{"product_id":"on-human-life-humanae-vitae-9781621640011","title":"On Human Life: Humanae Vitae","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe papal encyclical \u003ci\u003eHumanae Vitae\u003c\/i\u003e (\u003ci\u003eOn Human Life\u003c\/i\u003e) made headlines worldwide. Many talked about the encyclical when it was issued in 1968, but few actually read it. Why is it perhaps the most controversial document in modern Church history?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eOn Human Life\u003c\/i\u003e combines \u003ci\u003eHumanae Vitae\u003c\/i\u003e with commentary by popular and respected Catholic authors Mary Eberstadt, James Hitchcock, and Jennifer Fulwiler in order to address this question and to shed light on the document's enduring wisdom.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eHumanae Vitae\u003c\/i\u003e is Pope Paul VI's explanation of why the Catholic Church rejects contraception. The pope referred to two aspects, or meanings, of human sexuality-the unitive and the procreative. He also warned of the consequences if contraception became widely practiced-consequences that have since come to pass: greater infidelity in marriage, confusion regarding the nature of human sexuality and its role in society, the objectification of women for sexual pleasure, compulsory government birth control policies, and the reduction of the human body to an instrument of human manipulation. The separation of sexuality from its dual purpose has also resulted in artificial reproduction technologies, including cloning, that threaten the dignity of the human person.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAlthough greeted by controversy and opposition, \u003ci\u003eHumanae Vita\u003c\/i\u003ee has continued to influence Catholic moral teaching. St. John Paul II's popular \"theology of the body\" drew deeply on the insights of Paul VI. Pope Benedict and now Pope Francis have upheld the long-standing teaching, and a new generation of Catholics, as well as non-Catholics, is embracing the truths of the encyclical.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePope Paul VI \u003c\/b\u003eled the Catholic Church from 1963 until his death in 1978. The former Cardinal Archbishop of Milan, he succeeded Pope John XXIII and oversaw the Second Vatican Council, bringing it to completion in 1965. In October, 2014, Pope Francis beatified Paul VI, the first step toward his recognition as a saint.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMary Eberstadt\u003c\/b\u003e is a research fellow at the Hoover Institution, consulting editor to \u003ci\u003ePolicy Review\u003c\/i\u003e, and contributing writer to \u003ci\u003eFirst Things\u003c\/i\u003e. Her articles have appeared in the \u003ci\u003eWeekly Standard\u003c\/i\u003e, the \u003ci\u003eAmerican Spectator\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eCommentary\u003c\/i\u003e, the \u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003e, the \u003ci\u003eLondon Times\u003c\/i\u003e, and the\u003ci\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e. Her previous books include \u003ci\u003eAdam and Eve after the Pill\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Loser Letters\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eHome-Alone America\u003c\/i\u003e. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Ignatius Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50641732501778,"sku":"9781621640011","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_147d27ab-0275-4fc6-8708-8d0fea72d166.jpg?v=1733032735","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/on-human-life-humanae-vitae-9781621640011","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}