life. The relationship of God towards the world and the human beings come under the purview of philosophy of God. Among many other things, it deals with the different models or concepts of God present in the various culture of the world today and at various times. In this position moral theology present the religion’s responsibility for all the religion. Advise people to see the light of God in the creation and in human being. 

vii) Moral Theology gives Light: Philosophical enquiry is one of the central elements in the intellectual history of many civilizations. Ideas rule the world! A good philosophy that reflects on our politics and economics can have a favorable impact on the life of people everywhere. Though philosophers are pictured as people who always sit in dark rooms, they bring to light our implicit longings about God, world and ourselves! Philosophy provides a focus through which we can examine our own functions, behaviors and aspirations through a meaning-making process. On the other hand moral theology show the light gives the moral value to the politician, economist and to all. Moral theology shows the light to the philosopher so that philosopher may discover the ultimate reality.   

viii) True knowledge: Philosophy grows and this process in turn becomes a good training-ground for critical thinking which frees us from the bondage of our own prejudices, emotions and irrational inclinations. We reach a stage where true knowledge becomes a source of energy. Here Moral theology guides out mind, conscious to the true knowledge. 

Conscience: Conscience is a practical judgment (practical reason) on the goodness or the malice of an act to be done or avoided, in the particular circumstances in which a person is placed. It is the internal and proximate rule of morality. It is the process in which the general norms of the moral law are applied to a concrete action which a person is about to perform or has performed, telling the person what his obligation is here and now or judging his past acts. In this view conscience is a herald which voices the objective law and a deputy which applies it to the concrete, individual situation. For Augustine, conscience is the place of the loving discussion between God and man, and therefore the voice of God. According to Vatican II (Gaudium et Spes-16) Conscience is the most sacred core and sanctuary of a man where Holy Spirit dwells. 

Conscience can be defined as that faculty which makes known to man his moral obligations and urges him to fulfill them. It is not primarily a theoretical or scientific knowledge of moral values and of good and evil; rather is shows man what his ultimate calling and the divine Spirit require of him individually as his personal obligation and leads him to perceive the binding force of these requirements. 

Division of Conscience: There are many kinds of conscience, such as- i) Antecedent Conscience ii) Consequent conscience iii) Right Conscience iv) An erroneous conscience vi) A scrupulous conscience: v) A perplexed conscience: vii) A lax conscience: viii) The causes of laxity of conscience xi) Probable Conscience x) A doubtful conscience ix) Certain conscience xii) Improbable Conscience xi) Probable Conscience and x) A doubtful conscience.

The Autonomous Dimension of Conscience: Autonomous means man’s independence from moral command external to him, including any divine law and will. In the case of the conscience, it is the capacity of the conscience to be free from any sensible attitude and habitual deeds.  When the conscience is properly formed, it attains the autonomous dimension. It becomes able to realize that the moral goodness has its value in itself and dignity not for the sake of any external authority that wills it. It comes through a motivated sense of duty not by force but by a free and autonomous capacity of the right conscience. Vatican-II states in GS-17 that Man achieves such dignity when, emancipating himself from all captivity to passion, he pursues his goal in a spontaneous choice of what is good, and procures for himself through effective and skilful action, apt helps to that end.  

The Relational Dimension of the Conscience: The Relational Dimension of the Conscience is attitude to do good for others. It is a threefold dimension to do good to others, self and ultimately to God. As the teaching of the second Vatican council states that its voice, ever calling him to love and to do what is good and to avoid evil, tells him inwardly at the right moment: There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths. By conscience, in a wonderful way, that law is made known which is fulfilled in the love of God and of one's neighbor.   

Dynamic role of Conscience on making Human Decision

We have different kinds of conscious. This conscious helps us to make decision. Our right conscience always gives the right decision. But many times we do not follow the decision of the right conscious. Moreover, the faculty of Conscience goes into action when a person wants to follow or has followed, and the moral obligation in the concrete situation, are to be judged. The moral faculty then formulates a judgment, which is called the dictate of Conscience or also simply Conscience. Conscience is called an ultimate, practical judgment in contradistinction to a practical judgment of speculative nature. For this judgment conscious play a role and helps to take decision. We must obey a right conscience, both in doing what it commands, in avoiding what is forbids, and in respecting what it command as a means of perfection. 

Formation of Conscience: Conscience plays an important role in human life. So its proper formation is very essential. The Church also emphasize on it because by Baptism, we belong to the family of God, the Church as children. Then we need to maintain a moral standard which comes through the proper formation conscience. It is a long process. Here are some points given below for formation of Conscience. 

a) Sound Knowledge cum Vision: It helps to make right decision and makes our judgment more accurate. 

b) Autonomous: It cops with all situation and works automatically. Person enjoys God given gift of freedom here.

c) Proper Integration: As a whole inner or totality of a person. It is at the level of cognitive, conation/behavioral, affective which must be integrated by nature.  

d) Prudent Advice: It is necessary to take good example of others, supports of others, cultivate and practice of values. Formation should be according to the Gospel values-(study, prayer and patience), teaching of the Church, examination (Gift of Holy Spirit) of conscience to actualize and good example of others.   

The role of Natural Law in the Path of Humanization: The natural law is an unformulated law exists in nature. It is basic for all. It refers to those moral aspects which person knows by reason.  It has certain given order and principles. According to St. Thomas ‘natural law is the rational creature’s participation in the divine law”. It is given by birth or inborn order or one gets by nature; it shows original moral sense; thus the very moral order comes from the very nature of human being. The very nature of human being has the capacity to make decision of good and evil. It binds one at all times and places; common to all or universal by nature. No one is free from its obligation; no one is superior to its guideline; no one is beyond good and evil. Essence remains unchangeable. Person obliges to follow the law and when person follows this law, it gives a standard of living my making him more human. It applies to the entire human race, and its percepts are always the same in all times and among the peoples. Natural law is applicable for all. With the bodily growth person must growth in mind, conscious and mentally. Our education and other experience helps to form conscience. It accords with right reason and moral education lead us to the right path. Natural law prepares us to receive this right direction. Thus it gives a standard of living in the Path of Humanization. 

Conclusion: After all the discussion we can say that Moral theology is related with anthropology, revelation, philosophy. All of these branches work for the human being and God. Moral theology also discusses the formation of our conscience and helps to do take decision with conscience. With the divine relation natural law pays an important role to develop our human growth.