Abortion Rites: A Social History of Abortion in America by Marvin Olasky

Abortion Rites: A Social History of Abortion in America Reviews

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  Rebecca

  I picked up this book solely because it was recommended by a supporter of abortion rights as a comprehensive history of the legal issues and social attitudes surrounding abortion in America, despite the fact that it is written by a social conservative. (I figured any book written by a pro-lifer and recommended by a pro-choicer has got to be worth a look-see.) All of the endorsements on the back are from famous partisans on one side, which doesn't usually bode well for a book's usefulness as a reliable source; that is unfortunate because it is a well-documented and thorough examination of the issue from a historical perspective. It isn't the sort of book that is likely to change one's opinions on abortion policy, but if the issue interests you on more than a partisan level, it is absolutely worth reading.
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  Rachael

  I was pleasantly surprised at the objectivity of this book until the very last chapter. The staunchly pro-life stance taken at the end was somewhat off putting, but the history in the book was interesting and useful.
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  sarafem

  I was honestly surprised how objectively this was written (comparatively, mind you - it won't win an award) until the last chapter. Then by god, all pretense out the window. A real winner.
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  Kent

  Charts American attitude toward and practice of abortion from colonials times to Roe v. Wade (and these ebb and flow). Helpfully identifies the primary 3 sets of people where abortion was prolific in 18th and 19th-century America (the seduced-and-abandoned, prostitutes, spiritualists) and the various disciplines that led to its containment in various periods of our history (including reasonable laws, journalism [even the NY Times!], churches, homes and refuges specifically for the most vulnerable, adoption practices, medical vigilance). The last chapter suggests a way forward based on the effective practices of the past. This work is based on the author's reading of primary documents--newspapers, journals, books, pamphlets, etc. These are cited all throughout. Very well done.
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  John Benzing

  This book was written just as the Casey decision was made by the Supreme Court (1992) so it is an old book, but it remains relevant (and maybe even more after the Dobbs decision). What were things like before Roe? Olasky goes to original sources to lay it out especially looking at the 19th Century.
  Summing it up, to no Christian’s surprise, abortion advances “whenever a society . . . becomes concerned largely with personal peace and affluence . . . . “. Isn’t that where we are today (and have been for while). The 19th Century showed abortion contained but we’d have to go back to a time most would not want. There are lessons to be learned from this history, but as with all spiritual struggles the battles are first engaged and eventually won in prayer.
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  Lisa

  This was an interesting read. I expected it to be biased, which it is to , but still surprisingly objective. Olasky focuses on the cultural practice of the times. What drives a woman to want/need an abortion and how does society react? While this is a very emotional topic for all sides, you must examine the root if the problem: woman being used by men, poor sexual eduction, and inequitable access to proficient health care (with scientific understanding of female biology).
• 
  Bob

  The pro-life movement likes to argue not only that the social consensus and laws opposed abortion prior to Roe v. Wade but also that abortion occurred on a relatively limited scale. The pro-choice movement and some historians argue that abortion has been widely practiced during much of American history and that the court's decision finally caught up with the "enlightened" consensus.
  
  Olasky argues that the actual story is a bit more complicated. There was both a social consensus among religious, medical and political leaders opposing abortion that began to erode in the early 1900s and finally gave way in the 1960s. At the same time, abortion as a practice was prevalent through much of our history. He estimates that there were 160,000 abortions per year in the non-slave population pre-Civil War--much of which could be accounted for by prostitutes, unattached women abandoned by men, and, interestingly, by Spiritualists.
  
  Olasky also chronicles the efforts in the last quarter of the nineteenth century that lessened abortion, including compassion ministries including unwed mothers' homes, adoption services, and the YWCA which protected women arriving in big cities from seduction and being taken into the sex trades. These were coupled with efforts at moral suasion as well as law enforcement and exposure of abortionists.
  
  Olasky is pro-life and suggests that the current movement can learn from this history, both in being more truthful about the history of abortion and from earlier efforts to reduce the number of abortions. What I wonder however is whether far more needs to be done on the compassion ministry and moral suasion side rather than the legal side at present. He calls for efforts similar to the containment of the Communist powers from 1947-1991 rather than radicalism like the abolitionists who provoked the civil war. And yet he calls for laws, which seem in our present climate only to provoke more resistance. Why not take the touted language of "safe, legal, and rare" (Bill and Hillary Clinton) and work seriously on making abortion rare?
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  Pat Ennis

  Dr Olasky's historical account of abortion in the US is detailed and enlightening. And his vision for future progress of the pro-life cause is compelling and provoking. Strongly recommend this book for anyone concerned about abortion in the US.