"The contributors to this volume highlight how widespread the effects of pornography are and why this is of concern to those of the Catholic faith as well as discussing resources – mainly visual – within the tradition that provide a way of understanding the world."
~Jason King, author of Faith with Benefits: Hookup Culture on Catholic Campuses
"In this rich and thoughtful volume, the contributors insist that pornography is not identified by nakedness, eros, or even the affirmation of sexual desire. All of these belong to Catholic visual culture. What marks pornography in our world, they consistently say, is its association with damage that falls disproportionately on the most vulnerable. The analysis of this damage and its opposite is as surprising as it is sophisticated--Janelle Monáe’s videos are evidence for one contributor of the sacramental imagination at work--and add up to a volume that is subtle, engaging, and humane. The book is a pleasure to read and an important contribution to understanding both pornography and our present visual moment."
~Natalie Carnes, author of Image and Presence: A Christological Reflection on Iconoclasm and Iconophilia
"Too often, pornography is treated by Catholic thought simply as a moral infraction. The problem is lust, and we move on. But this remarkably rich volume provides a far better diagnosis of pornography as a crisis of visual culture, one that requires a counterculture formed by a sacramental imagination of beauty. In delicate but direct treatments from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, Groppe and her colleagues not only help us understand how pornography works, but how seeing the world is a fundamental task for Christians that, in a sense, precedes and shapes moral analysis. A rare work that is essential for both scholars and pastoral workers that opens up hope in the face of a massive problem!"
~David Cloutier, The Catholic University of America
"Starting with Groppe’s luminous historical chapter on the contrast between the sacramental and pornographic gazes through an impressive array of chapters by experts in psychology and neuroscience, visual culture, liturgy, Christian spirituality, and theologies of healing, this testament to fruitful interdisciplinary scholarship delves deeply into the question of images and their formative power. The exploitative, violent, and racist pornography industry is confronted with the beautiful ideals, practices, and arts of Christianity. Each chapter challenges Christian churches, racked by their own histories of sexual abuse, to reclaim resources for chaste, peaceful, harmonious, and true human connection and intimacy. A message of healing, mercy, and compassion resounds throughout. Above all, this volume maps trajectories for a new aesthetic education in the sense of Christ ( sensus Christi)—from the catacombs to Our Lady of Luján, from Byzantine icons to Masaccio to Janelle Monáe—aimed at fostering sexual and spiritual health, wholeness, and holiness."
~Peter Joseph Fritz, author of Freedom Made Manifest: Rahner’s Fundamental Option and Theological Aesthetics
"This is a remarkable book. If pornography is one of the most pervasive and sinister elements poisoning human culture today, this well-integrated collection of essays courageously examines matters from multiple angles, with an eye toward pastoral care of individuals. Drawing on neuroscience, psychology, sociology, art history, and theology, the book takes a hard look at the devastating violence caused by pornography, then explores a range of Christian approaches to seeing the human person more sacramentally. The rich, clearly written essays present the reader with an array of intellectual, spiritual, and practical tools for combating evil and cultivating a truer, more complete way of encountering the other. Parents, Catholic teachers, young adults, art historians, and theology students alike will find this volume a helpful guide."
~Sr. Jeana Visel, OSB, St. Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology
