Many of the controversies we struggle with today have their roots in either the human body or religion. It’s a brave person who tangles with either of them. In her newly published book, Sexing the Church: Gender, Power, and Ethics in Contemporary Catholicism, (Indiana University Press) FSU’s Aline Kalbian takes on both.

Kalbian, an associate professor of religion, is fascinated by the moral choices people make—or are advised to make by doctors, churches and other influential institutions. She teaches ethics courses pertaining to medicine (she holds a courtesy appointment at the FSU’s College of Medicine), gender and religion, specifically Catholicism.

It’s the latter field that Kalbian plumbs in her new book. Kalbian acknowledges that the word “sex” on the cover, which depicts Jesus receiving a kiss from a bride, may attract attention. But what the author is after is elucidation, not titillation. She explores how issues such as abortion, contraception and assisted reproduction are tackled among the church hierarchy and the faithful.

“If you’re kind of confused about what Catholics think about these things—or why they think about them and the way they think about them—this will explain it,” said Kalbian.

Kalbian was raised Catholic, first in Jerusalem, then, after her family emigrated, in Virginia. Her approach is fueled by her fascination with the contradiction she sees between the workings of the church—very patriarchal, very authoritarian, very male—and the church’s common portrayal as female—virgin, bride, mother. How does this frame the church’s decisions, affect its operations, shape its sense of self?

“I think that all those images provide us with an interesting way to think about gender, ethics and Catholicism,” Kalbian said.

Aline Kalbian, originally from Jerusalem, earned her doctorate in religion and ethics from the University of Virginia. As associate professor, Kalbian focuses her classes and research on religious and medical ethics, and the role of gender in the Catholic church. Her interests have culminated in several journal publications and a new book, Sexing the Church: Gender, Power, and Ethics in Contemporary Catholicism, published by Indiana University Press.