Reading, Praying, Living Pope Francis’s The Joy of Love

Julie Hanlon Rubio is professor of social ethics at the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University in Berkeley, California. Previously, she taught for nineteen years at St. Louis University. Her research focuses on marriage, family, sex, and gender. She is the author of four books, including Family Ethics: Practices for Christians (Georgetown, 2010). She speaks to a wide variety of public audiences and writes for popular venues such as America magazine, National Catholic Reporter, the Washington Post, and US Catholic.

• ContentsIntroduction: Front Story and Back Story   7Assessing: Where Are We?   171 “In the Light of the Word”: A Biblical Vision   192 Experiences and Challenges: Family Life Today   24Seeking Wisdom: What Is Marriage?   333 Beginning with the Gaze of Christ: Looking Again at Tradition   354 Looking In at Couples: Love in Marriage   415 Looking Outward with Couples: Love Made Fruitful   50Applying: How Can We Accompany Those in Imperfect Situations?   596 Can the Church Be a Field Hospital for Families?   617 Can the Church Help Parents Raise Their Children Well?   718 The Tough Issues: Accompanying, Discerning, and Integrating Weakness   79Conclusion: Why Get Married? Why Stay Married? A Spirituality for Marriage and Family   88Notes   92For Further Reading   96

Pope Francis' recent text, The Joy of Love, is one of the most significant and inspirational church documents ever published on marriage and family. Yet reading such documents can often be a daunting prospect for ordinary Catholics. Julie Hanlon Rubio provides an immensely helpful "readers guide" to assist ordinary Catholics in recognizing the pope's many remarkable insights on marriage and family life. Her extensive theological background, and engaging writing style, coupled with the helpful discussion questions/suggestions for prayer, make this an excellent resource for the training of those engaged in pastoral care to families/married couples, and a wide range of parish discussion groups.Richard Gaillardetz is the Joseph Professor of Catholic Systematic Theology at Boston College