Happiness and the Christian Moral Life

As one of the most widely adopted textbooks in the field, Happiness and the Christian Moral Life introduces students to Christian ethics through the lens of happiness. Drawing on classical and modern Christian sources, Paul Wadell proposes that the heart of ethics is not rules and obligations but our deep desire for happiness and fulfillment.

The fourth edition of this accessible and student-friendly text has been revised and updated throughout. It introduces Christian ethics with sensitivity towards readers who may not be Christian themselves. After an overview of basic concepts and key thinkers such as Augustine and Thomas Aquinas, subsequent chapters explore the importance of narrative in Christian ethics, the place of friendship and community in Christian moral life, the role of virtues in our quest for fulfillment, a Christian understanding of the person, a Christian theology of freedom, and false steps on the path to happiness. Final chapters discuss the role of conscience and prudence, love, and justice.

The fourth addition also includes new sections on several topics, including the social thought of Pope Francis. It also highlights the challenges of climate change and global warming; divisive policy and political battles that have roiled the United States in recent years; recent thinking on gender and sexual ethics; race and ongoing racial conflict; and neoliberal economics. This edition also features fresh, global examples, revised introductions to key thinkers, and further explanations of the virtues.