Title:
Dignity in death: countering vitalism with an economy of gift
Author:
Mark Thomas Rose
Thesis Advisor:
John Kiess
Committee Member:
Rebekah Eklund
Committee Member:
Jim Buckley
Committee Member:
Steve Fowl
Committee Member:
Nicole Reibe
Degree Granting Institution:
Loyola University Maryland--College of Arts and Sciences
Place:
Baltimore (Md.)
Publisher:
Loyola University Maryland
Date Created:
2023
Type of Resource:
text
Genre:
thesis
Language:
eng
Format:
application/pdf
Physical Form:
electronic
Digital Source:
born digital
Abstract:
This is directed at the Catholic faithful, or anyone interested in learning what the Catholic Church teaches on human dignity. This thesis examines the cultural, social, religious, and theological origins of vitalism, the moral principle that human physical life is an absolute good, and then seeks to explain why it is inconsistent with and in many cases a misinterpretation of Catholic conceptions of human dignity especially relating to end-of-life care matters. Through an analysis of Donum Vitae, Evangelicum Vitae, and Dignitas Personae a corrected view of human dignity will be put forth, which will then be supplemented by a discussion of the theology of gift borrowing from Kenneth Schmitz, and then will be given some practical expressions from a theology of death put forth by Karl Rahner, SJ. Ultimately, determining that the imago Dei, from which the dignity of the human person is derived, is, at least partially, an image of the generosity of God, which cannot be reciprocated to God, and so in turn must be reciprocated to others in acts of service through the gift of self. This is the primary end of human life, and preserving life when this is impossible is an inappropriate understanding of human dignity which ought to be corrected.
Subject:
Academic theses
Subject:
Thèses et écrits académiques
Subject:
dissertations
Subject:
Electronic dissertations
Degree:
Master of Theological Studies
Level:
Master
Discipline:
Theology
Restrictions on Access:
Author has given permission to make this work available online.
Use and Reproduction:
The authors of theses and dissertations are the copyright owners. Loyola Notre Dame Library has their permission to store and provide access to these works. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Permission is required to use materials for which Loyola Notre Dame Library, Loyola University Maryland, or Notre Dame of Maryland University hold copyright. In addition, the reproduction of some materials may be restricted by terms of gift of purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing and trademarks. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.
Identifier:
RoseMT-23
