An ecological model through which we can imagine Aquinas' vision of moral character
The images we use to think about moral character are powerful. They inform our understanding of the moral virtues and the ways in which moral character develops. However, this aspect of virtue ethics is rarely discussed.
In Ecological Moral Character, Nancy M. Rourke creates an ecological model through which we can form images of moral character. She integrates concepts of ecology with Aquinas' vision and describes the dynamics of a moral character in terms of the processes and functions that take place in an ecosystem. The virtues, the passions, the will, and the intellect, are also described in terms of this model.
Ecological Moral Character asks readers to choose deliberately the models we use to imagine moral character and offers this ecological virtue model as a vital framework for a period of environmental crisis.
Reviews
"In taking up Pope Francis's charge in Laudato si' to reimagine the Christian moral life as dwellers in our common home, Nancy Rourke has done the field a true service. Impressive in scope and ambitious in intent, this book convincingly shows how, in the virtuous life, everything is interconnected."—Lucas Briola, assistant professor of theology, Saint Vincent College
"There is not another book like Ecological Moral Character. No one else has brought together fundamental moral theology and Laudato si' like Dr. Rourke. She shows that human flourishing is inextricably linked to creation and that the virtues need to be reworked accordingly. Dr. Rourke's vision makes this book essential reading for the field."—Jason King, Beirne Chair and director for the Center for Catholic Studies, St. Mary's University, Texas
About the Author
Nancy M. Rourke is Associate Professor of Theology at Canisius College in Buffalo, NY. She is the co-editor of Theological Literacy in the Twenty First Century and numerous articles in Catholic theology.
