Originally published: London : SCM Press, 1992.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Sex and ethics -- The lustful eye -- The treatment of men -- The ple asures of the flesh -- Sexual purposes -- Sexual gestures -- The other half -- Sex and marriage -- Contraception -- Homosexuality.

Catholic teaching has sought to present Christian standards and valu es as reasonable, as standards, which anyone can see to be right if onl y they think about them in the right way. Arguments have been drawn fro m scripture and also from philosophy and experience, the latter being p articularly important at a time when the church can no longer lay down the law, but has to be able to persuade. However, are the arguments use d valid, or are they flawed? This is what Gareth Moore considers. His s tudy covers such wide ranging topics as sexual pleasure, the purpose of sex, sexual gestures, marriage, contraception and homosexuality, and i n these areas and the more specific sexual issues which he covers, he o ften finds the church's case defective. Though the church has valuable things to say, its supporting arguments can be unconvincing. Better arg uments, he claims, are needed, or alternatively the possibility has to be faced that the church's teaching needs to be modified.