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BEYOND THE ABORTION WARS
A Way Forward for a New Generation
by Charles Camosy

Regarding abortion, Charles Camosy, associate professor of theological and social ethics at Fordham University, says most Americans occupy a middle ground — a majority that neither opposes abortion in all cases nor supports its legality for virtually any reason. We are not in a hopeless stalemate over abortion. “A majority of Americans actually agree about broad ideas with respect to abortion morality and law.”

Camosy’s work is fresh because he wrestles not only with the morality of abortion, but also the social structures that make abortion so common. His “way forward” is the Mother and Prenatal Child Protection Act. This policy does three main things: It gives legal recognition to the prenatal child, offers protection and support for the mother, and allows for certain abortive procedures in rare circumstances. The details of the policy include changing the social structures of society so that the choice to carry a pregnancy to term is less of a burden for women today. I appreciate Camosy’s incremental approach to reducing abortion, but I am less optimistic that we are on the verge of major change.

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BLIND SPOTS
Becoming a Courageous, Compassionate, and Commissioned Church
by Collin Hansen

Fred Sanders’ excellent review of this book is titled “The Christians who Annoy Us are the Christians We Need Most.” That’s a good summary of the main point that Collin makes in Blind Spots. A well-rounded evangelicalism needs the strengths of its various streams. For example, The emphases of the “courageous” Christians need the balance of the hands-on ministry of the “compassionate” as well as the missionary outlook of the “commissioned.”

Perhaps balance is too strong a word. Collin is not making the case that we should shoot for a perfect balance of these three elements, but that our overall placement within one group instead of another will be strengthened if we recognize the blind spots that the others reveal.

This is a book about appreciating the diversity of the body of Christ as we pursue faithfulness in exercising our own God-given gifts and passions. Well worth the read.

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THE MEANING OF MARRIAGE
Family, State, Market, and Morals
edited by Jean Bethke Elshtain and Robert George

This is an informative collection of essays from a variety of scholars on how marriage works in our society as a public institution. The essays come from liberals and conservatives who nevertheless agree that altering the institution of marriage will lead to profound, unintended consequences for society. The editors write:

It will have consequences for what we think of the families to which we belong, what we think of how we should organize our lives as individuals and citizens, and what kind of citizens we attempt to cultivate. It will affect quite profoundly whether we continue our long tradition of supporting mothers and their children. Given the importance of marriage as an institution for individuals and for society, the thoughtful citizen has every reason to expect, and even demand, a deep and thoughtful debate as the precondition for any change in how we understand marriage and encourage it to take shape. One need only reflect on previous alterations in the regulation of marriage in order to understand that changes in marriage law have consequences that intellectuals, politicians, and citizens alike should think through thoroughly before endorsing.

Like any book of essays, some contributions are stronger than others. Hadley Arkes’ essay is a highlight. He traces the legal changes to the meaning of marriage over time, helping us understand how the law now has reached a point where same-sex marriage can have a case in court. Seana Sugrue’s essay on the relationship between same-sex marriage and soft despotism was written several years ago, but we are already seeing signs that she is right. I highly recommend this book if you want to be brought up to speed on the current challenges the institution of marriage is facing today.

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