John T. Noonan, Jr., is a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco, California. He is a historian of ideas, distinguished lecturer, and author of thirteen books.
"Noonan aims to demonstrate that Catholic moral theology can and
does develop, often enough in response to forces-including moral
forces-external to the Church. That he does so masterful a job has
obvious implications for on-going Catholic debates over birth
control and a great deal else. It is readily accessible to a
general audience, thanks to his admirably lucid prose." -The
Jurist
"John T. Noonan's writing is tight, the examples are
striking, the one-liners abundant, and the treasure-trove of
amazing (and egregious) ecclesial statements is eye-popping.
...excellent book...." -Catholic Library World
"[a] magisterial work.... This book should be high on the
list of must reads for anyone interested in Catholic moral theology
but also for any educated Catholic who wants to understand how you
can teach one thing in the past and another thing today."-Theology
Today
". . . immensely valuable and scrupulously researched. . . . [a]
trenchant historical account." -Commonweal
"...Noonan has written a stimulating book dealing with questions
of great importance."-First Things
"...vital reading for those involved in reforming the
church."-Conscience
"Noonan's thesis is that while the Catholic Church cannot
change in holding to the deposit of faith, its moral doctrine has
changed with regard to slavery, usury, and religious liberty, and
it is in process of changing with regard to the dissolving of
non-sacramental marriages. . . This is a thoughtful and scholarly
work, which raises questions for both moral and systematic
theologians." -The Catholic Historical Review
". . . well-written and well-documented . . . ."
-America
"Highly recommended." -Choice
"John T. Noonan, Jr., . . . applies the concept of the
development of doctrine to morals and shows how the moral teaching
of the church can and cannot change." -Theology Digest
"What Noonan brings . . . to this invaluable book is unblinking
honesty about the record of the church to which he is deeply
devoted. That is a standard for anyone wishing to pursue the
conversation."-The New York Times Book Review
" . . . a scholarly and innovative modern approach to the
teachings of Catholic fundamentals within the context of the modern
church." - The Midwest Book Review
"Noonan offers an intrepid analysis of unambiguous
development in Catholic moral teaching that should cause the Church
to celebrate rather than diminish the dynamic process of
development . . . This enlightening, challenging, and hopeful book
should contribute substantively to an appreciation of the
constructive role of the development of moral doctrine in Catholic
theology." -The Heythrop Journal
"Having been an office neighbor of Judge John Noonan at the Kluge Center of the Library of Congress while this book was developing, I am delighted to see it in print. It is a careful and yet bold application of the concept of 'development of doctrine' to morals rather than to dogma, and a brilliant taxonomy of Christian attitudes toward slavery. The result of Judge Noonan's research is a deeper, if more complex, understanding of just what the continuity of the Orthodox-Catholic tradition implies. I look forward to discussing it with the author at greater length, and I cannot imagine any serious person who would not benefit from reading it." -Jaroslav Pelikan, Yale University
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