Catholic Priests and the Matter of Sex

Shows how clericalism, power, and sexuality impact Catholic priestly identity and mission-generating critical insights for Church renewal.

Through an interdisciplinary approach, this groundbreaking volume offers analysis of how clericalism distorts priestly identity, undermines the Church's mission, and erodes lay participation. It explores how clericalism intersects with sexuality, masculinity, and institutional power, revealing how these dynamics shape Catholic life today.Catholic Priests and the Matter of Sex confronts one of the most urgent crises facing the contemporary Catholic Church: the pervasive culture of clericalism. Through an interdisciplinary approach, this groundbreaking volume offers a penetrating analysis of how clericalism distorts priestly identity, undermines the Church's mission, and erodes lay participation. But this book does more than critique-it explores how clericalism intersects with sexuality, masculinity, and institutional power, revealing how these dynamics shape Catholic life today. With essays from diverse voices, this collection asks difficult but necessary questions: What is clericalism? How does it function? And how can it be overcome? The authors are driven by a deep love for the Church and a desire to support awareness, integrity, and renewal. Bridging theology, ecclesiology, and lived experience, Clericalism and Sexuality is both a prophetic challenge and a hopeful call to reform—a timely resource for anyone committed to revitalizing the Church's mission in the twenty-first century.