A book on love and sex written by a nun is causing controversy in the Vatican.
Just Love: A Framework for Christian Sexual Ethics, written by Sister Margaret Farley, has the Vatican’s orthodoxy office up in arms, saying that the work poses “grave harm” to the Catholic Church for its relatively progressive positions on homosexuality and masturbation among other issues, reports Time.com.
Going up against the Vatican is no mean feat, however Sister Farley has the backing of the Sisters of Mercy religious order, as well as the wider group the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) — the largest organisation of nuns in America, labelled ‘radically feminist’ by some members of the Catholic Church.
A well-regarded theologian and professor emeritus at Yale’s School of Divinity, Sister Farley says she intended Just Love: A Framework for Christian Sexual Ethics to be an exploration of sexuality and human experiences across religions, rather than a reflection of official Catholic teaching.
While the Vatican is no stranger to controversy, this latest flash-point – akin to the ongoing conflict regarding women bishops in the Anglican Church - only serves to highlight the continuing fractures between progressive thinking females and the world of religion historically led by men.
And there we were thinking Fifty Shades of Grey was scandalous.
What do you think? As a nun, does Sister Farley have a duty to write a book which reflects the ideas of her religion? Or should she be able to write what she wants? Tell us your thoughts on Twitter or in the comments section below.
Image credit: Rex
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