Bishops and Bodies

"Shortly after the Supreme Court issued its opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, horrific stories began to emerge from hospitals across the country. To many, these denials of emergency medical care seemed to be an alarming new consequence of the Supreme Court’s decision. Lori Freedman, however, has documented such stories for well over a decade. We would do well to study her work carefully — including her book Bishops and Bodies: Reproductive Care in American Catholic Hospitals — in this critical moment. ~Catholics for Choice

“It’s a recipe for disaster—the Catholic Church wants the most births possible, and most American women want to limit their childbearing and protect their health with modern advances in contraception and abortion. Yet in the name of corporate conscience, our anachronistic laws allow Catholic healthcare to require physicians of all faiths to do things that violate medical ethics and often constitute malpractice. Freedman’s compelling research, rich storytelling, and incisive analysis reveal how outrageous Bishop-knows-best medicine really is.” ~Katie Watson, author of Scarlet A: The Ethics, Law and Politics of Ordinary Abortion

"Bishops and Bodies is poised to make a significant impact not just in social science and medical humanities circles, but in broader public conversations about health care, reproductive rights, and the place of religion in society."

~Jessica Martucci, author of Back to the Breast: Natural Motherhood and Breastfeeding in America