Which Gradualism? Whose Relationships? JASON KING Saint Vincent College The  extraordinary meeting of the Synod of Bishops explicitly referenced gradualism three times in the Relatio post Disceptationem. Is this moral theology concept helpful for analyzing relationships? This question is more difficult than it first seems. One needs to first ask “which gradualism,” as the three references imply three different understandings: Gradualism as Growth in Holiness, Gradualism as Pastoral Practice, and Gradualism as Inclusivism. Second, one must ask “whose relationship” it can help. I turn to hookup culture as it is a ubiquitous phenomenon on college campuses. As only Gradualism as Inclusivism proves helpful in hookup culture, it has the best potential to help those pursuing good relationships that might not readily align with church teaching. Keywords: gradualism, Synod of Bishops, marriage, hookup culture I N the wake of the  Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, one of my former students, now a journalist, sent me the follow- ing message:  It’s always heartening to see some good press directed towards a typically denigrated church. On the “gradualism” front, I’m not sure I see the path forward beyond the case of the never-before-married cohabitating hetero- sexual couple. The above couple could certainly be receptive to the church saying, “Here’s the good in your relationship, and here’s how it could be sacramentally better.” [But in other cases] like gay marriage, I’m honestly confused. It seems like the church’s new approach will be to say, “There is Jason King is Associate Professor of Theology and Chair of the Department of Theology at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA. He has published in American Benedictine Review, Religious Education, New Blackfriars, Josephinum Journal of Theology, Journal of Ecumenical Studies, and Horizons. He is also a regular blogger at CatholicMoralTheology. com.  Zach Noble, Facebook message to author, January , . Noble is a journalist and as- sistant editor for The Blaze, http://www.theblaze.com. The comment is used with permission. Horizons, , pp. –. © College Theology Society,  doi:10.1017/hor.2016.4  terms of use, available at http:/www.cambridge.org/core/terms. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/hor.2016.4 Downloaded from http:/www.cambridge.org/core. The Catholic University of America, on 14 Sep 2016 at 15:28:25, subject to the Cambridge Core