Sex, Violence, and Justice

In 1968, Pope Paul VI published Humanae vitae, the encyclical that reaffirmed the Catholic Church's continued opposition to the use of any form of artificial contraception. In Sex, Violence, and Justice: Contraception and the Catholic Church, Aline Kalbian outlines the Church's position against artificial contraception as principally rooted in three biblical commandments. In addition, Kalbian shows how discourses about sexuality, both in the Church and in culture, are often tied to discourses of violence, harm and social injustice. These ties reveal that sexual ethics is never just about sex; it is about the vulnerability of the human body and the challenges humans face in trying to maintain just and loving relationships. As Kalbian explores and contrasts the Catholic Church's stance toward condoms and HIV/AIDS, emergency contraception in cases of rape, and contraception and population control, she underscores how contraception is not just a private decision, but a deeply social, cultural, and political one, with profound global implications. Kalbian concludes that even the most tradition-bound communities rely on justificatory schemes that are fluid and diverse.Taking this diversity seriously helps us to understand how religious traditions change and develop. Sex, Violence, and Justice will be of interest to students and scholars of Catholic moral theology, sexual ethics, religion and society, gender and religion, as well as to specialists and practitioners in public health.

This book is not only a useful update of the development of Catholic teaching, it connects that teaching to emergent contemporary conundra. A valuable resource for serious study by scholars and a must read in pertinent graduate courses, it might be an apt Christmas gift for bishops and members of Congress. For those who wish to pursue the subject in greater depth, the author provides abundant footnotes and bibliography. Catholic Books Review Kalbian has done a great service in providing a methodological framework to systematically analyze and move such conversations [about contraception within the Catholic Church] forward. America Magazine An important glimpse into the theoretical, historical, and political factors that influence Catholic teaching on sexuality. Kalbian's historical research is extensive, ranging from classical theologians such as Thomas Aquinas to the modern popes. The historical material is brilliant, but where Kalbian really shines is in her engagement with the contemporary issues surrounding contraception. Choice

Aline H. Kalbian is associate professor of religion at Florida State University. She is the author of Sexing the Church: Gender, Power, and Ethics in Contemporary Catholicism.