Graduation Year

2024

Document Type

Honors Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Theology

Program or Major

Theology

Faculty Advisor

Rachel M. Coleman

Abstract

The Catholic Church has expressed its opposition to contraception from the beginning. Use of the Pill is not coincident with the Church’s vision of the human person, and I will explore the anthropological grounds upon which the Church informs her stance. Modernity has a different anthropology than that of the Church; I seek to unearth and understand the difference between these two views by synthesizing the philosophy and theology behind Humanae vitae, taking its predictions seriously, and analyzing how they have come to fruition in the modern world. My focus is on man’s attempt to overcome his own limits and transcend the boundaries of his body by examining how medical advancements and technology have magnified this issue. I will make a case in favor of fertility awareness methods of family planning and health monitoring purposes as a better alternative to preventing pregnancy that respects the female body.

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