The Theology of the Body

What is the Theology of the Body? A series of 129 short talks given by Pope St. John Paul II from 1978-1984, on the meaning of human life, particularly as it concerns sexuality. JP2 believed that through the lens of marriage and married love we rediscover the meaning of life. This meaning was distorted by sin.

Assumption: The human is a unity of body and soul. Logical Conclusion #1: We experience the spiritual world in and through our bodies. Logical Conclusion #2: Our body, especially our sexuality, is not an obstacle to our encountering God.

The Body as a “sacrament” What is a Sacrament? JP2 wants us to see the human body as a sign that makes visible the invisible mystery of God. The union between a man and a woman is marriage serves as an “icon” or an “analogy” of the Blessed Trinity. Human beings – especially in married love – become the created version of God’s eternal exchange of love as a Communion of three persons. We are images of God not just because we can think and choose, but because we can give ourselves to others. Clip on Marriage from the Sophia Institute

Male and Female: Image of the Union Between God and Humanity The love between a man and a woman is meant to image God’s love for his people. The Bible often referred to God as the “groom” and the people as his “bride” St. Paul reminds us that man and woman in “becoming one flesh” is a reference to Christ’s love for his Church. Analogy: God’s plan is to “marry us” (Hos. 2:19), and through this divine union, God wants to “impregnate” our humanity with his divine life. What NT was literally impregnated with divine life?

Conclusions In the final analysis, the abortion debate is not about when life begins or gay marriage about the rights of gay couples – it is about the meaning of sexual union and the purpose of marriage. The Theology of the Body gives us a new way of thinking about sexuality, not as a litany of “don’t do it’s”, but like God’s very nature, a “total gift of self.” The Theology of the Body calls humanity to an attitude of “loving” rather than “using” The questions shifts from “what am I forbidden to do” to “how can I live my more fully is a child of God” The answer is not self-control; but self-mastery