VOLUME 2: LIVING A CHRISTIAN LIFE

The User's Guide and Preface includes a key to the references within the text and in the footnotes along with other information likely to be helpful to serious readers.

Clicking on any chapter will open a summary of it. The responses to questions are longer than those in volume one. However, readers who wish to understand any part of the response to a question will do well to consider the question as a whole.

Preface and User’s Guide

Chapter 1: Faith, Religious Assent, and Reverence for God

Prologue to the chapter

A: What theological view of faith does this chapter presuppose?

B: Why reflect on the responsibility to keep one’s faith?

C: What reasons point to the credibility of catholic faith?

D: What about the “logical” case against faith?

E: What about the practical challenges to faith?

F: What is the only unanswerable reason for unbelief?

G: Why is it good to be a catholic Christian?

H: Which truths should one accept with Catholic faith?

I: Should one assent to teachings which are not of faith?

J: How should one cultivate and perfect one’s faith?

K: How can one properly honor God and show reverence?

Chapter 2: Hope, Apostolate, and Personal Vocation

A: What are the essential characteristics of Christian hope in God?

B: How should one fulfill one’s responsibility to hope?

C: What is the mission of the Church?

D: How are Catholics’ apostolic responsibilities the same and diverse?

E: What are one’s responsibilities in regard to personal vocation?

Chapter 3: Charity, the Eucharist, and Church Membership

A: How can one fulfill one’s responsibility to love God?

B: What is one’s chief responsibility in regard to worship?

C: What other forms of worship are appropriate for Catholics?

D: How should one foster the Church’s unity, peace, and vitality?

Chapter 4: Repentance, the Sacrament of Penance, and the Struggle against Sin

Prologue to the chapter

A: How do responsibilities in this sphere fit into Christian life?

B: What are one’s responsibilities to do penitential works?

C: How should one use the sacrament of penance?

D: What other means are to be used to overcome sin and its effects?

E: What are one’s responsibilities for others’ moral welfare?

F: What should Christians do to prepare for death?

Chapter 5: Seeking Moral Truth: Moral Judgment and Problem Solving

A: Why consider responsibilities with respect to moral truth?

B: What are the general norms for seeking moral truth?

C: How can the moral norms needed for a Christian life be acquired?

D: How can problems about norms and their application be solved?

E: How can doubts about facts be resolved?

F: When and how should better options be sought?

G: When and how should emotions that bear on choices be criticized?

H: How can partiality be recognized?

I: How should residual doubt and moral perplexity be dealt with?

J: How should one discern between or among good options?

K: How should one resolve conflicts of duties?

L: What are one’s responsibilities when deliberating with others?

M: What are the responsibilities of moral advisers?

N: Does this chapter provide support for proportionalism?

Chapter 6: Love, Justice, Mercy, and Social Responsibility

A: What is the primary Christian responsibility toward others?

B: What is justice?

C: How does community generate responsibilities toward others?

D: Does the common good take precedence over the good of each person?

E: How does the social situation shape one’s responsibilities?

F: How are justice and mercy related in practice?

G: How does Christian love shape social responsibility?

Chapter 7: Equal Dignity, Communication, Interpersonal Relationships, and Restitution

A: How is equal dignity consistent with diversity in social status?

B: What are one’s responsibilities in communicating?

C: What are one’s responsibilities with respect to promises and secrets?

D: What are one’s responsibilities in voluntary associations and friendships?

E: How should one exercise authority and practice obedience?

F: When should one cooperate with those who are doing wrong?

G: What are people’s responsibilities with regard to restitution?

Chapter 8: Life, Health, and Bodily Inviolability

A: Why should human life always be treated with reverence?

B: Is it always gravely wrong to intend to kill the innocent?

C: When is it wrong to accept or risk death as a side effect?

D: Is abortion always the wrongful killing of a person?

E: Why is contraception always wrong?

F: What are one’s responsibilities with respect to health?

G: What other responsibilities are there toward persons as bodily?

Chapter 9: Marriage, Sexual Acts, and Family Life

A: Why is every marriage a permanent and exclusive union?

B: Is this theology of marriage consistent with the Church’s practice?

C: What difference does the sacrament make to marriage?

D: What are the responsibilities of spouses toward each other?

E: What sexual acts are appropriate for Christians?

F: What are the responsibilities of spouses in regard to children?

G: What are the other responsibilities of family life?

H: What should spouses do if their marriage is troubled?

I: What are the responsibilities of those preparing for marriage?

Chapter 10: Work, Subhuman Realities, and Property

Prologue to the chapter

A: What are one’s responsibilities with respect to work?

B: How should people relate to subpersonal creation?

C: How should people treat nonrational animals?

D: What are the foundations of moral norms about property?

E: What are people’s responsibilities with respect to their own property?

F: What are one’s responsibilities as to others’ property?

G: What are one’s responsibilities in transactions?

Chapter 11: Patriotism, Politics, and Citizenship

A: What are one’s responsibilities with respect to patriotism?

B: Why should one be a dutiful and law-abiding citizen?

C: What are one’s responsibilities with regard to political activity?

D: What are one’s responsibilities with respect to laws?

E: How should citizens meet certain difficult civic responsibilities?

A:	What theological view of faith does this chapter presuppose?
B:	Why reflect on the responsibility to keep one’s faith?
C:	What reasons point to the credibility of catholic faith?
D:	What about the “logical” case against faith?
E:	What about the practical challenges to faith?
F:	What is the only unanswerable reason for unbelief?
G:	Why is it good to be a catholic Christian?
H:	Which truths should one accept with Catholic faith?
I:	Should one assent to teachings which are not of faith?
J:	How should one cultivate and perfect one’s faith?
K:	How can one properly honor God and show reverence?

A:	What are the essential characteristics of Christian hope in God?
B:	How should one fulfill one’s responsibility to hope?
C:	What is the mission of the Church?
D:	How are Catholics’ apostolic responsibilities the same and diverse?
E:	What are one’s responsibilities in regard to personal vocation?

A:	How can one fulfill one’s responsibility to love God?
B:	What is one’s chief responsibility in regard to worship?
C:	What other forms of worship are appropriate for Catholics?
D:	How should one foster the Church’s unity, peace, and vitality?

A:	How do responsibilities in this sphere fit into Christian life?
B:	What are one’s responsibilities to do penitential works?
C:	How should one use the sacrament of penance?
D:	What other means are to be used to overcome sin and its effects?
E:	What are one’s responsibilities for others’ moral welfare?
F:	What should Christians do to prepare for death?

A:	Why consider responsibilities with respect to moral truth?
B:	What are the general norms for seeking moral truth?
C:	How can the moral norms needed for a Christian life be acquired?
D:	How can problems about norms and their application be solved?
E:	How can doubts about facts be resolved?
F:	When and how should better options be sought?
G:	When and how should emotions that bear on choices be criticized?
H:	How can partiality be recognized?
I:	How should residual doubt and moral perplexity be dealt with?
J:	How should one discern between or among good options?
K:	How should one resolve conflicts of duties?
L:	What are one’s responsibilities when deliberating with others?
M:	What are the responsibilities of moral advisers?
N:	Does this chapter provide support for proportionalism?

A:	What is the primary Christian responsibility toward others?
B:	What is justice?
C:	How does community generate responsibilities toward others?
D:	Does the common good take precedence over the good of each person?
E:	How does the social situation shape one’s responsibilities?
F:	How are justice and mercy related in practice?
G:	How does Christian love shape social responsibility?

A:	How is equal dignity consistent with diversity in social status?
B:	What are one’s responsibilities in communicating?
C:	What are one’s responsibilities with respect to promises and secrets?
D:	What are one’s responsibilities in voluntary associations and friendships?
E:	How should one exercise authority and practice obedience?
F:	When should one cooperate with those who are doing wrong?
G:	What are people’s responsibilities with regard to restitution?

A:	Why should human life always be treated with reverence?
B:	Is it always gravely wrong to intend to kill the innocent?
C:	When is it wrong to accept or risk death as a side effect?
D:	Is abortion always the wrongful killing of a person?
E:	Why is contraception always wrong?
F:	What are one’s responsibilities with respect to health?
G:	What other responsibilities are there toward persons as bodily?

A:	Why is every marriage a permanent and exclusive union?
B:	Is this theology of marriage consistent with the Church’s practice?
C:	What difference does the sacrament make to marriage?
D:	What are the responsibilities of spouses toward each other?
E:	What sexual acts are appropriate for Christians?
F:	What are the responsibilities of spouses in regard to children?
G:	What are the other responsibilities of family life?
H:	What should spouses do if their marriage is troubled?
I:	What are the responsibilities of those preparing for marriage?

A:	What are one’s responsibilities with respect to work?
B:	How should people relate to subpersonal creation?
C:	How should people treat nonrational animals?
D:	What are the foundations of moral norms about property?
E:	What are people’s responsibilities with respect to their own property?
F:	What are one’s responsibilities as to others’ property?
G:	What are one’s responsibilities in transactions?

A:	What are one’s responsibilities with respect to patriotism?
B:	Why should one be a dutiful and law-abiding citizen?
C:	What are one’s responsibilities with regard to political activity?
D:	What are one’s responsibilities with respect to laws?
E:	How should citizens meet certain difficult civic responsibilities?