This book offers a fresh interpretation of the connection between the West German Catholic Church and post-1950s political debates on women's reproductive rights and the protection of life in West Germany.

According to Tichenor, Catholic women in West Germany, influenced by the culture of consumption, the sexual revolution, Vatican II reforms, and feminism, sought to renegotiate their relationship with the Church. They demanded a more active role in Church ministries and challenged the Church's hierarchical and gendered view of marriage and condemnation of artificial contraception. When...