This is an excerpt from Vocation: The Setting for Human Flourishing written by Michael Berg (1517 Publishing, 2021). Available for purchase this Tuesday!
Undue Protestant antipathies toward Mary have muted not only her place in redemption history and its necessary connection to Christology, but also the virtue of virginity.
EPISODE #21: Ted asks Rod about the idea that true religion is a switch from a focus of going from vice to virtue, to going from virtue to Christ. Rod talks about virtue being moral improvement and a self-help scheme, and what it means to change one’s perspective away from that focus to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Virtue, like all good things, can easily be weaponized. And not only can, but constantly is. Indeed, I would argue that, for churchgoing, rule-following, tradition-honoring, morality-applauding people, virtue often becomes the cancer that we deem a badge of honor.