http://www.amazon.com/Catholic-Sexual-Ethics-Summary-Explanation/dp/0879739525/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1239237371&sr=8-1

George Weigel’s biography of John Paul II (“Witness to Hope”) has what a good summary of the traditional Catholic teaching on marriage and what JPII tried to do with it in the chapter on JPII’s “theology of the body.” It’s written from the conservative perspective, but I think it gets across some of the complexities of biblical interpretation and theology that plague this issue.

-wrb

Any readings you’d recommend to help me along my way?

I guess on another level, though, I’m not so sure that this post itself was really attempting to be very theologically deep – it was more a question that asked is there a way to have a “progressive traditionalism?”  The concepts of Catholic social teachings and social justice are very progressive in many ways, and very relevant, but again, perhaps my own lack of knowledge hinders me here as well…

Agreed. I was reacting to the Leviticus = “All of Theology” comment and didn’t see Kain’s subsequent stepdown.

Kain, please forgive my shouting in your house.

But before moving along, just let me submit that you may want to take the thrust of my recommendation seriously. I would be embarrassed to begin blogging about my random ideas concerning molecular biology before learning some biology first. And theology, if anything, is even deeper and more significant.

Tim, I am not particularly concerned with “embarrassing myself” as I consider the very point of blogging, conversing, etc. a learning experience.  I am woefully short on good theological training as I went through a very long anti-religious phase during my rebellious period and I’m doing my best to catch up.  Blogging is a sort of act of expression and questioning all at once for me – so I state things I believe but at the same time ask questions and I am very lucky indeed to have such a knowledgeable readership here at the League to better inform me when I am lacking in knowledge (on any number of subjects).

So here is where I am having difficulty:

I believe very much in tradition and in the importance of a society built on the foundation of tradition and history and the wisdom of the ages etc.  This is why the Catholic Church makes so much more sense and to me seems so much more spiritually powerful (to me, in any case) than Protestantism. 

However, at the same time, in my heart of hearts I know that some things are just right and that the times often change to reflect this.  Slavery, race equality, etc. have all been part of this liberating tradition, and the Church has not always been on the right side of every debate but has generally grown and evolved (carefully) to incorporate the right side of the debate into its theological framework.  The world is no longer the center of the universe; I seem to recall it was a priest or a monk who first toyed with the idea of the Big Bang; evolution is accepted by the Church as well, in less I am mistaken.  Certainly even the most conservative Catholics I know believe that evolution and creation are not mutually exclusive concepts.  So with homosexuality I simply hope for a similar story, a move by the Church to accept and embrace it.  That’s all.  Perhaps I am simply too miserably short on theological knowledge to state how this could ever be done, so I keep it in the realm of hope…

Settle down. E.D. may have been mistaken, but he’s shown that he’s arguing in good faith. No need to go after him like that.