Contraception and The Culture of Death

Theology

Contraception and The Culture of Death

Is contraception an obvious solution to less abortion?

William Newton

Is contraception a marginal social issue or not? Is it the obvious solution to less abortion? What should be the relationship between contraception and the pro-life movement?
It is quite obvious that a gap has opened up between the Catholic church’s teaching on sexuality, as recapitulated and deepened by Pope John Paul II in his ‘Theology of the Body’, and the attitude of most people in modern society. As John Paul II admits in his famous Encyclical Evangelium Vitae, “It is frequently asserted that contraception, if made safe and available to all, is the most effective remedy against abortion. The Catholic Church is then accused of actually promoting abortion, because she obstinately continues to teach the moral unlawfulness of contraception.“ Is this objection true? Or on the contrary, Pope gets it right and contraception and abortion are „often closely connected, as fruits of the same tree“? Dr. Newton will offer rational arguments to explain and support very important passage 13 from encyclical Evangelium Vitae of John Paul II. The lecture is organised on the occasion of canonisation of John Paul II on April 27th, 2014.

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William Newton

Dr. William Newton is associate professor of Theology and faculty chair of the Austrian Program of St. Franciscan University of Steubenville. He worked for ten years in scientific research before turning to the study of theology. From 2005 to 2012 he was assistant professor of Theology at the International Theological Institute in Trumau, near Vienna, Austria. He is an associate member of faculty at Maryvale Institute in Birmingham, U.K., and founding member of the Aquinas Institute of Ireland. Dr. Newton has his PhD from the John Paul II Institute in Australia, a STL from the Leuven (Belgium), and a MTS from the International Theological Institute. He has published in numerous journals including: Anthropotes, Josephinum Journal of Theology, The National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly, The Linacre Quarterly, The New Oxford Review, Homiletic and Pastoral Review, Inside the Vatican, Journal of the International Academy of Marital Spirituality, Crisis Magazine, The Furrow, and The Sower. He is the author of an introduction to Catholic social teaching entitled, A Civilization of Love: The Catholic Vision for Human Society (Gracewing, 2011). He is originally from England. He and his wife Claire have six children.