āWhat is truth?ā Pontius Pilate scoffed at Jesus (Jn 18:38), and thatās how we think about matters today in our cultureāsubjectively: my truth, your truth, etc. To make the argument that there is a knowable Truth (with a capital T) that is written in the world and in our bones, theologians Deborah Savage and Robert Fastiggi examine a selection of autobiographical accounts of ālived experience.ā They take a number of personal essays written by those who have erred from the path of Catholic social teaching and sexual moralityāin the dark forest of the world, to borrow from Danteāand their subsequent disappointments and suffering. They examine these narratives through the anthropology of John Paul II and the authority of the physical and social sciences, including medical doctors. So, there is Good News for all of us: if we find ourselves lost and unhappy in our errant meanderings, the Church can bring us home. We can always choose, as God reminded Cain gently (Gen 4:7), āsin is couching at the door; its desire is for you, but you may overcome it.ā
Here is theĀ book on theĀ En Route BooksĀ websiteĀ (which includes video links)here isĀ the book on Amazon.com.
Deborah Savageās website.
Robert Fastiggiās websiteĀ (as a theology professor at Sacred Heart Major Seminary).
TheĀ article we refer toĀ by Leah Fessler, āA Lot of Women Donāt Enjoy Hookup CultureāSo Why Do We Force Ourselves to Participate?ā Quartz Online, May 17, 2016.
Humanae VitaeĀ by Pope Paul VI onĀ WikipediaĀ and onĀ the Vatican website.
Robert Fastiggiās previous appearance on Almost Good Catholics, three years ago (recorded in February of 2022, on the eve of Putinās invasion of Ukraine):
Robert Fastiggi onĀ Almost Good Catholics, episode 7:Ā Mother of All Nations: Immaculate Conception, Virgin Birth, Assumption, and Coronation of Mary
An episode of Almost Good Catholics on the same theme:Garrett Johnson onĀ Almost Good Catholics,Ā episode 42:Ā Who Do You Think You Are? Thorny Questions about Sex, Identity, and Catholic Doctrine.



















