Not simply a Christian 'how-to' manual on the challenge of applying Christian moral teaching to the family; [Rubio] provides a thorough ethical analysis of family life informed by a rich theology of Christian marriage, an astute reading of diverse ethical traditions, and a healthy leavening of wisdom gained from personal experience. Quite simply, with this volume, Julie Hanlon Rubio has now emerged as one of the most insightful theologians today on the theology of marriage and family. -- Richard R. Gaillardetz, Murray/Bacik Professor of Catholic Studies, University of Toledo A splendid re-visioning of the vocations of marriage and family for Catholics in today's world. Moving past the moral debates of the Vatican II era, Rubio inspires and challenges by linking the social vocation of the family to the concrete practices and problems of family life. She speaks from the realism and wisdom of experience, backed by current data on real-world social trends, relationships, and human behavior. Rubio is that rare voice that manages to keep ideals in clear view while appreciating the importance of negotiation, compromise, persistence, and practicality. This book will satisfy everyone from scholars to students to all those working out connections between faith and family. -- Lisa Sowle Cahill, Monan Professor of Theology, Boston College Julie Hanlon Rubio has given us the complete book on marriage and family. She weaves Christian theology, worship, and social ethics into the real fabric of everyday life in the home. The scope of the book is impressive. More remarkable, however, is the ease of its integration of Scripture, Catholic social thought, and moral theology in practical matters of sex, food, and money. -- David Matzko McCarthy, Fr. James M. Forker Professor of Catholic Social Teaching, Mount St. Mary's University Julie Hanlon Rubio's social ethics approach to family moral practices provides long-overdue tools for acting thoughtfully on the competing projects and commitments that absorb most of the waking hours of ordinary people. Graceful and subtle with no loss of prophetic clarity, it will set a new standard for family ethics. -- Cristina L. H. Traina, associate professor, Department of Religion, Northwestern University An extraordinary and challenging book on the somewhat ordinary topic of family life. In theory Rubio deftly develops a Christian ethics recognizing both grace and sin as a basis for Christian family life. She convincingly shows how five distinct family practices can not only bring about communion in the family but can also serve the common good in solidarity with the poor. -- Charles E. Curran, Elizabeth Scurlock University Professor of Human Values, Southern Methodist University

How can ordinary Christians find moral guidance for the mundane dilemmas they confront in their daily lives? To answer this question, Julie Hanlon Rubio brings together a rich Catholic theology of marriage and a strong commitment to social justice to focus on the place where the ethics of ordinary life are played out: the family. Sex, money, eating, spirituality, and service. According to Rubio, all are areas for practical application of an ethics of the family. In each area, intentional practices can function as acts of resistance to a cultural and middle-class conformity that promotes materialism over relationships. These practices forge deep connections within the family and help families live out their calling to be in solidarity with others and participate in social change from below. It is through these everyday moral choices that most Christians can live out their faith-and contribute to progress in the world.