Understanding Homosexuality: An Integral Approach to a Study of Homosexuality in the Perspective of Church Teaching, Moral Theology, and Sciences

The study is based on the assumption that Catholic moral theology has reached an impasse, and proposes an approach to examine and understand this finding through the case study of homosexuality. Taking into account scientific research, magisterial statements, and theological-ethical reflections on homosexuality, it concludes that the problem—at least with regard to the question of homosexuality—does not stem from the fact that the Catholic Magisterium has taken a position on homosexuality, but rather from the assumption that the ethical evaluation of homosexuality was settled the moment the Magisterium took a stance on the matter. This insight becomes clear when various discourses on homosexuality are brought together and challenge one another. It becomes apparent that even fundamental questions such as “What is homosexuality?” remain controversial and require further discussion. However, as long as the current state of these debates is ignored, this “glaring omission” raises the suspicion that the actual origin and nature of this impasse are not related to the question of homosexuality, but rather to the way in which the discipline of moral theology functions—or is supposed to function.

• Publication date: 28 May 2026
• Page count: 606
• Dimensions: Height 230 mm; Width 155 mm
• Publisher: Aschendorff Verlag GmbH & Co. KG
• Format: Paperback
• ISBN-13: 9783402119679