The Eclipse of Conviction: Conscience,Moral Authority,and Disagreement in the Church

Abstract

This article analyzes persistent moral disagreement within the contemporary church through a distinction between opinion and conviction as competing forms of moral reasoning. Drawing upon Alasdair MacIntyre's account of moral fragmentation and Charles Taylor's analysis of expressive individualism, it argues that ecclesial conflict intensifies when moral claims detach from shared standards of truth. When conscience functions as a site of personal authenticity rather than as judgment ordered toward objective moral reality, doctrinal authority weakens, and disagreement becomes resistant to resolution. The argument develops through a theological account of conscience grounded in Augustine, Aquinas, and magisterial teaching, with sustained engagement with Veritatis Splendor. A case study of contemporary euthanasia discourse demonstrates how linguistic reframing obscures the moral object of the act and reshapes ethical judgment. The final sections draw upon Scripture and Catholic moral theology to argue that the recovery of conviction, rather than the management of pluralism, provides a stable foundation for pastoral care, moral formation, and ecclesial unity.