38 Practical Ethics

Much of medieval ethics was practical. Christian spiritual guidance, monastic culture, the regulatory interests of the Church and princes, as well as numerous other factors merged to create a moral framework with a distinct emphasis on application. Because moral and theological guidance were largely intertwined, practical ethics evolved under the guise of pastoral concerns. The subject area of medieval practical ethics was of course much broader than these brief remarks indicate – so broad, in fact, that systematization appears difficult. Certain key areas of practical ethics, however, have remained the same since the High Middle Ages, including the Church and culture, war and violence, family and sexuality, the economy and social justice, and health and medicine.1 In the Middle Ages, much effort was put into the regulation of monastic discipline and the correct administration of sacraments, often with ethical ramifications. The medieval ethics of war included not only criteria for just wars but also rules for their appropriate conduct.2 Norms for sexual behavior and married life found sometimes surprisingly open discussion.3 Burchard of Worms, for instance, describes certain deviant sexual practices that may even puzzle the post-sexualrevolution reader.4 The growing significance of the market economy in the