Saint Augustine, Freedom of Will, and Pornography
In this article, which was originally a talk given at the annual Courage and EnCourage conference in July 2009, at Villanova University, I first discuss the pastoral letter of Bishop Robert W. Finn on the Dignity of the Human Person and the Dangers of Pornography. Then I summarize St. Augustine's theory concerning the necessity of a united will to overcome an addictive habit, specifically, his insights into the freedom of the will and other aspects of the will. I propose that Augustine's insights be used as an important part of the pastoral approach to helping a person addicted to pornography.