'With Utmost Caution and Restraint.' The Making of Roman Catholic Sex Education in the German-Speaking Area, 1900s to 1930s

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Bibliographic Details
Title: 'With Utmost Caution and Restraint.' The Making of Roman Catholic Sex Education in the German-Speaking Area, 1900s to 1930s
Language: English
Authors: Paul M. Horntrich (ORCID 0000-0002-5956-384X)
Source: Paedagogica Historica: International Journal of the History of Education. 2025 61(3):462-481.
Availability: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 20
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Evaluative
Descriptors: Sex Education, Educational History, Lay People, Clergy, Catholics, Church Role, Guidelines, Religious Factors, German, Social Change, Contraception, Sexuality, Interpersonal Relationship, Ethics, Moral Values, Gender Differences, Political Influences, Foreign Countries
Geographic Terms: Germany, Austria, Switzerland
DOI: 10.1080/00309230.2024.2359682
ISSN: 0030-9230
1477-674X
Abstract: While the emergence of sex education in the early 20th century is well studied, religious reactions to it remained under-studied. The paper addresses this gap by analysing the emergence of Roman Catholic sex education in the German-speaking area from the turn of the century to the 1930s. It explores official doctrinal guidelines, inner-Catholic debates, and the growing body of Catholic sex education publications. The paper argues that for the Roman Catholic Church, sex education was not a mere pedagogical problem but a topic that raised overarching questions such as how to deal with modern natural sciences, female emancipation, or the secular school system. The findings suggest that lay people and clergy working in pastoral care were the driving force for the modernisation of the discourse vis-à-vis a more conservative church authority.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1474118
Database: ERIC
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Description
Abstract:While the emergence of sex education in the early 20th century is well studied, religious reactions to it remained under-studied. The paper addresses this gap by analysing the emergence of Roman Catholic sex education in the German-speaking area from the turn of the century to the 1930s. It explores official doctrinal guidelines, inner-Catholic debates, and the growing body of Catholic sex education publications. The paper argues that for the Roman Catholic Church, sex education was not a mere pedagogical problem but a topic that raised overarching questions such as how to deal with modern natural sciences, female emancipation, or the secular school system. The findings suggest that lay people and clergy working in pastoral care were the driving force for the modernisation of the discourse vis-à-vis a more conservative church authority.
ISSN:0030-9230
1477-674X
DOI:10.1080/00309230.2024.2359682