Catholic concepts in a secular world

[rug]

Published: April 10, 2013 Updated 2 hours ago

By CHERYL TRUMAN — Lexington Herald-Leader

LEXINGTON, Ky. — In Margaret Nutting Ralph's first book, "And God Said What?: An Introduction to Biblical Literary Forms" (Paulist Press, $18.95), published in 1986, Ralph wrote from the standpoint of a Bible-studying "contextualist" within the Roman Catholic Church. She put Scripture into its historical and moral context, considering overall directives of the Scripture in addition to specific historical mandates.

Her new book, "Why the Catholic Church Must Change: A Necessary Conversation" (Rowan & Littlefield, $34), examines various topics not just of the secular culture - abortion, marriage annulment and social justice - but of the Catholic culture and focuses on how the church can change.

In addition to her writing, Ralph, a Catholic, is director of the pastoral studies master's program at Lexington Theological Seminary in Kentucky and teaches in the permanent deacon program at St. Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology in St. Meinrad, Ind.

She discussed her new book with the Lexington Herald-Leader.

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2013/04/10/2528447/catholic-concepts-in-a-secular.html

A thoughtful interview at the link.

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

1. I generally agree with what she says

I would have expanded on her response to "You write that the Catholic Church teaches that people 'will be judged, not by their obedience to the law, but by their fidelity to a well-formed conscience.'"

This was taught by Thomas Aquinas. Now, there are Catholic theologians who say that a "well-formed conscience" cannot disagree with Church teachings, but that is pure hogwash.