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

by Vincent J. Genovesi SJ

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 1992 statements 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 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.

432 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1986

Reviews

[Ross Jensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fr. Genovesi provides a comprehensive, perceptive, and humane overview of the state of Roman Catholic theological inquiry concerning issues of human sexuality. The book is best used for occasional reference (hence my unwillingness to give it a higher rating), but I don’t know of a better general resource that is comparably complete in its treatment.

[Bridget Bernstein · Rating 1 out of 5]

2019 Reading Challenge: 10/24

This was way denser than I had expected. I can't speak much about the content of it since I skimmed it for class, but boy, do I hate books on Christian theology.

[Patti Clement · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my textbook in my Spiritual Direction certification program for Morality! Well written on a very controversial topic.