William E. May
Encyclopedia
William May is the Michael J. McGivney Professor of Moral Theology at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. Dr. May has taught courses for the Catholic Distance University
. Along with John Finnis
, Joseph Boyle, Robert P. George
and Germain Grisez
, he is one of the major proponents of new natural law
theory, which draws strongly on the ethics of Thomas Aquinas
.
and Master of Arts
, both in philosophy, from The Catholic University of America, and his Ph.D.
from Marquette University. He received the Pro Pontifice et Ecclesia Medal and the Cardinal Wright Award from the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars. He is a fellow of the Hastings Center
, an independent bioethics research institution.
Catholic Distance University
Catholic Distance University , located in Hamilton, Virginia, is a private undergraduate and graduate institution that is "in the vanguard of Catholic distance learning." Established in 1983 in the Arlington diocese by Bishop Welsh, CDU offers an accredited bachelor degree in theology completion...
. Along with John Finnis
John Finnis
John Finnis , is an Australian legal scholar and philosopher, specializing in the philosophy of law. He is Professor of Law at University College, Oxford and at the University of Notre Dame, teaching jurisprudence, political theory, and constitutional law...
, Joseph Boyle, Robert P. George
Robert P. George
Robert P. George is McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton University, where he lectures on constitutional interpretation, civil liberties and philosophy of law. He also serves as the director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions...
and Germain Grisez
Germain Grisez
Germain Gabriel Grisez is a Catholic moral theologian. Grisez is the author of the three-volume Way of the Lord Jesus. Grisez moves between the spheres of philosophy and theology, articulating a new form of natural law thinking, consonant with the teachings of the Roman Catholic magisterium.Grisez...
, he is one of the major proponents of new natural law
Natural law
Natural law, or the law of nature , is any system of law which is purportedly determined by nature, and thus universal. Classically, natural law refers to the use of reason to analyze human nature and deduce binding rules of moral behavior. Natural law is contrasted with the positive law Natural...
theory, which draws strongly on the ethics of Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas, O.P. , also Thomas of Aquin or Aquino, was an Italian Dominican priest of the Catholic Church, and an immensely influential philosopher and theologian in the tradition of scholasticism, known as Doctor Angelicus, Doctor Communis, or Doctor Universalis...
.
Early Life
May was born the second of three children of Robert W. May and Katherine A. Armstrong on May 27, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri. His father was a Presbyterian (who later converted to Catholicism), but May was raised a Catholic by his mother. He felt a call to the priesthood while in the fourth grade, and especially wanted to become a missionary to China. When old enough, he entered the seminary and was sent to study philosophy followed by theology at The Catholic University of America. He was tonsured and received the minor orders of porter and acolyte. However, in 1952, because of a serious medical condition (petit mal epilepsy), which eventually was cured in 1959, he took some time off from seminary studies to teach in DeAndreis High School in north St. Louis. After teaching for a year, he took his epileptic condition a sign from God that he should pursue another vocation. Because of his educational foundation he found work as a book editor. He married Patricia Ann Keck on October 4, 1958. Together they raised seven children.Education and Awards
May continued his education while an editor. He received his Bachelor of ArtsBachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
and Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
, both in philosophy, from The Catholic University of America, and his Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from Marquette University. He received the Pro Pontifice et Ecclesia Medal and the Cardinal Wright Award from the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars. He is a fellow of the Hastings Center
Hastings Center
The Hastings Center, founded in 1969, is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit bioethics research institute based in the United States. It is dedicated to the examination of essential questions in health care, biotechnology, and the environment...
, an independent bioethics research institution.
Selected Books
- Catholic Sexual Ethics, with Ronald Lawler OFM Cap and Joseph Boyle, Huntington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor, 1998.
- Catholic Bioethics and the Gift of Human Life, Huntington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor Press 2000.
- An Introduction to Moral Theology, Huntington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor Press, 2003.
- Marriage: The Rock on Which the Family Is Built, San Francisco: Ignatius, 1995.
- Standing with Peter, Bethune, SC: Requiem Press, 2006.
- The Unity of the Moral and Spiritual Life, New York: Franciscan Herald Press, 1979.