More than a Monologue: Sexual Diversity and the Catholic Church, Volume II: Inquiry, Thought, and Expression

More than a Monologue #2

by J. Patrick Hornbeck II (Editor), Michael A. Norko

This volume, like its companion, Voices of Our Times, collects essays drawn from a series of public conferences held in autumn 2011 entitled “More than a Monologue.” The series was the fruit of collaboration among four institutions of higher two Catholic universities and two nondenominational divinity schools. The conferences aimed to raise awareness of and advance informed, compassionate, and dialogical conversation about issues of sexual diversity within the Catholic community, as well as in the broader civic worlds that the Catholic Church and Catholic people inhabit. They generated fresh, rich sets of scholarly and reflective contributions that promise to take forward the delicate work of theological-ethical and ecclesial development. Along with Voices of Our Times, this volume captures insights from the conferences and aims to foster what the Jesuit Superior General, Fr. Adolfo Nicolas, has called the “depth of thought and imagination” needed to engage effectively with complex realities, especially in areas marked by brokenness, pain, and the need for healing. The volumes will serve as vital resources for understanding and addressing better the too often fraught relations between LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) persons, their loved ones and allies, and the Catholic community.

Inquiry, Thought, and Expression explores dimensions of ministry, ethics, theology, and law related to a range of LGBTQ concerns, including Catholic teaching, its reception among the faithful, and the Roman Catholic Church’s significant role in world societies. Within the volume, a series of essays on ministry explores various
perspectives not frequently heard within the church. Marriage equality and the treatment of LGBTQ individuals by and within the Roman Catholic Church are considered from the vantage points of law, ethics, and theology. Themes of language and discourse are explored in analyses of the place of sexual diversity in church history, thought, and authority.

The two volumes of More than a Monologue, like the conferences from which they developed, actively move beyond the monologic voice of the institutional church on the subject of LGBTQ issues, inviting and promoting open conversations about sexual diversity and the church. Those who read Inquiry, Thought, and Expression will encounter not just an excellent resource for research and teaching in the area of moral theology but also an opportunity to actively listen to and engage in groundbreaking discussions about faith and sexuality within and outside the Catholic Church.

264 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2014

About the author

Hornbeck, a native of Phoenix, Arizona, received his DPhil in Theology/Ecclesiastical History from the University of Oxford in 2007; he also earned his master’s at Oxford, where he was Senior Scholar of Christ Church and a Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Graduate Scholar. Previously, he was valedictorian of Georgetown College, Georgetown University, graduating with degrees in theology and medieval studies in 2003. At Fordham, he serves in a variety of administrative roles, including as chair of the Theology Department, a member of the Faculty Senate, and co-chair of the University's strategic planning process. He established and served as co-director of Fordham College at Rose Hill’s Matteo Ricci Seminar. In the last of these roles he works with students who are interested in applying for nationally and internationally prestigious scholarships and fellowships

Reviews

[Bernie Tomasso · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a thought-provoking book. You realize that the Catholic Church is in a monologue with itself when it comes to LGBTQ issues. The various authors of the chapters in the book describe their journey of acceptance or rejection of membership in the Church. As a church employee, it gave me many insights for living out the documents of Vatican II in a truly inclusive Christian community.

[cara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pitch-perfect chapter on "theological bullying."

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is more of the stuff for technical theology. I enjoyed the other version of this more, the yellow back, because that seemed more personal and 'on the ground' theological.