Father John is the parish priest of Our Lady of Sorrows in Westonville, but when the ordered tranquillity of his life is shattered by a stranger walking into the confessional on Ash Wednesday, he finds himself on a Lenten journey of increasing dread and horror.
From its gradual decline during the latter part of the 20th century, religion has been catapulted back into public consciousness, not least by acts of violence, extremism and various forms of fundamentalism. This book calls for a reasoned dialogue between believers and non-believers about questions which impinge deeply on all our lives.
The book examines the challenges feminism presents to Roman Catholicism, particularly in light of Pope John Paul II's call for a 'new feminism.' It engages with feminist theology, queer theory, and more, arguing for a radical re-evaluation of the sacramental significance of the human body to address contemporary sexual politics.