Made by God, Made For God: Catholic Morality Explained

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What is Catholic morality all about? Is it a list of arbitrary rules imposed upon us by some external authority? Or is it something deeper, something extraordinary, something that reflects our longing for eternal life?

Made by God, Made for God explores the profound beauty of Catholic morality. As Christians, we are remade in Christ, living a truly divine life by following Christ’s new commandment to “love one another; even as I have loved you” (John 13:34).

All that we say and do should reveal our identity as beloved children of God. We are made for eternal life and eternal happiness. And this eternal life begins right now through God’s gift of grace. Catholic morality is about living out this new life in communion with God it is about living our lives with heaven in mind.

Endorsements

“This eloquent and luminous book, inspired by the best spiritual and intellectual traditions of the Church, makes Catholic moral teaching accessible to all, in a universal language that preserves the fullness of the truth, and communicates it with warmth and humanity. It is highly to be recommended!”
―Fr. Thomas Joseph White, O.P.
Rector Magnificus, Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas Aquinas, Rome

“Matthew Minerd is a treasure and this book reflects it—filled with his delightful humor, his great joy in Christ, his penetrating insight into the full range of Christian mysteries, his philosophical precision, and his inability to write a boring sentence.  Many books of moral theology read as though they aren't meant for living people, but this one is addressed to all who have ears to hear!  Enchanted by the gift of new life in Christ, Minerd draws upon the Scriptures and the wisdom of the ages to instruct us in the joyful holiness to which we are all called.”
―Matthew Levering, Ph.D.
James N. and Mary D. Perry Jr. Chair of Theology
Mundelein Seminary, Illinois

“Many readers will be grateful for Minerd's lively and accessible introduction to Thomistic moral theology, but above all those Orthodox and Eastern Catholic readers sensitive to the importance of the doctrine of theosis. I hope that the pains Minerd has taken to show how integral deification is to St. Thomas's moral vision will bear fruit in greater mutual understanding and appreciation between members of the Byzantine and Latin theological traditions.”

—Fr. Joel Barstad, Ph.D.
Director of Human Formation and Professor of Spirituality
Byzantine Catholic Seminary, Pittsburgh, PA

“Everyone wants to be happy. Happiness, however, is not easy to realize. One doesn’t become happy accidentally. The happy life must be intentionally sought and habitually practiced. In this book, Dr. Matthew Minerd provides his readers with a roadmap to happiness: a fresh and compelling explanation of why eternal truth, divine grace, and supernatural love are essential for human flourishing. With the loving earnestness of an evangelist and the clear precision of a philosopher, Dr. Minerd neither downplays the glories of grace nor shies away from difficult moral questions. All who are serious about being truly happy will want to read—and to re-read!—this book.”
―Fr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P.
Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception
Dominican House of Studies, Washington, D.C.

“Matthew Minerd’s Made by God, Made for God is a gem of a book. Here is a thoroughly Catholic work of theology, inspired by the Fathers of the Church, east and west, as well as St. Thomas Aquinas and Vatican II (and the pontificates following the Council). One comes away with a clear sense that the Christian moral life is an invitation to supernatural (and mystical) life with God—one which absorbs and includes the natural truths of reason and human flourishing, but which brings them to divine heights, sharing in the trinitarian life of God himself. I’ve definitely found my new textbook for Moral Theology—the joy and freedom of the Christian life are on full display!”
―Andrew Swafford, S.T.D.
Associate Professor of Theology
Benedictine College, Atchison, Kansas

“This book is a treasure!  Dr. Minerd gives us wisdom that is deep, tried and true makes it immediately applicable to how we live today.  He has read, synthesized, and integrated a tremendous amount of material from the best traditional Catholic sources and has brought it together for us in a way that is accessible to any Catholic who wants to understand Christian morality and live a life in Christ.  Dr. Minerd also gives pathways for further exploration into the riches of our Catholic teaching tradition that can be followed by the more astute readers by introducing us to a structure of thinking and a vocabulary that gives us a framework for understanding the more traditional sources.  And he does all this with a smile and a sense of humor that will win the heart even as he enlightens the mind of the reader.  As a spiritual director, I highly recommend this book for anyone who is seeking to respond to God’s gift of communion and to live a new life in Christ.”
―Fr. Boniface Hicks, O.S.B.
Director of Spiritual Formation and Director of the Institute for Ministry Formation
Saint Vincent Seminary, Latrobe, Pennsylvania

“Dr. Matthew Minerd fills a great need with this outstanding introduction to moral theology.  Relying on Scripture and the broad Thomist tradition, this short volume provides a readable and organized treatment of the central elements that comprise the Christian life.  Minerd grounds the study in the life of grace itself and then deftly moves though the theological virtues, natural law, and finally the cardinal virtues.  Indeed, the virtue of this book is the lofty theological and spiritual synthesis that emerges to shine light on our high calling.”
―Jon Kirwan, D.Phil. (Oxon.)
Assistant Professor of Theology and Director of Graduate Theology
University of St. Thomas, Houston, Texas

“So many seem to think that the Catholic faith is all about being crushed under a burden of rules and regulations that are impossible to keep.  This book shatters that misconception.  It shows that following Jesus as a Catholic Christian is all about a new way of life, empowered by the Holy Spirit, that makes us each day more life Jesus.  A refreshing, encouraging, and enlightening read!”
―Marcellino D’Ambrosio, Ph.D.
Author and Speaker
Crossroads Initiative