Love Thy Body (Nancy Pearcey)

In Love Thy Body, Nancy Pearcey's basic argument is that postmodern moral theories devalue the human being and destroy human rights. She starts with the fact/value split that has produced the fragmented modern thought:

• Values (private, subjective, relativistic)
• Facts (public, objective, valid for everyone)

This has permeated culture in many spheres. “This dualism has created a fractured, fragmented view of the human being, in which the body is treated as separate from the authentic self.” Which in turn has created a lot of problems.

In its place, she offers “a reality-based morality that expresses a positive, life-affirming view of the human person—one that is more inspiring, more appealing, and more liberating than the secular worldview.” 

She argues that the Christian worldview (which “holds that body and soul together form an integrated unity—that the human being is an embodied soul.”) is the answer.

She looks at a variety of topics in turn: abortion, assisted suicide, homosexuality, transgenderism, and hookup culture, looking first at the aforementioned dualism and then how the Christian worldview offers a better way. For each, she points to the latest research and findings to support her position.

Her ultimate point: “Matter does matter.”

Overall, Pearcey makes a lot of good points. I read two-thirds of this, focusing on chapters relevant to a lesson I am preparing, so I didn't look at every topic or argument. But what I did read was worthwhile, though it did get repetitive.

Rating: A-