Sobering histories, radiant memoirs, style-bending poetry, and a biography of Branch Rickey: Four writers (and Commonweal's editor) on the books that have entertained, challenged, touched, and surprised them this year.  

Four writers (and Commonweal's editor) on the books that have entertained, challenged, touched, and surprised them this year.  

Catholic attitudes toward sex and marriage have shifted dramatically over the past fifty years. How should the church respond, pastorally and doctrinally, to this growing disconnect between official teaching and the practice of individual Catholics?