Resources for Speaking at a Chastity Conference Sept. 7

Chastity Conference
Washington, D.C.
Sept. 7, 2013

Earlier this year the Archdiocese of Washington invited me to give a workshop at their Chastity Conference on the importance of male fraternity when it comes to living a chaste lifestyle.  It's taking place at Archbishop Carroll High School on Saturday, Sept. 7.  All the information and registration is here (http://site.adw.org/speakingoflove) along with their Facebook event page here.

One of the coordinators asked me if there were any good resources on chastity or masculinity that helped me along the way, and I shared these following resources that I have taken the heart these past several years:

Pure Manhood by Jason Evert

This is probably the most readable, small, and question-based book for guys and all of our questions about sex and what not.  Plus, Jason is Catholic.

Every Man's Battle by Stephen Arterburn and Fred Stoeker

A lot of what I write about "guarding the eyes" has come from this book.  There is also a "Every young man's battle" which is by the same author's.  I haven't read this one but I bet it's more applicable to young men.

"Contraception: Why not?" by Janet Smith

This is a great audio CD that talks about the truths of contraception, especially the pill, that many people do not think about.  More importantly, it talks about the "natural sex" that many miss out on.  Excellent listen. Here's a YouTube link (quality isn't great, but it's something: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9imaevdeIE)

Theology of the Body for Beginners by Christopher West

Catholic writer Christopher West breaks down JPII's teachings on sexuality and the theology of the body.  This is a great first read for anyone who is unfamiliar with what the church teaches about sex and why.  

Two books that have significantly changed my life (including my chastity) but aren't specifically about that topic are:

Wild at Heart by John Eldredge

I'm convinced that in order to be chaste, we men need to know work towards our truer passions and purpose, and in order to find that out, we need to know ourselves.  This book dives deep into the soul of who we men deep in the wildness of our heart. [Disclaimer: This book has everything except the Eucharist.  Some men prefer the Catholic version Be a Man! by Fr. Larry Richards, which I've read, and it's good, though still prefer Eldredge.  

Boys Adrift: The Five Factors Driving the Growing Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men by Leonard Sax, M.D., Ph.D.

This secular book written by a doctor living in the D.C. area at the time writes about the five reasons why there are less real men today and what we all together can do about it.  The chastity part I got in this book was the doctor's statistic that more and more young men are getting erectile dysfunction (i.e. failure to get aroused around real women) due to excessive watching of pornography.  This fact actually launched my motivation to stop watching it once and for all.

Lastly, there's a couple articles I produced on my blog that reached thousands when they came out that I feel are helpful:

Why we watch porn and how to overcome it

I worked with an editor from a different site on this post for weeks before we published it.  It's my attempt to reference the major reasons why I (and I believe others) watch porn and major ways I have gotten off of it.  The post links to many different resources and videos that has helped my education along the way.

48 Men's Thoughts on Porn

A couple years ago I asked 48 Catholic Men to pick a time they were successfully resisted the temptation of porn, why they did, and what they chose to do instead.  It's a humbling, inspiring post of the humility of the number of men that responded.  

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Anyway, I ask for prayers for my talk in less than a month away.  We all have our opportunity to make a difference with the gifts (and ganas) that God has given us.

Amén.