Gregory Popcak - Holy sex! : a catholic guide to toe-curling, mind-blowing, infallible loving

Praise for Holy Sex!

Some books are worth reading because they make an important point, others for the sheer delight of the writing. Greg Popcaks Holy Sex! is both. Wherever one stands on the fine points of Catholic teaching about sex, Popcak reveals its deeply sensual core, debunking popular stereotypes of Catholicism as somehow anti-erotic. Think of this book as Thomas Aquinas meets Dr. Ruth, and enjoy!

JOHN L. ALLEN JR., Senior Correspondent for
the National Catholic Reporter and author of
Mega-Trends in Catholicism: Ten Forces Turning
the Catholic Church Upside Down (Doubleday).

Dynamic, faithful, funny, and informative, Holy Sex! demonstrates how the Truth will set you free. Popcak offers a path to authentic sexual liberation not the bondage to libido that passes for freedom in our culture, but the freedom to love. Combining practical wisdom with the wisdom of the ages, Popcak leads men and women to the love they long for. Holy Sex! deserves a big Amen!

CHRISTOPHER WEST, Fellow, Theology of the Body Institute;
Author, The Love That Satisfies: Reflections on Eros and Agape

Though this may shock much of the churchgoing world, purity and prude are not synonymous terms. This witty, well-researched book provides some much needed insight concerning Gods design for married sexuality. As an Evangelical reader I was particularly interested in Popcaks intelligent, thought-provoking challenge to the carte-blanche acceptance of birth control by the church at large. Couplesbe they Catholic, Evangelical, or otherwise would do well to consider Popcaks challenge to rethink the sexual status quo.

ED GUNGOR, Lead Pastor of the Peoples Church in Tulsa,
Author of Theres More to the Secret and The Vow

In this invigorating, informative, eye-opening book, Dr. Greg Popcak reveals the pristine beauty of Gods original plan for sex. For those who think that shallow eroticism or joyless, mechanical intercourse are the only two options for ones sex life, Dr. Popcak invites you to think again. With upbeat prose and practical examples, Dr. Popcak takes up Pope John Pauls Theology of the Body and lays out a whole new way of thinking about sex Gods way.

FATHER THOMAS D. WILLIAMS, L.C., Dean of Theology at
Regina Apostolorum University (Rome), Vatican Analyst for
CBS News, and author of Spiritual Progress: Becoming the Christian
You Want to Be and Greater Than You Think:
A Theologian Answers the Atheists about God

It is no surprise to see Dr. Popcak treat marital sex as a truly joyful thing in Holy Sex! As he so clearly points out, God designed man and woman to communicate his love in their spiritual and physical union. If married couples could actually experience their lovemaking as an expression of Gods creative, joyous and renewing love, wow!

MOST REV. R. DANIEL CONLON, Bishop of Steubenville, Ohio

I can safely guarantee that all who read this book will find something new and helpful, will laugh a lot, and may even be shocked at what Dr. Popcak reveals to be compatible with Catholic teaching. Clearly, Dr. Popcak is a chaste, faithful, learned Catholic man with mountains of experience working with couples. I have been waiting a long time for someone like him to write a book like this. I am confident that spouses who follow his advice will become holier and better partners. Those who are holier are certainly better lovers and thanks to Holy Sex! we now know the many ways this is true. Great book!

JANET E. SMITH, Father Michael J. McGivney Chair
of Life Ethics, Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit

Looking at contemporary popular culture, one finds that sex is overrated and undervalued. Greg Popcaks fine book helps to set things straight on both counts. He explains with intelligence and humor what some have learned only through painful experience, and many have still not learned, namely, that the joy of sex is not to be found in liberation from moral principles, but in its unique power to unite a man and woman as faithful partners in the love-building and life-giving union that marriage is.

ROBERT P. GEORGE, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence
and Director of the James Madison Program
in American Ideals and Institutions, Princeton University

Holy Sex! is the book that all Catholic young adults have been waiting for. Popcak uses both scientific references and Catholic tradition to put forth a sexual theology that is both relevant and faithful to tradition.

MIKE HAYES, author of Googling God and
Managing Editor of BustedHalo.com

Greg Popcak is a wise and funny guy. He combines the ancient wisdom of the Faith with the best that contemporary science and compassionate human understanding have to offer in warm, generous, and practical insights that have already been invaluable to thousands. This book will only add to that rich legacy.

MARK P. SHEA, Senior Content Editor, CatholicExchange.com

Few people can successfully mix humor with a thought-provoking look at the depth of the Catholic faith on love and marriage. But Greg Popcak has managed to do just that in his exceptional book Holy Sex! This should be on the bookshelf of every engaged and married couple after theyve read it of course!

ANDY ALDERSON, Executive Director of
the Couple to Couple League

In the last four decades, too many Americans have been led astray by self-styled experts promising sexual liberation and happiness, only to end up with broken hearts and broken bodies. By combining theological insight and psychological wisdom, Dr. Gregory Popcak offers a different path to men and women looking for a way to find happiness and virtue in their sexual lives. Holy Sex! is a powerful guide for navigating the joys and sorrows of sex.

W. BRADFORD WILCOX, Director of the Marriage Matters Project and Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Virginia

A CATHOLIC GUIDE TO
TOE-CURLING, MIND-BLOWING,
INFALLIBLE LOVING

GREGORY K. POPCAK, PH.D.

A Crossroad Book
The Crossroad Publishing Company
New York

The Crossroad Publishing Company
www.CrossroadPublishing.com

2008 by Gregory K. Popcak, Ph.D.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of The Crossroad Publishing Company.

Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper

The text of this book is set in 11/16 Goudy Old Style.
The display faces are Zapfino and Sackers Light Classic Roman.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Popcak, Gregory K.

Holy sex! : a Catholic guide to toe-curling, mind-blowing, fallible loving / Gregory K. Popcak.

p. cm.
ISBN-13: 978-0-8245-2471-5 (alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 0-8245-2471-3 (alk. paper)
ePUB ISBN: 9780824521615
MOBI ISBN: 9780824521622

1. Sex Religious aspects Catholic Church. 2. Catholic Church Doctrines. I. Title.

BX1795.S48P66 2008
241.66dc22

2007051315

56789101514

PART ONE
CHRISTIANITYS BEST-KEPT SECRET

PART TWO
THE FIVE GREAT POWERS OF HOLY SEX

PART THREE
THE SCHOOL OF LOVE

PART FOUR
OVERCOMING COMMON PROBLEMS

Quizzes

Exercises

A fruitful kiss, this, and wonderful for its astounding kindness, which does not press mouth to mouth but unites God with humanity