I recently received a review copy of Women, Sex, and the Church, a collection of essays edited by Erika Bachiochi. In the interest of full disclosure, my sister recommended this book and I then pursued a copy as I’ve always been rather puzzled that the Church was seen as so patriarchally oppressive. I’m a lifelong Catholic and never once have I felt oppressed. On the contrary, I’ve felt profoundly blessed and wholly honored. I use the word “wholly” in reference to the manner in which the Church honors the whole woman. I don’t know of another institution that does that. It puzzles me still, that as the green trend gains more ground and perhaps more women are realizing the inconsistency of swallowing a birth control pill with a big glass of hormone free milk that it hasn’t also occurred to the secular world that the Catholic Church has been there all along.
Therefore, in reading this book I expected to find the science and theology to back up a position which I already held. I planned to read over the course of a week or two, but found myself reading by the blue glow of my book light late into the night, pencil in hand. It was my intention to star all the passages I found particularly poignant. In one particular section, “The Gift of Female Fertility: Church Teaching on Contraception”, I had to abandon that plan, lest there be more stars than actual words.
What appeals to me most is that in every chapter, the positions are so well reasoned. I am not one to be swayed by emotional arguments. I approach issues in a very rational, almost scientific manner (if I'm not too tired). In doing so, I’ve found consistency and logic in the Church’s positions on gender issues. This is well reflected throughout the book, particularly in the section “The Church’s Best Kept Secret: Church Teaching on Infertility Treatment” which offers hope to Catholic couples struggling with infertility. This essay is particularly relevant as it seeks to clarify the Church’s position on standard fertility treatment; differentiating between the means of conception and the intrinsic value of every soul, never losing sight of those little souls trapped in between.
The topic of vocation is covered in the section “Dueling Voctions: Managing the Tensions” and is covered in a fair and modern manner while stating the obvious, that the work of caring is largely undervalued and largely left to women, especially in the United States. Personally, I don’t mind that kind of work. I am better suited for it than my husband, especially in the case of breastfeeding. But for those of us who were born after second wave of feminism, received our education and then chose to stay at home, the question haunts us (or maybe just me): Are we contributing enough? So even as the society’s eyes turn back towards the home, there remains the subtle pressure to monetize - even domesticity itself, perhaps through a book deal or an Etsy shop. But I digress. It is bound to happen.
What I didn’t expect was how frequently my thoughts strayed to my young daughter while I read. Girls her age are growing up watching birth control advertisements on television and being subtly told that there’s something wrong with their bodies. This is perhaps even more damaging than what the media does to their self images. This book provides a path forward; a strong framework to those of us hoping to raise our daughters to fully embrace their precious femininity.
I also didn’t expect to have my notions of love, happiness, and work nudged further away from my preoccupation with self. I think these notions are bound to fluctuate according to the demands of one’s vocation and I felt a subtle righting of my compass as I read. I say this, fully aware that I’m focusing most of this review on the chapters that pertain to my own life, right this second. There are so many other beautifully written passages concerning the priesthood, abstinence, and abortion.
I really could spend ages discussing every section and it is difficult to limit myself here, so as not to just reprint the entire book word for word. I very much wish you could all come over for coffee and rich conversation. We cannot manage that, but I can host a giveaway for this wonderful collection of essays. Please leave me a note in the comments section by Sunday at 6:00PM CST. It doesn’t have to be fancy and you needn’t have commented before. I will draw a name on Sunday evening.
ETA: I've had some emails asking how to order the book as it seems to out of stock on Amazon. It is available here.
OK! I just drew a number via Random Number Generator and the winner is commenter #56 - Julia! Congratulations Julia. I will email you for your mailing address. Thank you all!
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