Aims

This course provides an introduction to the doctrinal bases of Catholic theology on sexuality, marriage and family.

Main themes

From a dogmatic point of view, the course studies the problem of marriage as an institution by examining its sociological and theological components as well as its historical development and recent significance. Emphasis is placed on the sacramental reality of marriage; in so doing, we point to the specificity of Christian marriage in a pluralistic world and the relation between marriage as an institution willed by God the creator and marriage as a sacrament of Redemption. Particular attention is paid to the effect of this identity on present-day questions: juvenile co-habitation and civilly remarried divorcees.
From the ethical point of view, the course is based on the teachings of Holy Scripture, pontifical and episcopal Magisteria, and personalist philosophy in proposing criteria for a moral evaluation of behaviours in the area of sexuality and fertility.

Content and teaching methods

Introduction: Object, method and limits of the course
I. Human sexuality: scriptural and personalist perspectives
II. Marriage as an institution and sacrament
A. Marriage in civil society
B. Theology of Christian marriage
III. Birth control
IV. Abortion
V. Homosexuality
Conclusion