Ruth Institute

RESPONDING TO THE

Vatican

LIVED EXPERIENCE VALIDATES CHURCH TEACHING

The Ruth Institute maintains that traditional Christian sexual morality is both reasonable and humane. Sadly, many people, even inside the Catholic Church, do not fully accept or even understand these teachings.

Some critics claim that the “lived experience” of ordinary people shows that traditional Church teaching is unrealistically difficult. This position was articulated in July 2022, in a collection of essays published by the Pontifical Academy for Life (PAL), Theological Ethics of Life: Scripture, Tradition, Practical Challenges.

At the Ruth Institute, we affirm that “lived experience” is an important reference point for evaluating sexual norms. Unlike the current thinking at the Pontifical Academy for Life, however, our examination of “lived experience” shows that the Church’s teachings are good, true, and inspiring.

The research

that debunks the talking points

The people

and their stories

The Book

that affirms church teaching

Sexual exclusivity inside marriage protects the interests of children in the stability of their parents’ union, as well as the legitimate parental rights of both mothers and fathers.

In response to the Pontifical Academy for Life, another group of scholars, led by Dr. Deborah Savage and Dr. Robert Fastiggi, crafted the new volume, Lived Experience and the Search for Truth: Revisiting Catholic Sexual Morality. Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse, President of the Ruth Institute, was invited to contribute an essay.

The material on this page includes interviews Dr. Morse has conducted with the contributors to this volume. The book’s publisher, EnRoute books, showcases other interviews with the contributors.

This material will inspire religious educators and concerned parents and grandparents to defend traditional Christian sexual ethics, and to acquire this important new book: Lived Experience and the Search for Truth: Revisiting Catholic Sexual Morality. You can also find the book in the Ruth Institute store.

En Route Books Store

OR

Ruth Institute Store

This book empowers you

to discuss why personal experience is important, but incomplete, for achieving human happiness

Check Out Reviews of the Book:

A large crowd gathers outside St. Peter's Basilica under a clear blue sky.

Synod’s Promotion of ‘Lived Experience’ Is a Cause for Concern

March 5, 2025 No Comments

The Synod on Synodality’s discussion as lived experience as a guide to the moral life overlooks the lived experience of those who are faithful to Catholic Church teaching.

Missio Dei Catholic Review of Lived Experience

March 5, 2025 No Comments

In a world increasingly confused about what it means to be human, [this book] offers a refreshing, deeply rooted exploration of identity, sexuality, and the metaphysical reality of the human reality of the human person.

The Stories

Here's the research

Listen to the science

Learn about the authors' stories

From the Book

Amy E. Hamilton

Journey from Homosexuality

David deavel

Fathers in God's Image

Adrian Reimers

Jason Evert

Gender and Theology of the Body

Deborah Savage

Rethinking Humanae Vitae

Elizabeth Kirk

God's Love: Adoption

Carrie Gress

Gender and Theology of the Body

Marco Casanova

Integrating Homosexual Experience

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