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1 Breastfeeding and the Theology of the Body

Thursday, August 1st, 2013

For World Breastfeeding Week (WBW), August 1-7, 2013, I have chosen to use my chapter on “Breastfeeding and the Marriage Act” in my book, Breastfeeding and Catholic Motherhood.  It is the only source I know that relates the theology of the body to breastfeeding.
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Many comparisons can be made between the marriage act and the act of breastfeeding. In pointing out such similarities, I don’t mean to denigrate the sacrament of Matrimony. God established marriage from the beginning of the human race, and Christ raised marriage between two Christians to the level of a sacrament. The marriage act is of utmost importance and value; in it, a man and wife become co-creators with God in bringing children into the world. Experts who study the health of society speak about the importance of the strength and permanence of the husband-wife marital relationship as well as the importance of how parents, especially mothers, raise their young. In addition, many acts involving service or gift of self to others (such as teacher to students or priest to parishioners) also have avenues for comparison. This is an area where I hope future theologians will develop deeper thoughts concerning maternal nursing.

I offer eleven simple points of comparison between breastfeeding and the marriage act, in the hope of further elevating the importance of each:
. They are voluntary acts between two persons.
. Both acts are normally essential for life.
. The woman offers her body to her husband in the marriage act and to her baby in the breastfeeding act.
. Both acts in Scripture are used to describe God’s love for his people.
. Both acts involve love through intimacy, physical closeness, and emotional bonding.
. Both acts normally involve physical pleasure.
. Both acts can impact the health of a family and thus society.
. Both acts ought to involve a gift of self to another.
. The Pope’s theology of the body applies to both acts.
. Each act involves a love that unifies the two persons.
. Both acts have two orders, the order of nature and the personal order.

Sheila Kippley
Breastfeeding and Catholic Motherhood
Sophia is offering a 25% discount to any order for Breastfeeding and Catholic Motherhood (paperback and eBook) during World Breastfeeding Week, August 1-7.  Offer expires Aug. 7, 11:59 PM.  Use promo code WBW25 when ordering.  Get this book for yourself, a priest, a seminarian, an expectant mother and religion teachers.  A priest in Wisconsin gives this book to all moms with whom he prepares for a baptism class and for marriage prep.
At www.lulu.com get a 25% discount during World Breastfeeding Week (Aug. 1-7) on The Seven Standards of Ecological Breastfeeding and Breastfeeding and Natural Child Spacing.

 

Posted in Ecological Breastfeeding, Theology of the Body, WBW 2013 | Comments Off on 1 Breastfeeding and the Theology of the Body

Battle-Scarred: Justice Can Be Elusive

Sunday, July 28th, 2013

John Kippley has lived in interesting, even revolutionary, times within the Church, and he has been involved in the birth control debate since well before Humanae Vitae.  John and his wife formed an organization to provide the practical help to live the teaching.  To say the least, the reactions to these efforts have been mixed—sometimes joyful, sometimes painful but certainly interesting.  Thus, John has been getting excellent comments from readers on his memoirs, Battle-Scarred: Justice Can Be Elusive.  

What have others said about the book?

I have enjoyed reading your book.  It is fascinating from several perspectives and also a most valuable history of a significant part of the NFP movement.
—Mary Shivanandan, STD, Professor specializing in the Theology of the Body
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I was living in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, at the time the events described in the [earlier chapters of this] book took place. I was one of a very few who believed that John was being unjustly dealt with by Fr. Mooney. The events in this book are described exactly as I remember them.
—Wilf Oberthier, retired Human Resources director, Canada
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John’s book came today.  It is so good.  I’m on page 66 and it is so hard to put down, but I must put it down and do some work!
—NFP Teacher, Texas
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I have ten more pages to read. I’m on page 248. It is an excellent book. When Tom Ruwe’s name appeared in the book, it brought back memories of information regarding him.
—Cincinnati
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I truly enjoyed John’s book; it filled in a lot of blanks for me.
—former NFP teacher, Iowa
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I restarted reading and I just finished chapter 3 [dealing with the Canadian experience].  Wow!
— Illinois parish priest
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Once I started the book I could hardly put it down and grieved as I read it.
—longtime promoter of generous family life, Michigan
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The cost of the book is worth it just to read about the history of the dissent from Humanae Vitae from someone who was in the thick of it.
—Priest, retired professor of English, Minnesota

This book, Battle-Scarred: Justice Can Be Elusive by John F. Kippley,  is available at  available at a 50% discount at  lulu.com.  Offer expires July 31 at 11:59 pm.

Posted in Humanae Vitae, NFP | Comments Off on Battle-Scarred: Justice Can Be Elusive

7. NFP Week – 45th Anniversary of Humanae Vitae

Saturday, July 27th, 2013

For my closing comment in this week-long celebration of the 45th anniversary of Humanae Vitae, I want to promote our NFP manual, Natural Family Planning: The complete Approach.  In a way, this manual summarizes what we have learned and taught to support the encyclical.

Natural Family Planning: The Complete Approach
• This is the only American NFP text that teaches ecological breastfeeding as a form of natural baby spacing. NFPI instruction does not force anyone to breastfeed for any specific duration, but it does empower a couple to make a well informed choice.
• It is the only American NFP text that uses the simple-to-grasp covenant statement of sexuality to explain and support the teaching of Humanae Vitae.
• It is the only American NFP text that teaches the cross-checking signs in such a way that couples can determine the earliest start of postovulation infertility consistent with all the evidence. Thus the start of Phase 3 may be recognized one or two days earlier than with other rules.

(Excerpts from Battle-Scarred, page 238)  Battle-Scarred: Justice Can Be Elusive by John F. Kippley is available at a 50% discount at lulu.com during NFP Week.  Discount offer ends July 31 at 11:59 pm.

Posted in About Us, Humanae Vitae, NFP Week 2013 | Comments Off on 7. NFP Week – 45th Anniversary of Humanae Vitae

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