Situation of Moral Theology in the German-Speaking World after “Veritatis Splendor”

Abstract

After Vatican Council II and the dispute on the encyclical “Humanae vitae”, moral theology showed symptoms of a deep crisis. John Paul II took up this challenge and published his encyclical “Veritatis Splendor”. On christological fundaments, he defends the dignity of the human person and criticises theories, which are in contradiction to the Christian vision of man. After some period of contestation, more and more moral theologians in the German-speaking world are now following the path of renewal in the spirit of “Veritatis Splendor”.