In Adulthood, Morality, and the Fully Human, John J. Shea describes an adult, moral, and fully human self in terms of integrity and mutuality. Those who are fully human are caring and just. Violence is the absence of care and justice. Peace—the pinnacle of human development—is their embodiment. Integrity and mutuality together beget care and justice and care and justice together beget peace. Shea shows the practical importance of the fully human self for education, psychotherapy, and spirituality. This book is especially recommended for scholars and those in helping professions.

". . . . throughout this entire work [John] brings the wealth of his hard-won wisdom—from the pit-face of a life-time of teaching and mentoring pastoral ministers and religious educators—and an extraordinary command of the social science literature, to propose a vision that can inspire our educating-in-faith." - Religious Education

"From the perspective of moral theology, I found S. offers a wise and readily understandable argument for an anthropology that would be helpful in a foundational ethics course, and for an understanding of moral obligation and responsibility that avoids extrinsicism and subjectivism." - Theological Studies

"This ambitious work does not disappoint. We are all human beings. But what might it mean to be fully human? Impressively, John Shea, using a developmental perspective, describes and discusses the attributes of the fully human person. . . . This seminal book is well crafted, well written and well argued, scholarly and richly endowed with extensive referencing and insightful Notes, along with descriptions of film scenarios, mention of significant individuals and an appendix with practical questions for reflection and dialogue; a publication for a serious reader of books. . . . A great deal of shared wisdom inhabits the pages of this book. The challenge of exploring the notion of the fully human, as proposed by Shea, has exciting implications for theology and Christian education." - St. Barnabas College Blog