A Light for Acting

"Walking in the Light of Love: The Foundations of Christian Morality" is the title given to the large volume published by Cantagalli, Siena, 2008 as "Camminare nella luce dell'amore: I fondamenti della morale cristiana". Among the most significant contributions to morals of the new millenium, it is the collaborative effort of three authors: L. Melina, J. Noriega and J.J. Perez-Soba. The title "Walking in the Light of Love" synthesizes two expressions of Sacred Scripture: "walk in the light" (I Jn 1:7; cf. Is 2:5) and "walk in love" (Eph 5:2).The light for acting no longer comes merely from without, imposing itself extrinsically on action: love itself is a light, the light that illumines the way from within (St Gregory the Great: "ipse amor notitia est"; quoted in "Deus Caritas Est" by Pope Benedict XVI).The unity of truth and love in acting is thus proposed, as is the originality of moral knowledge, which is not just a manifestation of speculative reason but occurs in a connaturality of the entire person with the good, within the foundational experience of love.Published in English now as a Five Volume Series, "Walking in the Light of Love" reintegrates Christian Morality with it Dogmatic foundations by recognizing the Trinitarian image in the acting person, who is capable of directing his acts under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This trinitarian structure corresponds to the personalistic categories of presence, encounter and communion, thus enabling an authentic trinitarian anthropology that accounts for the collaboration of the divine and the human in human acting. After the Introductory Volume, The title of the First Part, "For the Glory of the Father", recognizes original love as the founding presence of the Father in the person who acts. The Second Part, "Sons in the Son", emphasises the human Encounter with Love in Christ. The Third Part, "Guided by the Spirit" priorites the achievement of communion in acting, thanks to the role of the Holy Spirit as interior teacher and guide. Finally the Concluding Volume sums up the findings and offers thoughts on the method of teaching Moral Theology.