Topic: Introduction

FUNDAMENTALS OF CHRISTIAN MORALITY

A. The Moral Agent: Human Person
We begin with a prayer recognizing our
According to Natural Law identity as a human person, acknowledging God as our
Old Testament Revelation creator and asking his grace to help us do his will.
New Testament Revelation

Youtube Link: What makes man a man? What does it mean of being
the crown and key to God’s creation (CFC 334)?
Objectives:
Describe correctly one’s identity as moral
agent through a video analysis; The bible says a lot about man’s identity as a special
creature of God. In the book of Psalms, he is fearfully
Cite concrete ways of becoming an agent of and wonderfully made. “Truly you have formed my
moral change within one’s own community
inmost being; You knit me in my mother’s womb.
through a commitment Statement;
I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made.”
Pray for God’s grace in doing his will. (Ps. 139 13-14)

What is man that you should be mindful of him, or the

BTI son of man that you should care for him? You have
made him little less than the angels, and crowned him
with glory
The pre-service teachers can develop & demonstrate and honor.
the following competencies:
You have given him rule over the works of your hands,
Domain 1. Content Knowledge and Pedagogy putting all things under his
feet (Ps. 8:5-7). Capsoul of the Session
1.1.1 Demonstrate content knowledge and its application within and/or across curriculum teaching areas.
With appreciation and
gratitude for our unique
and special place in the
creation of God, we are
called to live our life
accordingly in such a way
that all our actions glorify
the one who created
us. In this module, we will explore the beauty of our unique identity
and respond positively to the challenges of life as an expression of
gratitude for the mystery of our existence
 Activity:

If you have to introduce yourself as a keynote speaker, what are

the 3 things about you that you would like to highlight?

Why did you choose those characteristics/identity?

Acquisition of New Knowledge

What is man that you should be mindful of him, or the

son of man that you should care for him? You have
made him little less than the angels, and crowned him
with glory and honor.
You have given him rule over the works of your hands,
putting all things under his feet (Ps. 8:5-7).

To support the exhortation Psalm 8:5-7, the

following identity of a man is highlighted:

Human is Rational
• We discover that we can think
• It is rationality which enables us to:
• Figure out and solve problems
• Discover laws within nature
• Reflect on the meaning of things
• Chart our future

Q: What did you discover about yourself in this new normal?

How did it help you grow as a person?

Man is Free
• A fundamental human trait is the ABILITY TO CHOOSE
• Free will: The ability to choose between good and bad, to change and improve
our lives, direct our future.

Q: Are you free? To what extent? why did you say so?

• Our capacity to reason and to choose separates us from other animals. These
two faculties are at the heart of human nature: they comprise our soul.

TO REASON are spiritual qualities which are

TO CHOOSE difficult to measure & analyze yet they
are real and help define who we are
 Man is Loving
• We were created out of love and so, called to love one another.
• We can choose to do good to another person.
• We desire the good of another person, we love. It takes
freedom to love
• Love is the highest form of choosing because it is choosing for
others.

Identify individuals whom you consider as an epitome of love.

Q: Love is an action word. What does it mean? What does it mean
of loving?

Embodied Spirits
• That we are people with bodies seems obvious, but it is an important truth for
truly understanding the human person.
• But, we are not human beings without our bodies.
• We can only become ourselves through the bodies we have.
• We express ourselves & experience reality through our senses, emotions,
desires, feelings, likes and dislikes.
• Our bodies are the “natural sacrament of our spiritual depth
• However, our true identity is spiritual.

Q: Do you hear the deafening cry of your embodied spirit? What do you think is
the sacred message of your body to you today?

Unique Yet Social

• We are unlike any other person, past, present and future.
• Our uniqueness shines forth only in community with others.
• Being a person means:
• Being by others (conception, birth, etc.)
• Being with others (family, friends, etc.)
• Being for others (love, friendship, service, etc.)
• WE ARE SOCIAL BEINGS

Q: What do you have that makes your presence significant in the society where
you belong? What makes you unique? What makes you a social being?

Historical Being
• We each have a history. We sum up in our humanity all who have preceded us.
• We have been formed by our individual and collective past and we shall in turn
form the future. As we shall see, if we use our freedom properly, we pass on
more than our genetic makeup, we pass on the fruits of our wisdom and love.

Q: What significant lesson did your past teach you today?

Image of God (Gen. 1:2)

• We are created in the image and likeness of God (rational soul). What
incredible value we must have in God’s sight.
Our very activities of thinking and loving, in fact our very being, reflect the beauty, the wisdom, the love of the Creator.
 • We reflect God’s glory and each of us is of tremendous worth to Him.

Q: How can you be an image of God to others today?

God’s Partners (Genesis 1:28)

• “Fill the earth and conquer it!”
• In a very real sense we are co-creators with God.
• We are stewards of God’s creation: to develop and take care of God’s creation.
This means that we must share in the development of the world and creation.
• We are to cooperate in the Divine Plan by developing, expanding and properly
using the goods of the earth which have been entrusted to us.

Q: What does it mean of partnership? What concrete activities do you have on

stewardship?

Fundamentally Good (Genesis 1:31)

• Because we are the image of God, we are good at the very core of our being.
• The more we act according to the way we are made by God the more we reflect
the image of God our Creator.

Q: How good are you? How do you show it?

Fundamentally equal
• The wealthiest man in the world and the poorest
of the poor are fundamentally equal because we
share the same basic human dignity.

Q: What is the difference between equality and

equity?
Q: Explain the statement of St. John Paull II.

APPLICATION: What makes you a moral agent?

In a commitment statement cite 3 concrete ways of becoming an agent of moral change within
your own community.

ASSESSMENT: Video Analysis. Kindly visit this link- https://youtu.be/vfit88Os0YQ. Guided by

our discussion, identify the messages portrayed in each video.
1. Man is Rational
2. Man is free
3. Man is Loving
4. Man is Embodied Spirits
5. Man is Unique yet Social
6. Man is Historical Being
7. Man is Image of God
8. Man is God’s Partner
9. Man is Fundamentally Good
10. Man is Fundamentally Equal
REFERENCES

Primary Sources:

Knox, I. (2003). Theology for Teachers. U.P Box 4, Diliman 1101 Quezon City, Philippines.
Clarentian Publications

Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994). Manila, Philippines: ECCE Word & Life Publications.

Secondary Sources:

Reyes, R.C, (2009) Revised. Ground and Norm of Morality: Ethics for College Students. Loyola
Heights, Quezon City. Ateneo De Manila University Press

Reyes, R.C, (1089). Ground and Norm of Morality: Ethics for College Students. Loyola Heights,
Quezon City. Ateneo De Manila University Press

Alora, R.A. (2004). A Handbok in Bioethics. 264-A Pablo Ocampo Sr. Ave. Bookmark.Inc
Reyes, J. (2018). Moral Theology, A Basic Study on Christian Morality. Unpublished book