<noun.act> he could not stand her hectoring moralism
Moralism \Mor"al*ism\, n. A maxim or saying embodying a moral truth. --Farrar.
While the author does attempt to explain some of Calvin's contradictions, and is not beyond accusing him of "facile moralism," the "portrait" that the subtitle promises never really acquires much life or color.
"Any theology student will tell you the first thing you learn is that the greatest enemy of morality is moralism," Obey said. "If your goal is to save lives and wind the war down, then you have to have tactics and strategy as well as good wishes.
Mason sees the Victorian sexual code as progressive, socially aware, governed by enlightened self-interest rather than narrow moralism: in many ways close to our own.
Not surprisingly, it is nearly impossible to disentangle this mixture of moralism and radicalism.