In Pursuit of Love: Catholic Morality and Human Sexuality, Revised Edition / Edition 2

by Vincent J Genovesi M.S.

Overview

While retaining the basic structure of the original book, this new edition has been thoroughly updated in light of some official Catholic documents and other theological writings dealing with sexual morality that have appeared since 1986. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, Pope John Paul II's encyclicals Veritatis splendor and Evangelium vitae, and the 1986 and 1992statements of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on pastoral care of homosexuals and the issue of discrimination against them are among the more recent magisterial publications considered in this text.

This edition also contains several new sections: the misuses of sex (adultery, pornography, prostitution, sexual violence); four rationales for viewing a committed love relationship as the only appropriate context for sexual intercourse; marriage as a sacrament and marital sexuality and love as embodiments of commitment, intimacy, and passion; and public policy and the civil rights of homosexuals. This edition also includes an expanded discussion of topics such as sexism, sexually transmitted diseases especially HIV/AIDS and the moral questions raised by new family-planning methods (Norplant, Depo-Provera), RU-486, postcoital hormonal interventions against pregnancy, the start of human life, and abortion.

Vincent J. Genovesi, SJ, received his PhD in Christian ethics from Emory University. He is a professor at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia. His articles have appeared in such journals as The Thomist, The Way, America, and Review for Religious.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780814655900
Publisher:	Liturgical Press
Publication date:	08/01/1996
Series:	Theology and Life
Edition description:	2nd Revised ed.
Pages:	432
Sales rank:	304,242
Product dimensions:	5.96(w) x 8.79(h) x 1.06(d)

About the Author

Vincent J. Genovesi, SJ, received his PhD in Christian ethics from Emory University. He is a professor at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia. His articles have appeared in such journals as The Thomist, The Way, America, and Review for Religious.

Table of Contents

Contents
Preface   9
1. The Meaning and Spirit of Christian Living   15
     Understanding Morality   16
          The Meaning of Ethics   16
          Locating Christian Ethics   18
     Recognizing Our Call to Love   21
          Jesus and the Commands to Love   22
          The Experience of True Love   25
          Love’s Demands for Christian Social Living   30
     Christian Life as Eucharistic   36
     Christian Life as Eschatological   37
          Three Theories of Eschatology   38
     The Fulfillment of Faith Working in Love   42
          Scriptural Data on Faith and Good Works   43
          The Gift of Living Faith   44
          The Views of Trent   46
          A Call to Love, to Faith, to Conversion   49
     Christian Life as Freedom in Christ   50
          Paul’s View of the Mosaic Law   51
          The New Law of Love   53
          The Law of Moses and the Law of the Spirit   54
          The Meaning of Christian Liberty   55
          Implications for Christian Morality   57
     Conclusion   62
2. The Magisterium and the Role of Conscience   65
     The Official Teaching Authority Within the Catholic Community   65 
          The Extraordinary and Ordinary Teaching Authority   67
          Teaching Infallibly and Fallibly   68
          The Magisterium’s Teachings in Morality   71
          Religious Docility and Responsible Dissent   73
     The Dignity and Inviolability of Personal Conscience   80
          From Superego to Conscience   81
          Conscience and Its Levels of Meaning   84
     Conclusion   89
3. A Radical Theology of Sin   92
     Sins Versus Sinfulness   92
     Grace and Sin as Relational Realities   96
     Life in Grace, Life in Sin   98
     Sin, Objective Moral Wrong, Premoral Evil   100
     The Reality of Sin   106
     Conclusion 108
4. A Context for the Meaning and Morality of Sexuality   114
     Religion and Sexuality   114
     Historical Influences   116
          Augustine   116
          Thomas Aquinas   118
          The Dualisms of Spiritualism and Sexism   121
     Human Sexuality as Language   124
     The Misuse of Sexuality   127
     The Genital and Affective Dimensions of Sexuality   132
     Sexuality, Chastity, and Love   135
     True Love or Illusion?   138
     Conclusion   144
5. The Issue of Premarital Sexuality   146
     A Moral Norm for Genital Sexuality   149
     Committed Love as the Context for Genital Expression   151
          The Meaning of Sexual Intercourse   151
          Morality, Humanity, and Social Sensitivity   157
          Reflecting God’s Creative and Faithful Love   158
          Marriage as a Sacrament   161
     Theological Tradition and Development   168
     Theological Speculation   171
     Conclusion   178 
6. Contraception and Marital Sexuality   182
     Contraception in the Twentieth Century   184
          Pius XI and Casti Connubii   184
          Pius XII’s Address to Italian Midwives   186
          Vatican II on Marriage and the Family   187
          Humanae Vitae and Its Background   190
     Theological Responses to Humanae Vitae   193
          Are the Two Meanings of Conjugal Sex Inseparable?   193
          Is Periodic Abstinence Natural?   196
     Toward a Moral Evaluation of Artificial Contraception   200
     Avoiding Pregnancy   206
          Sterilization Procedures   206
          Coitus Interruptus   209
          Hormonal Methods   210
          Intrauterine Devices   220
          Barrier Methods   222
          Contraceptives and the Unmarried   223
          Natural Family Planning   228
     Responsible Dissent from Authentic Fallible Teaching   232
          The Canadian Bishops   240
          The Scandinavian Bishops   241
          The South African Bishops   241
          The Swiss Bishops   242
     Special Questions on Conjugal Sexuality   242
     Marital Sexuality Beyond Contraception   243
7. Morality and Homogenital Expressions of Love   249
     Why the Myths and Stereotypes?   250
     Some Definitions and Distinctions   253
          Sexual Orientation Versus Genital Activity   254
          Pseudo-Homosexuality   259
     Sorting Psychology’s Data   259
          Is Homosexuality a Mental Disorder?   262
          Attempts to Explain the Homosexual Orientation   264
     Arguments Against the Morality of Homogenital Activity   268
          Scriptural Prohibitions   268
          The Natural Law Argument   278
          Homogenital Activity and Human Frustration   282
     Current Moral Evaluation of Homogenital Acts   286 
           Official Roman Catholic Teaching   286
          The Quaker View   288
          Roman Catholic Theological Opinions   289
          Summary Remarks on the Revisionist Position   296
     Human and Civil Rights and Issues of Public Policy   299
          The Magisterium’s Call for Respect and Tolerance   299
          Decriminalizing Private Sex Acts   300
          Anti-Discrimination Legislation   301
          Focusing the Debate   306
          Some Pastoral Observations   308
8. Masturbation   314
     Psychological Interpretations and Human Meanings   315
     Moral Evaluations   319
     Pastoral Advice   331
          Achieving Sexual Integrity   334
9. Abortion   338
     Introductory Clarifications   338
     The Start of Personhood   341
          Treating Victims of Sexual Assault   353
     When May Innocent Human Life Be Taken?   362
          The Principle of Double Effect   363
          Direct Versus Indirect Abortion   365
          Moral Physicalism   370
          The Principle of Proportionality and Beyond   374
     Abortion, Law, and Public Policy  396
     Conclusion   406
Abbreviations   409
A Selected Bibliography   411
Index of Names and Authors   420
Index of Subjects   424
 

Editorial Reviews

Rarely can one find in a single volume both a thorough and accurate account of the teaching of the magisterium and a clear and consistent appreciation of the best insights of contemporary Catholic theology . . . Honest and courageous, In Pursuit of Love is destined to be a standard text in its field.
Peter C. Phan


In the way it synthesizes the positions of mainline Catholic moralists, it ranks among the best.
America


A welcome addition in the rather barren field.
Dr. Jack Dominian

From the Publisher