Confronting Power and Sex in the Catholic Church: Reclaiming the Spirit of Jesus

Drawing on his own experience in responding to abuse, Bishop Geoffrey Robinson methodically offers a critique of the church's use and misuse of power, from the pope proclaiming infallibly down to the preacher claiming a divine authority for every word spoken from the pulpit. Going back to the Bible and, above all, to the teaching of Jesus, he presents an approach to sexual morality that is profound, compassionate, and people-centered. He stresses the priority of the hierarchy of holiness over the hierarchy of power.

He offers nothing less than a vision for a church of the third millennium 'a church that wants to see in its members the responsibility appropriate to adults rather than the obedience appropriate to children and wants to help al people to grow to become al they are capable of being.

You will love or hate this book but not be ale to remain neutral.

Through the story of sexual abuse and the church's response, I came to the unshakeable belief that within the Catholic Church there absolutely must be profound and enduring change. In particular, there must be change on the two subjects of power and sex.
'From the Introduction

Bishop Geoffrey Robinson, who has degrees in philosophy, theology, and church law, was Auxiliary Bishop in the Archdiocese of Sydney from 1984 until his retirement in 2004. In 1994, he was elected by the Australian Bishops to the National Committee for professional Standards, coordinating the response of the Catholic Church in Australia to revelations of sexual abuse, and from 1997 until 2003 he was cochairman of this committee.

1114595967
Confronting Power and Sex in the Catholic Church: Reclaiming the Spirit of Jesus

Drawing on his own experience in responding to abuse, Bishop Geoffrey Robinson methodically offers a critique of the church's use and misuse of power, from the pope proclaiming infallibly down to the preacher claiming a divine authority for every word spoken from the pulpit. Going back to the Bible and, above all, to the teaching of Jesus, he presents an approach to sexual morality that is profound, compassionate, and people-centered. He stresses the priority of the hierarchy of holiness over the hierarchy of power.

He offers nothing less than a vision for a church of the third millennium 'a church that wants to see in its members the responsibility appropriate to adults rather than the obedience appropriate to children and wants to help al people to grow to become al they are capable of being.

You will love or hate this book but not be ale to remain neutral.

Through the story of sexual abuse and the church's response, I came to the unshakeable belief that within the Catholic Church there absolutely must be profound and enduring change. In particular, there must be change on the two subjects of power and sex.
'From the Introduction

Bishop Geoffrey Robinson, who has degrees in philosophy, theology, and church law, was Auxiliary Bishop in the Archdiocese of Sydney from 1984 until his retirement in 2004. In 1994, he was elected by the Australian Bishops to the National Committee for professional Standards, coordinating the response of the Catholic Church in Australia to revelations of sexual abuse, and from 1997 until 2003 he was cochairman of this committee.

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Confronting Power and Sex in the Catholic Church: Reclaiming the Spirit of Jesus

Confronting Power and Sex in the Catholic Church: Reclaiming the Spirit of Jesus

Confronting Power and Sex in the Catholic Church: Reclaiming the Spirit of Jesus

Confronting Power and Sex in the Catholic Church: Reclaiming the Spirit of Jesus

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Overview

Drawing on his own experience in responding to abuse, Bishop Geoffrey Robinson methodically offers a critique of the church's use and misuse of power, from the pope proclaiming infallibly down to the preacher claiming a divine authority for every word spoken from the pulpit. Going back to the Bible and, above all, to the teaching of Jesus, he presents an approach to sexual morality that is profound, compassionate, and people-centered. He stresses the priority of the hierarchy of holiness over the hierarchy of power.

He offers nothing less than a vision for a church of the third millennium 'a church that wants to see in its members the responsibility appropriate to adults rather than the obedience appropriate to children and wants to help al people to grow to become al they are capable of being.

You will love or hate this book but not be ale to remain neutral.

Through the story of sexual abuse and the church's response, I came to the unshakeable belief that within the Catholic Church there absolutely must be profound and enduring change. In particular, there must be change on the two subjects of power and sex.
'From the Introduction

Bishop Geoffrey Robinson, who has degrees in philosophy, theology, and church law, was Auxiliary Bishop in the Archdiocese of Sydney from 1984 until his retirement in 2004. In 1994, he was elected by the Australian Bishops to the National Committee for professional Standards, coordinating the response of the Catholic Church in Australia to revelations of sexual abuse, and from 1997 until 2003 he was cochairman of this committee.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780814618653
Publisher: Liturgical Press, The
Publication date: 03/28/2008
Pages: 320
Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Donald Cozzens—priest, writer, and lecturer—teaches in the religious studies department at John Carroll University. He is the award-winning and best-selling author of The Changing Face of the Priesthood and Sacred Silence: Denial and the Crisis in the Church.

Table of Contents

Foreword     1
Introduction     7
The More Immediate Causes of Abuse     9
The Wider Focus of this Book     19
A Personal History     20
Healthy People in a Healthy Relationship with a Healthy God     25
A Healthy God     26
Healthy People     30
A Healthy Relationship     40
Meditation     45
The Two Books of God     49
The Bible     50
The World Around and Within Us     57
Meditation     61
Spiritual Discernment     65
Tradition     65
The Tool of Discernment     73
Meditation     75
An Eternal Plan, a Sharing of Life and the Reign of God     77
God's Eternal Plan     77
A Sharing of Life     78
The Reign of God     79
The Church     80
Meditation     84
'Like His Brothers and Sisters in Every Respect'     87
The Knowledge of Jesus     88
'Notification on the Works of Fr. Jon Sobrino S.J.'     93
Meditation     96
In Service of God's People     99
The Bible     99
What Has Been Handed On to Us     105
The Present Situation     116
Learning From the World Around Us     129
Meditation     132
The Authority of 'the Church'     137
A Peter-Figure     139
The Middle Level     144
The Faith of the Whole Church     145
Meditation     149
Free and Responsible     153
The Bible     153
Religious Liberty     158
Conscience     158
Assisting Conscience     164
Meditation     172
A Turbulence and a Whirlpool     175
The Bible     177
What Has Been Handed on to Us     193
Meditation     195
The Return to an Original Sexual Ethic     201
Origins of Current Catholic Teaching     201
An Ethic Based on Persons     204
The Major Questions     210
Meditation     214
A Dark Grace, a Severe Mercy     217
Spiritual Harm and Spiritual Healing     217
Forgiveness     220
A New Assignment to Ministry?     225
Meditation     231
The Prison of the Past      235
The Freedom to be Wrong     235
Truths Essential to Identity     237
One Authority Changing Another     241
Particular Issues     250
The Certainty of Faith     258
Meditation     260
A Government in which All Participate     265
Three Levels of Government     265
The First Level: The Peter-Figure     268
The Second Level: The Bishops     271
The Third Level: The Mind of the Whole Church     282
Meditation     287
A Change of Heart and Mind     289
Accountability and Professionalism     290
The Laity: Citizens or Civilians?     293
Renewing the Theological Conversation     296
Putting Our Own House in Order     297
A Church in the World     300
Conclusion     302
Meditation     304

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