Summaries / Resúmenes - Studia Moralia

REVIEWS / RECENSIONES 479account of the work of a most important figure in a crucial period ofchange in moral theology. This work is necessary reading for anyonewho seeks to understand moral theology in the twentieth century.BRIAN V. JOHNSTONE, C.SS.R.Holderegger, Adrian, ed. Fundamente der theologischen Ethik:Bilanz und Neuansätze, Studien zur theologischen Ethik,Freiburg, Switzerland: Universitätsverlag: Freiburg [Breisgau],1996, 516 p.This volume offers a collection of studies on the foundations oftheological ethics in the context of contemporary German research.The editor has succeeded admirably in arranging the nineteen contributionsin a systematic order; one reads them with the sense oftaking part in a cohesive process of reflection. Since a detailed discussionof all the issues discussed is not possible, I will comment onthose which seem particularly noteworthy. The first section dealswith the context of theological ethics. Jean-Pierre Wills analysesChristian ethics in a post-traditional world. The sense of the loss oftradition, in the cultural sense, looms large. The Christian traditionhas lost is capacity to convince. However, traditions may be moredurable than might seem to be the case. The author suggests thatmore attention be paid the speculative-mystical traditions, bothJewish and Christian.Josef Römelt, in keeping with the contemporary German visionof the problematic, seeks to establish the central ethical issue, andthen to discern the special contribution that theology may make. Thesetting is the history of human freedom, which is now plunged intoa new crisis, in that the human subject is faced with what seems tobe a dissolution of the self and the overwhelming of its freedom bymassive technology. The impetus of postmodern culture itself seemsto threaten the very identity and consistency of the self, while shatteringconfidence in reason. The author nevertheless argues than ameaningful responsibility is possible. The contribution of theology isto encourage this sense of responsibility. The theological theme ofpowerlessness driven to death on the cross is introduced. Theemphasis on the cross, and the absence of reflection on resurrection,is evident.