Proclaim the message... be persistent, whether the time is favourable or unfavourable. 2 Timothy 4:2
The sexual revolution at the heart of this book is part of wider and deeper developments happening in our world. It is a revolution that asserts the utter freedom of the individual to act and behave as if the vital traditions of religion and philosophy have no claim on how we live, especially in the area of sexuality that is so much part of our personalities and identities.
The author, a Catholic bishop in Melbourne, traces the development of these ideas from the early days of the Enlightenment to our own times, in a context of the apparent failure of governments and even churches to defend principles of sexual behaviour and attitudes, honoured by timeless church teaching and social expectations.
In such times, he acknowledges that Catholic parents and teachers need sound guidance about sexual ethics. He records the constant teaching of Popes and Councils and reminds us of their focus on the integration of sexual morality within wider, deeper contexts of human nature, marriage stability and family life.
Above all, he brings a pastoral sensitivity to the task of helping contemporary Catholics understand their tradition, and offers sound strategies to affirm Catholic teaching about sexuality.
He well understands that forces opposing such an approach are formidable but knows too that the message must be proclaims, however unfavourable. He encourages parents, families and teachers to recover a different, richer understanding of sexuality for our time.
Read Tracey Rowland's review in The Catholic World Report here
