[HomePage] [Mary Shivanandan] Crossing the Threshold of Love: Contemporary Marriage in the Light of John Paul II's Anthropology     By Mary Shivanandan, STD Humanae Vitae predicted the disintegration of marriage and family life, partly as a result of the widespread use of contraception. Pope John Paul II has since articulated a fresh understanding of marriage, love and sexuality which takes account of the dignity of the human person, and especially of women. In this exhaustive and scholarly assessment of his Christian anthropology, Mary Shivanandan examines the scientific data and the theological analysis that underlie these teachings on marriage and sexuality. Her book will be an essential text for the study of the development, meaning and implications of Catholic doctrine in this controversial area. Unusually, it is both lucid and multidisciplinary. Its appearance marks a new stage in the debate over sexuality in the modern world. 'Dr Shivanandan has made a significant contribution to the enrichment of our understanding of marriage. She reveals the subtle insights of John Paul II, which resonate in so many people's lives once they are explained in a clear way.' Msgr PeterJ. Elliott, Episcopal Vicar for Education, Archdiocese of Melbourne 'Dr Shivanandan's study is an exceptionally brilliant one.... She has entered into serious dialogue with contemporary thinking regarding the nature of the human person, the meaning of the human body, and the meaning of human sexuality.' Professor William F. May, John Paul II Institute, Washington, DC It is widely felt - by couples, families and parish priests - that marriage preparation in England and Wales leaves a lot to be desired! Yes, individual priests do a lot, and many of them are skilful in presenting the Church's teaching in a pastorally sensitive way. And, yes, Marriage Care is active around the country, helping to prepare couples for marriage. However the official approach tends to be non-directive, in a way that leaves many couples wondering just what does the Church teach about marriage, and why. In 1968, Pope Paul VI's encyclical Humanae Vitae accurately predicted the disintegration of marriage and family life, partly as a result of the widespread use of contraception. The mass media - and even many parts of the Catholic press - insist that since the publication of Humanae Vitae the Church has been in a terminal crisis. The fact that many Catholics left the Church because they could not accept the ban on contraception is held up as an example of the Church's incompetence and misuse of authority. Yet other facts are hardly ever mentioned for example: the so-called 'ban' was a simply a reaffirmation of 2000 years of traditional teaching, whose change would involve the Church in self-contradiction; and while many have indeed left (or stayed and tried to undermine the Church's authority from within), many have actually joined the Church as a result of Humanae Vitae, so impressed were they by the Pope’s firm stand against the tide of secularization and the 'mechanization' of the reproductive process . In a hotly debated subject area like sex and the sacred, public debates are too often driven mainly by a combination of vested interests, wishful thinking and ignorance, rather than a desire for the truth. However progress has been made since 1968 in understanding the holistic nature of sexuality and its place in the sacrament of marriage. There have also been parallel advances in our scientific understanding of the human body - advances which underlie the new approaches to natural family planning. All these developments have received little or no attention. During his pontificate, Pope John Paul II has articulated a fresh understanding of marriage, love and sexuality which takes full account of the dignity of the human person, and especially of woman. In writings that are still not widely known, and in the face of widespread opposition, he has deepened the basis for the Church's opposition to contraception developing a theological and philosophical anthropology rooted in the Trinity itself - an anthropology that is in accord both with the Scriptural vision of man and with the rich texture of human experience. A central pillar of this new understanding and what is regarded by many as one of the greatest achievements of the pontificate is the development of a 'theology of the body' that actually explains and deepens the teaching of Humanae Vitae. The lack of familiarity with this new understanding of man and woman and the full meaning of their relationship has had catastrophic consequences for the Church. The secular attacks on traditional Catholic teaching on the sanctity of life and marriage has been damaging enough, but this teaching has often been defended by well intentioned Catholics who have lacked any cognizance of these new insights and thus fail to integrate the findings of the social and human sciences with theology. This has seriously weakened the credibility of the Church, particularly in many parts of the USA and Europe where a technologically based secularism is in full flood. Fortunately, the insights of the Holy Father have been studied intensively and developed further by researchers and teachers associated with the John Paul II Institute for Studies in Marriage and the Family. This Institute is based at the Lateran University in Rome, but it has branches all around the world. (For English speakers the main branch is in Washington, DC.) Another new institution which is focussing attention on the new approach is the International Theological Institute, recently set up in Austria by Cardinal Schönborn. Mary Shivanandan, STD is a Professor of the John Paul II Institute, and a well-known lecturer and writer on marriage and natural family planning. She studied Classics at Cambridge University, and is a Board Member of the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars. Her scholarly research as well as her own experience of marriage, has led her to confirm the value of the Pope's insights. Her new book, Crossing the Threshold Of Love, is the most exhaustive and scholarly assessment of his Christian anthropology ever written. In it she examines the scientific data and the theology that underlie his teachings on marriage and sexuality, and the practical consequences of this for ordinary families. Her book will be an essential text for the study of the development, meaning and implications of Catholic doctrine in this controversial area. Unusually, it is both lucid and multi-disciplinary. Its appearance marks a new stage in the debate over sexuality in the modern world, and everyone who works in the field or takes an interest in these matters will need to read and refer to it. T&T Clark ordering information for UK and worldwide residents (except USA & Canada) Residents in the USA and Canada: orders to Catholic University Press of America  [HomePage] [Mary Shivanandan]