A Catechism for Family Life: Insights from Catholic Teaching on Love, Marriage, Sex, and Parenting
Digital Logos Edition
Overview
The purpose of A Catechism for Family Life: Insights from Catholic Teaching on Love, Marriage, Sex, and Parenting is to present the teachings of the Catholic Church as they relate to specific questions in marriage and family life. Many Catholics are under-catechized and have trouble both understanding and articulating Church teaching on sexuality and marriage to an increasingly challenging culture. Pope Francis, along with the fathers of the two recent Synods on the Family, have called for better formation for those who work in the area of marriage and family life (see Amoris Laetitia, 202).
To address this need, we gathered pertinent questions facing men, women, and pastoral workers in marriage and family life. We then found passages relevant to these questions by researching Church documents on marriage and family from the past one hundred years. These include papal encyclicals, apostolic exhortations, and addresses, Vatican II documents, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Mainstream media coverage of Church events and Church teaching leads many to misunderstand Catholic positions on marriage and family life. While the Catholic Church has developed a rich, detailed, and positive teaching on marriage, family, and sexuality, many Catholics do not have access to this teaching, buried as it is in lengthy Church documents which many find intimidating. Finding the relevant teaching to address specific questions is not always a simple task, either. This book’s main contribution is to present Church teaching relevant to marriage and family in one volume clearly organized by topic and question.
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- Offers rich Catholic teaching in a format of simple, appealing, very practical questions relevant to every stage and challenge in family life
- Explores relevant passages from Church documents on marriage and family from the past one hundred years
- Helps any Catholic lay person to gain a better understanding of the Church's teaching on sexual ethics and marriage matters
Will be helpful for students, dating/engaged couples and married couples, as well as being useful in high school and college classes, from marriage prep to ongoing enrichment and adult faith formation opportunities. Additionally, it will serve as a handy and trustworthy resource and reference for catechists, teachers, professors and pastoral leaders in the field of marraige and family ministry.
Andrew Lichtenwalner, Archdiocese of Atlanta
If you're interested in learning more about the Church's beautiful vision of family life, in addition to John Paul's letter, a new book may also be helpful, A Catechism for Family Life: Insights from Catholic Teaching on Love, Marriage, Sex, and Parenting (Catholic University of America Press, 2018). The editors, Sarah Bartel and John Grabowski, follow the traditional catechism question and answer format, proposing key questions related to marriage, vocational discernment, sexuality, parenting, and challenges facing the family. They select the answers from Church documents, such as papal encyclicals and other writings from the popes, Vatican offices, and the Second Vatican Council.
Staudt, Jared, Denver Catholic
This invaluable resource marshals selections from primary sources into a single, user-friendly volume. Anyone who assists in catechesis, marriage preparation, or couples counseling would benefit from this reference book. Each section can stand independently, or the book can be read cover-to-cover. The editors helpfully offer brief explanatory remarks at certain points, affix a citation to each passage, and close with a list of further reading in order to prevent proof-texting and promote deeper understanding. In sum, this diligently compiled resource presents the rich tradition of Catholic teaching on marriage and family life in "bite-sized pieces.
Homiletic and Pastoral Review