Review Essay: The Resurgence of Virtue in Recent Moral Theology

Abstract

While virtue was a significant player in Patristics and Medieval theology, its role after these periods diminished. There has, however, been increased emphasis paid to virtue leading up to Vatican II. This review essay aims to reconstruct the narrative of the decline and rise of virtue in Catholic moral theology, paying attention to such key figures as Stanley Hauerwas, Alasdair MacIntyre, Servais Pinckaers, Julia Annas, Jean Porter, Martin Rhonheimer, and others. Virtue ethics is not an outdated endeavor but an ongoing and rigorous project in moral theology.