Department of Moral Theology

Moral Theology Department is the research, teaching and community services department in the Faculty of Theology at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa. It has existed since 1984 then the Catholic Higher Institute of Eastern Africa (CHIA) now known as The Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) whose philosophy stresses free search for the whole truth about nature, humanity, and God.

Our Motto

Christ, Our Hope and Strength of Our Faith

Our Vision

To be a world-class theological department preparing creative and competent alumni in moral theology, guided by Catholic moral tradition and social thought.

Our Mission

To promote a critical approach to moral issues and responsible practice in teaching, learning, research, and community engagement through:

• Fostering a culture of reading and staying current with moral theological research and literature.
• Providing mentorship and training for transformative moral theological researchers and professionals in higher education, major seminaries, and religious institutes.
• Developing holistic moral theological education and innovative teaching perspectives among faculty.
• Encouraging critical thinking and writing in Catholic moral theology among faculty and students.
• Creating opportunities for interdisciplinary and intra-disciplinary research and learning.
• Facilitating networking, collaboration, and psychological support within the department.

Mandate

The academic staff and students in the Department of Moral Theology believe that human persons shape their character through the actions they freely and responsibly choose. Guided by this conviction, the department is committed to:

• Teaching, reflective research, publication, and community engagement.
• Addressing moral, political, ecological, biomedical, and justice and peace issues in the AMECEA region and beyond.
• Promoting morality and new evangelization in the AMECEA region and beyond.
• Upholding CUEA’s Mission to promote excellence in research, teaching, and community service by preparing morally upright leaders based on the Catholic Church’s intellectual tradition.

Program of Studies

• Licentiate/Master’s Degrees (2 years)
• Doctorate Degree (4 years)

Areas of Specialization

• The Ethics of Sexuality, Marriage, and the Family
• The Nature, Object, and Sources of Moral Theology
• The Nature, Structure, and Evaluation of the Moral Act
• Biblical Foundations for Morality
• Patristic Moral Thoughts
• Historical Development of Moral Theology
• Moral Conscience and Moral Truth
• Human Freedom and Moral Law
• The Concept of Sin, Social Sin, and Collective Responsibility, Conversion, and Forgiveness
• Thomism
• The Ethics of Political Life
• The Ethics of Economic Life
• Catholic Social Thought
• The Personalist Paradigm in Moral Theology and Its Application in Social and Sexual Ethics
• The Physicalist Paradigm as an Act-centered Approach to Sexual and Biomedical Issues
• Environmental/Ecological Ethics related to the Bible and Catholic Social Thought
• Healthcare Ethics and Palliative Care for Pain and Suffering
• Christian Ethics of Responsibility
• Integration of Post-Vatican II Person-centred and Community-oriented Methodology in Moral Theology, open to transcendence