Contemporary attitudes toward marriage, family life, and human sexuality have undergone profound changes since the mid-twentieth century, spurred by a host of social and cultural factors. Large segments of the population in the West now hold views on marriage and sexual ethics that are very different from the values and norms taught by the Church. Indeed, Catholic teaching on the truth of marriage and human sexuality is open to strong criticism—including among groups of Catholics—and seems, at best, poorly understood.
In The Bond of Love, Willem Jacobus Cardinal Eijk provides a comprehensive and unflinching account of the Church's teaching on marriage and sexual ethics, dispelling misconceptions and elucidating its truth with grace and clarity. As he demonstrates, far from being a set of arbitrary rules that constrain human freedom, this teaching is instead a deep wisdom for human flourishing, anchored in the truth of God and man divinely revealed within Scripture, Tradition, and the Gospel. Eijk first locates Catholic teaching on marriage and sexuality in relation to the currently dominant views in Western society. He follows this with an exposition of the fundamental starting point of the Church's teaching on the nature of marriage and sexuality, rooted in theological anthropology. Next discussed is the virtue of chastity—the integration of the sexual faculties into the personality—and what it requires of both married and unmarried persons. The volume concludes by addressing practices and circumstances that violate the essence of marriage.
This powerful witness to the truth and beauty of Catholic teaching on marriage and sexual ethics is a vital resource for pastors, teachers, and all of the Church's faithful striving to live in the love and communion that is grounded in Christ.
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Submit RequestAbout the Author
WILLEM JACOBUS CARDINAL EIJK is the Archbishop of Utrecht and a member of the Pontifical Academy for Life. He holds an STL in theology from the John Paul II Institute in Rome, an MD from Amsterdam University, a PhD in medicine from Leiden University, and PhD in philosophy from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas. Prior to his ordination to the episcopacy as bishop of Groningen (1999) and then Utrecht (2008), Eijk served as lecturer in moral theology at the seminary of Roermond (1990–1999) and at the theological faculty of Lugano (1997–1999), and he was also a member of the International Theological Commission from 1997 to 1999. He was created a cardinal in 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI.
What People Are Saying
"The Bond of Love by Cardinal Willem Eijk is a courageous and timely contribution in an era when the truth about the human person is often clouded by ideology and fleeting cultural trends. Echoing the words of St. John Paul II, who reminded us that the Church's mission in every age is to evangelize, Cardinal Eijk engages with the complex issues of human sexuality and identity through the lens of Divine Revelation and the Magisterium of the Catholic Church. This book does not yield to the pressures of political correctness or the demands of the dominant cultural narrative. Instead, it stands as a powerful witness to the unity of faith and reason, offering a clear and hope-filled vision of the human person grounded in Christ. Without Christ, we cannot understand who we are, nor our dignity, our vocation, or our final destiny. The Bond of Love is, ultimately, a book of hope—and a sign of hope in itself."
"It is a rare occasion when one of the princes of the Church so clearly and carefully evaluates her teachings on marriage, family, and sexuality in light of timeless truths as well as contemporary scientific evidence. Looking for simplistic accounts and easy answers? Prefer vagueness to specificity? Then you should look elsewhere—because this volume is thorough and detailed in its coverage, thoughtful, theologically discerning, historically rich, medically accurate, and yet psychologically and spiritually sensitive. His Eminence Cardinal Willem Eijk, trained physician and Catholic prelate, maintains that marriage is neither about sentiment nor fulfillment at its core, but about self-gift. Skilled at conveying grace and truth on matters that desperately need both, this book (and its author) is a treasure to the Church and Christians everywhere as we struggle over pivotal matters old and new."
"I have never before seen a book, in so learned but so approachable a fashion, treat Catholic marriage and sexual ethics from every useful angle. It is truly comprehensive—historically, theologically, philosophically, and even insofar as contemporary sociology, psychology, and medicine are involved. It can inform everything from undergraduate and graduate courses to a parish OCIA program."
"Mindful of the profound challenges facing the Church today, Cardinal Eijk uncovers the anthropological vision that undergirds and informs the Church's teaching in the area of sexual ethics and marriage. As John Paul II put it, 'Creating man in his own image and likeness, God inscribed in the humanity of man and woman the vocation, and thus the capacity and responsibility, of love and communion.' Drawing especially on the wisdom of John Paul II, Eijk provides a clear and compelling overview of the Church's teaching on human love, chastity, and the vocation to marriage or consecrated life. This is a clear and courageous defense of the beauty of human love within the plan of God to renew all things in Christ—an essential book for our time."
