Off the Hook: God, Love, Dating, and Marriage in a Hookup World

by Timothy P. O'Malley

Hookup culture is about much more than the quest for pleasure. It offers an easy way out of real communication and lasting relationships. It also teaches us to treat each other as objects for personal satisfaction. Even those who reject the hookup culture can still be negatively affected by it and develop poor habits of relating to others. In Off the Hook , Timothy P. O’Malley, professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame, shows how God’s plan for love serves to heal the wounds of hookup culture and is a medicine for what ails our understanding of sex, romance, love, and marriage. Here are a few things Timothy O’Malley discovered from students in his popular undergraduate course, Nuptial Divine Love and Human Salvation : In Off the Hook , O’Malley explains how the ethics of hooking up shape relationships between men and women and examines the considerable harm to individuals and society that results. By exploring the sacrament of marriage in its biblical, theological, and liturgical dimensions, he offers Catholic young adults and those charged with their formation and pastoral care a wealth of insight into God’s plan for love. Young people will find help grappling with the Church’s countercultural understanding of sex, love, and marriage. Parents and pastoral workers will discover a refreshing presentation of the Catholic theology of marriage and wise counsel about forming young people in the Church’s vision. Newly married, and even long-married couples will find hope, courage, and the promise of sacramental love that can sustain them for a lifetime.

Genres: Catholic

160 pages, Paperback

Published October 26, 2018

About the author

Dr. Timothy P. O'Malley, Ph.D. (theology and education, Boston College; M.T.S., Liturgical Studies, University of Notre Dame; B.A., Theology and Philosophy, Notre Dame), is Director of Education at the McGrath Institute for Church Life, and Academic Director of the Notre Dame Center for Liturgy.

Reviews

[Joseph Calce · Rating 4 out of 5]

O'Malley writes a very solid book that focuses on the Catholic marriage liturgy as an antidote to hookup culture. I think it would be more effective if it was targeted to young people trying to avoid hooking up instead of young couples preparing for marriage. Learning how to actually date (especially in COVID and post-COVID world) would be valuable to college students and recent graduates, though I understand that isn't the full aim of the book. I would be interested to see how the author squares his emphasis on in-person dating (with which I mostly agree) with recent complications.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great approachable and practical read that doesn’t dumb down the theology of marriage. Perfect for those preparing for marriage or those long married to gain perspective on the sacrament.

[Katie Strickland · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was full of knowledge, just not marketed the best. Target audience is def those in marriage prep or dating

[Stephanie O'keefe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative and highly practical for Catholics who have fallen away from the sacramental notion of marriage but not overly enlightening for those who have already read plenty on the subject.