The Body in Context: Sex and Catholicism

In this highly readable book Gareth moore examines some of the principle arguments and styles of argument advanced by Christians, particularly the Roman Catholic Church, in support of Christian standards in sexual ethics. Catholic teaching has sought to present those standards and values as ones which anyone can embrace; ones which they should be able to see as right if only they think about them in the right way. Arguments have been drawn from Scripture and also from philosophy and experience, the latter being particularly important at a time when the Church can no longer ’lay down the law’, but has to be able to persuade. But are these arguments valid, or are they flawed? Moore’s study covers such wide-ranging topics as sexual pleasure, the purpose of sex, sexual gestures, marriage, contraception and homosexuality; and in these areas, and the more specific sexual issues he covers, he often finds the Church’s case to be defective. Though the Church has valuable things to say, its supporting arguments can be unconvincing. Better arguments, he claims, are needed; or, alternatively, the possibility has to be faced that the Churches’ teaching needs modification. Whatever the case, the Church needs to do more thinking about sex.

Gareth Moore is a member of the Dominican Order and has taught at Blackfriars, Oxford (England). He is the author of Believing in God and Question of Truth: Christianity and Homosexuality (Continuum).