Pope John Paul II's encyclical Vertatis Splendor is an historic document: the first extensive analysis of the foundations of morality by a pope. It stands alongside the new catechism as a major statement about Christian morality, the role of reason in the moral life, and the vision of life for the disciple of Jesus.

In the present collection of essays, leading American scholars assess various aspects of the pope's encyclical. Topics include the pope's use of scripture, his images of perfection, natural law, sexual ethics, implications for bioethics, the nature of Christian love, and perspectives on the Church in the twentieth century.