Today on Kresta - October 22, 2009

Talking about the "things that matter most" on Oct. 22

4:00 – The Nude in Art and John Paul II’s Theology of the Body
The theme of the nude ought to manifest the wonder we feel before the mystery of the human personality. Even more, it ought to manifest the wonder and exultation felt by Adam, still innocent, when he found Eve a helper fit for him, and vice versa. We talk with Lawrence Feingold about the nude in art and Pope John Paul the Great’s Theology of the Body. Why is the image of the human person so brutalized, trivialized, or banalized in 20th Century art compared with the great works of the Western tradition? We find out.

4:40 – Shaky Economy Forces Parents to Change Priorities
In 7 Myths of Working Mothers, author Suzanne Venker dispels the notion that living on one income is designed for the truly fortunate. The recent economic downturn, however, has forced people to scale down their lifestyles. Suzanne is here to argue that living on one income is entirely possible for most families -- and offers suggestions for how to do so.

5:00 – Abortion Rites: A Social History of Abortion in America
In a remarkable and controversial work which goes back to 1992, Marvin Olasky wrote an in-depth analysis of the history of abortion in America. Part One describes the three groups of women who were having abortions through the mid-nineteenth century. Part Two examines the failures and limited successes of anti-abortion Americans as they tried to develop a societal mind-set in which abortion was condemned. And Part Three carries the story into the twentieth century, examining the moral transition among physicians and the impact of changing values and economic pressures. It is as relevant today as it ever was, and Marvin joins us to look at the social history of abortion in America.

5:40 – The Rise & Fall of the Sexual Constitution of Western Civilization
In the latest edition of the journal Touchstone, Allan Carlson, Founder and President of the Howard Center for Family, Religion & Society, published an article entitled “Meaningful Intercourse: The Rise and Fall of the Sexual Constitution of the West.” In it he draws the parallel between modern notions of sexuality and those of ancient Gnosticism. He points out the demise of our civilization is coming through the acceptance of contraception and the legitimating of illegitimacy. We discuss it.