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Theology of the Body for Beginners: Rediscovering the Meaning of Life, Love, Sex, and Gender
Divorce. Broken families. Sexual abuse. Addiction. Pornography. Same-sex marriage. Gender issues. Everywhere we look, we find more and more confusion about the most fundamental truths of human life. As we lose our basic understanding of the meanings of man, woman, marriage, and sex, the question becomes ever more urgent: What does it mean to be a human being? The human race seems unable to answer this question.
Against this backdrop, St. John Paul II's Theology of the Body appears as a bright light in the darkness. His writings on the body, sex, desire, and the meaning of love go straight to the heart of what it means to be fully human. The pope's insights are profound, timely, and meet the questions of modern society head on . . . but they are often not accessible enough for most of us to grasp easily.
That's where Christopher West comes in. In Theology of the Body for Beginners, he provides a short, simple summary of St. John Paul II's vital teachings on important questions such as:
- What is the meaning of life?
- How do we fulfill our deepest desires?
- Why did God create us male and female?
- Where can we find true happiness here on earth?
The first edition of this book was released in 2004, and it instantly became an international best seller. In this updated, revised, and expanded edition, you ll have access to key insights gleaned from Dr. Michael Waldstein s critically acclaimed research and translation, as well as brand-new commentary added by West in light of the gender chaos so prevalent in our world today.
Christopher West covers the main points of this revolutionary teaching in a way that you and I can understand. You'll see desire physical, emotional, and spiritual in a whole new light!
Against this backdrop, St. John Paul II's Theology of the Body appears as a bright light in the darkness. His writings on the body, sex, desire, and the meaning of love go straight to the heart of what it means to be fully human. The pope's insights are profound, timely, and meet the questions of modern society head on . . . but they are often not accessible enough for most of us to grasp easily.
That's where Christopher West comes in. In Theology of the Body for Beginners, he provides a short, simple summary of St. John Paul II's vital teachings on important questions such as:
- What is the meaning of life?
- How do we fulfill our deepest desires?
- Why did God create us male and female?
- Where can we find true happiness here on earth?
The first edition of this book was released in 2004, and it instantly became an international best seller. In this updated, revised, and expanded edition, you ll have access to key insights gleaned from Dr. Michael Waldstein s critically acclaimed research and translation, as well as brand-new commentary added by West in light of the gender chaos so prevalent in our world today.
Christopher West covers the main points of this revolutionary teaching in a way that you and I can understand. You'll see desire physical, emotional, and spiritual in a whole new light!
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
About the author
Christopher West
138 books213 followersChristopher West is a research fellow and faculty member of the Theology of the Body Institute. He is also one of the most sought after speakers in the Church today, having delivered more than 1000 public lectures on 4 continents, in more than a dozen countries, and in over 200 American cities. His books – Good News About Sex & Marriage, Theology of the Body Explained, and Theology of the Body for Beginners – have become Catholic best sellers.
Christopher has also lectured on a number of prestigious faculties, offering graduate and undergraduate courses at St John Vianney Seminary in Denver, the John Paul II Institute in Melbourne, Australia, and Creighton University’s Institute for Priestly Formation in Omaha. Hundreds of thousands have heard him on national radio programs and even more have seen him defending the faith on programs such as Scarborough Country, Fox and Friends, and At Large with Geraldo Rivera. Of all his titles, Christopher is most proud to call himself a devoted husband and father. He and his wife Wendy have five children and live in Lancaster County, PA.
Christopher has also lectured on a number of prestigious faculties, offering graduate and undergraduate courses at St John Vianney Seminary in Denver, the John Paul II Institute in Melbourne, Australia, and Creighton University’s Institute for Priestly Formation in Omaha. Hundreds of thousands have heard him on national radio programs and even more have seen him defending the faith on programs such as Scarborough Country, Fox and Friends, and At Large with Geraldo Rivera. Of all his titles, Christopher is most proud to call himself a devoted husband and father. He and his wife Wendy have five children and live in Lancaster County, PA.
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October 11, 2016
It's hard to know how to rate this. I read it to challenge my thinking (shout out to Liz for the suggestion!) and understand my Catholic friends better, so one star feels unfair because I was never really going to agree with a book so contrary to my core beliefs, and it DID provoke some deep thought. But one star accurately represents how angry it made me most of the time. The gender roles, the inherent homophobia, and the exclusively male perspective all irritated me. Above all, to write a philosophy of Catholic sexuality without exploring the relationship between celibacy and patterns of sexual abuse by priests struck me as inexcusable. There was a systemic factor at play in the abuse, otherwise it would not have been such a widespread problem, and I haven’t heard anything that comes close to having the explanatory power of the celibacy mandate.
As a woman, I chafed at the gendered descriptions of virtue because I’ve always identified more with the “male” role—leadership, action, servitude—even when I was a young kid in Catholic school, vying for the role of Jesus in the Passion Play. That doesn’t mean I’m transgender. It means that traditional Catholic gender roles are too restrictive.
On page 122, he argues that “in some sense, embodiment is the human question. What does it mean to be a man? What does it mean to be a woman? There are no more important questions for men and women to ask. And notice that these are inherently sexual questions, questions about ‘being a body.’” I would argue that the true human question is what it means to be alive. It strikes me as patently false that the meaning of life for a man versus a woman can be much different.
Despite my skepticism, I did take some meaning from reading this. Unfortunately, that means I did exactly what they warned against on page 3, which is “spiritualizing” our humanity, Christ, and the Church, thus making me an “enemy [who] incessantly denies Christ come in the flesh.” (Guilty as charged, I guess?)
What I liked best was the description of the body as sacred. That resonates with me deeply. Out for a run on a gorgeous Seattle day, I'm always so happy to be alive and to have this miraculous body that lets me do things like that. Pregnancy is a marvel. (We grow people from scratch! Super cool.) Wounds healing are a marvel. The transformation from baby to child to adult is a marvel.
I also agree that sex should be meaningful and that true belief in your own ethical code is more powerful than any rule or law (see below). It's why I recycle and compost, why I don't cheat at bar trivia, and why I keep my friends’ secrets—it’s an ethos.
The author and I agree on the limitations of a romantic relationship and the inappropriate burden of expecting someone to be our everything. The Catholic answer is to seek heaven, while my own is to seek secular meaning, but I especially liked the bolded sentence below:
I am undecided on how I feel about this idea of recognizing one’s wife as “sister” first. I love the idea of equivalent respect for any woman rather than our current cultural norm of being defensive of one’s own female relatives (“Dude, that’s my sister!”) while being creepy and lustful toward other people’s relatives. That said, if lust and sexual desire are synonymous, then I’m not sure I can get on board with calling lust a sin wholesale. Seems to me that it could be okay as an occasional detour within appropriate bounds (similar to gluttony or wrath), but that it’s not a place to set up camp. I’m with Aristotle that moderation is key.
Another idea that provoked deep thought for me was the permanence of love and its connection to sex. Leaving this one without comment for now while I continue to mull:
On celibacy, I am frustrated by the Church’s complete shirking of responsibility for the consequences of the “wrong” kind of celibacy in priests. Sexual abuse ruins people’s lives. If a priest himself misunderstands or disagrees about authentic Christian celibacy, then the Church has a problem that it has a moral responsibility to solve. (Put differently: Pope, come get your boys.)
And although I love his advocacy of men being good lovers, I got my only LOL in the book thanks to this sex advice from someone who is celibate (bolding mine):
While sex can be spiritual, it is also a biological and physiological act which has been studied extensively and scientifically. The promotion of simultaneous orgasm as the end to strive for is at odds with what we know about sexuality and suggestive of a naïve and purely hypothetical understanding of it.
This book also failed to anticipate one of my key questions, which is the parallel to the animal kingdom. Other mammals have complementary male and female genitals, derive pleasure from sex, and know how masturbate; humans are not alone in this. Given my understanding that animals do not have souls (per Church doctrine) and are not honoring God through intercourse, how then does the physicality of human sex prove anything? For instance, the author writes, “No wonder we are all so darned interested in sex. God put an innate desire in every human being to want to understand it. Why? To lead us to him” (p. 59). He also writes, “There is an intelligibility to the male and female body. Seen in light of the male-female pair, sexual difference reveals the unmistakable plan of God that man and woman are meant to be a ‘gift’ to one another” (p. 28). The same premises are true of animals, but the conclusions don’t hold.
Because these biological points are not addressed, I feel especially skeptical of the advocacy of abstinence and self-control as necessary and desirable parts of the human experience for a married couple in a loving, committed relationship. Sure, people can control their sexual desire. To say otherwise is the foundation of rape culture. But I’m not convinced that they should have to in the way he advocates here, where not wanting to have children is seen as an unacceptable goal:
Again, this strikes me as out of touch with a lived human experience, where physical intimacy can be one of life’s greatest pleasures. Actually, now that I look back at my notes, that reminds me of the other place where I got an LOL on the plane:
Ignoring for a moment that I disagree with evangelization on principle, holy moly would I like to see someone actually say that at a frat party! Never mind that the heat of the moment in the frat party is not where you’ll convince someone—it’s in the common room at 3 am on a Tuesday when you have deep talks about life and people are sober and listening. But I digress.
To conclude, the biggest cop-out of the whole book:
That passage made me end the book angry, which is probably why this review is so long. Those teachings do NOT make beautiful sense to me. They strike me as simultaneously coldhearted and naïve, which is a rare and deathly potent combination. They reek of privilege.
We have a moral responsibility to learn from history and experience. When you know better, do better. The Church has had millennia to refine its teachings based on experience, yet here we still are. Sexual abuse, domestic violence, gender discrimination, depression and suicide related to gender identity/sexual orientation, and AIDS transmission in the developing world are all real problems. They cause people pain and sometimes cost them their lives. This idealized and male-driven view of humanity and virtue perpetuates them. The only people who are not typically victimized by these ills are straight, adult men in the developed world—who are, not coincidentally, also the people who’ve always been in power in the Church.
All of that to say: I guess this book did not bring me back to the Church, but I’m very glad I read it.
As a woman, I chafed at the gendered descriptions of virtue because I’ve always identified more with the “male” role—leadership, action, servitude—even when I was a young kid in Catholic school, vying for the role of Jesus in the Passion Play. That doesn’t mean I’m transgender. It means that traditional Catholic gender roles are too restrictive.
On page 122, he argues that “in some sense, embodiment is the human question. What does it mean to be a man? What does it mean to be a woman? There are no more important questions for men and women to ask. And notice that these are inherently sexual questions, questions about ‘being a body.’” I would argue that the true human question is what it means to be alive. It strikes me as patently false that the meaning of life for a man versus a woman can be much different.
Despite my skepticism, I did take some meaning from reading this. Unfortunately, that means I did exactly what they warned against on page 3, which is “spiritualizing” our humanity, Christ, and the Church, thus making me an “enemy [who] incessantly denies Christ come in the flesh.” (Guilty as charged, I guess?)
What I liked best was the description of the body as sacred. That resonates with me deeply. Out for a run on a gorgeous Seattle day, I'm always so happy to be alive and to have this miraculous body that lets me do things like that. Pregnancy is a marvel. (We grow people from scratch! Super cool.) Wounds healing are a marvel. The transformation from baby to child to adult is a marvel.
I also agree that sex should be meaningful and that true belief in your own ethical code is more powerful than any rule or law (see below). It's why I recycle and compost, why I don't cheat at bar trivia, and why I keep my friends’ secrets—it’s an ethos.
An ethic is an external norm or rule—“do this,” “don’t do that.” Ethos refers to a person’s inner-world of values, what attracts and repulses him deep in the heart. In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ is not only confirming God’s ethical code. He is also proclaiming the true ethos of God’s commandments—what they call us to internally. In effect Christ says, “You have heard the ethic not to commit adultery, but the problem is you desire to commit adultery. Your ethos is flawed because you’re filled with lust.” (p. 38)
Most people look at Christian morality—especially sexual morality—as an oppressive list of rules to follow. How far this misunderstanding is from the “living morality” proclaimed by Christ! The Gospel doesn’t give us more rules to follow. The Gospel is meant to change our hearts so that we no longer need the rules (see CCC 1968). To the degree that we experience this change of heart, we experience “freedom from the law” (see Romans 7; Galatians 5)—not freedom to break the law; freedom to fulfill it. Here is an example of what freedom from the law looks like: Do you have any desire to murder your best friend? This may seem like an odd question, but it actually demonstrates the point. Assuming you do not, then you do not need the commandment “Thou shalt not murder thy best friend” because you have no desire to break it. To this extent you are “free from the law.” In other words, you do not experience this law (“Thou shalt not murder thy best friend”) as an imposition because your heart already conforms to it. (p. 39)
The author and I agree on the limitations of a romantic relationship and the inappropriate burden of expecting someone to be our everything. The Catholic answer is to seek heaven, while my own is to seek secular meaning, but I especially liked the bolded sentence below:
Experience attests that even the most wonderful marriage does not fully satisfy our hunger for love and union. We still yearn for “something more.” I love my wife, Wendy, more than any words can express, but she will not mind my saying that she is not my ultimate fulfillment. Do not hang your hat on a hook that cannot bear the weight! If we look to another human person as our ultimate fulfillment, we will crush that person. Only the eternal, ecstatic, “marriage” of heaven—so far superior to anything proper to earthly life that we cannot begin to fathom it—can satisfy the human “ache” of solitude. (p. 55)
I am undecided on how I feel about this idea of recognizing one’s wife as “sister” first. I love the idea of equivalent respect for any woman rather than our current cultural norm of being defensive of one’s own female relatives (“Dude, that’s my sister!”) while being creepy and lustful toward other people’s relatives. That said, if lust and sexual desire are synonymous, then I’m not sure I can get on board with calling lust a sin wholesale. Seems to me that it could be okay as an occasional detour within appropriate bounds (similar to gluttony or wrath), but that it’s not a place to set up camp. I’m with Aristotle that moderation is key.
While the idea of being recognized first as a “sister” usually brings great relief to the woman, John Paul observes that it presents a certain challenge for the man (see TOB 109:4). More specifically, it challenges him to assess his motives. Is he motivated by love or by lust, by the sincere gift of self or merely by a desire to gratify himself? The normal man recoils at the idea of lusting after his sister—and so should a man recoil at the thought of lusting after his bride! This is precisely the point. The lover of the Song accepts this challenge and does not hesitate to call his beloved “my sister.” With such a recognition, he demonstrates that his desire for her as “bride” is not one of lust but of love. With “a disinterested tenderness” (TOB 110:2) the lover desires only to be a sincere gift to his beloved according to the image of God. (p. 93)
Another idea that provoked deep thought for me was the permanence of love and its connection to sex. Leaving this one without comment for now while I continue to mull:
The Church does not impose on us the idea that love should be permanent. Permanence is what the heart longs for. In her teaching that sex is meant to express permanent love (that is, marital love), the Church is simply inviting us to be true to the “song” that wells up from the deepest recesses of our souls. Listen to it! It is the Song of Songs. (p. 96)
On celibacy, I am frustrated by the Church’s complete shirking of responsibility for the consequences of the “wrong” kind of celibacy in priests. Sexual abuse ruins people’s lives. If a priest himself misunderstands or disagrees about authentic Christian celibacy, then the Church has a problem that it has a moral responsibility to solve. (Put differently: Pope, come get your boys.)
As the Catechism indicates, the Latin Church usually chooses her priests from among men of faith who have chosen celibacy as their life’s vocation (see CCC 1579). This seems to imply that the choice of celibacy should come first. If a Catholic man (in the Western church) has discerned a celibate vocation, then, within his life of celibacy, he might also discern a call to priesthood. Those priests who believe celibacy was foisted on them, it seems, have not understood these important distinctions. As a result, many today are clamoring for an end to priestly celibacy. Some even blame celibacy itself for the sexual problems and abuses of some of the clergy. As I wrote in my book Good News About Sex and Marriage, “Celibacy does not cause sexual disorder. Sin does. Simply getting married does not cure sexual disorder. Christ does. If a priest, or any other man, were to enter marriage with deep-seated sexual disorders, he would be condemning his wife to a life of sexual objectification. The only way the scandal of sexual sin (whether committed by priests or others) will end is if people experience the redemption of their sexuality in Christ” (GN, p. 163). Authentic Christian celibacy witnesses dramatically to this redemption. It is true that, as a discipline of the Latin Church (rather than a doctrine), the practice of reserving priestly ordination to those men who have chosen a celibate life could change. But when we realize how celibacy points us to the ultimate meaning of sex, we recognize that our world needs the witness of Christian celibacy now more than ever. (p. 63)
And although I love his advocacy of men being good lovers, I got my only LOL in the book thanks to this sex advice from someone who is celibate (bolding mine):
As a practical example of husbands living a redeemed sexuality in subjection to their wives, I often point to this eye-opening passage from the Pope’s book Love and Responsibility. It not only shows that Karol Wojtyla (John Paul’s pre-papal name) was no prude, but, more importantly, it calls men to self-control and tenderness out of deep respect and reverence for their wives. Wojtyla wrote that if a husband is truly to love his wife, “it is necessary to insist that intercourse must not serve merely as a means of allowing [his] climax. ... The man must take [the] difference between male and female reactions into account ... so that climax may be reached [by] both ... and as far as possible occur in both simultaneously.” The husband must do this “not for hedonistic, but for altruistic reasons.” In this case, if “we take into account the shorter and more violent curve of arousal in the man, [such] tenderness on his part in the context of marital intercourse acquires the significance of an act of virtue” (LR, pp. 272, 275). (p. 78)
While sex can be spiritual, it is also a biological and physiological act which has been studied extensively and scientifically. The promotion of simultaneous orgasm as the end to strive for is at odds with what we know about sexuality and suggestive of a naïve and purely hypothetical understanding of it.
This book also failed to anticipate one of my key questions, which is the parallel to the animal kingdom. Other mammals have complementary male and female genitals, derive pleasure from sex, and know how masturbate; humans are not alone in this. Given my understanding that animals do not have souls (per Church doctrine) and are not honoring God through intercourse, how then does the physicality of human sex prove anything? For instance, the author writes, “No wonder we are all so darned interested in sex. God put an innate desire in every human being to want to understand it. Why? To lead us to him” (p. 59). He also writes, “There is an intelligibility to the male and female body. Seen in light of the male-female pair, sexual difference reveals the unmistakable plan of God that man and woman are meant to be a ‘gift’ to one another” (p. 28). The same premises are true of animals, but the conclusions don’t hold.
Because these biological points are not addressed, I feel especially skeptical of the advocacy of abstinence and self-control as necessary and desirable parts of the human experience for a married couple in a loving, committed relationship. Sure, people can control their sexual desire. To say otherwise is the foundation of rape culture. But I’m not convinced that they should have to in the way he advocates here, where not wanting to have children is seen as an unacceptable goal:
In other words, what could they do to avoid conceiving a child that would not render them unfaithful to their wedding vows? You are doing it right now (I presume). They could abstain from sex. There is nothing wrong with abstaining from sex when there is a good reason to do so. The Church has always recognized that the only method of “birth control” that respects the language of divine love is “self-control.” (p. 110)
What purpose does contraception really serve? This might sound odd at first, but let it sink in. Contraception was not invented to prevent pregnancy. We already had a 100 percent safe, 100 percent reliable way of doing that —abstinence. In the final analysis, contraception serves one purpose: to spare us the difficulty we experience when confronted with the choice of abstinence. When all the smoke is cleared, contraception was invented because of our lack of self-control; contraception was invented to serve the indulgence of lust. (p. 113)
In short, whether they realize this or not, contracepted intercourse says, “We prefer the momentary pleasure of a sterlized orgasm over the opportunity of participating in the inner-life of the Trinity.” To which I respond, “Bad choice!” But do you think if couples really knew they were choosing this, that they would continue to do so? I cannot help but think of Christ’s words from the cross, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). (p. 117)
Again, this strikes me as out of touch with a lived human experience, where physical intimacy can be one of life’s greatest pleasures. Actually, now that I look back at my notes, that reminds me of the other place where I got an LOL on the plane:
In the new evangelization, we need to be able to walk into fraternity parties where people are getting drunk and seeking illicit sex and say, “Do you know what you really want here? You want the Eucharist and marriage, and the Catholic Church has them in their fullness.” (p. 124)
Ignoring for a moment that I disagree with evangelization on principle, holy moly would I like to see someone actually say that at a frat party! Never mind that the heat of the moment in the frat party is not where you’ll convince someone—it’s in the common room at 3 am on a Tuesday when you have deep talks about life and people are sober and listening. But I digress.
To conclude, the biggest cop-out of the whole book:
John Paul II’s Theology of the Body provides great hope for this urgently needed renewal within the Church. When we view the Gospel message through the interpretive key of man and woman’s call to communion, not only does the Gospel message take on flesh, but even the most controversial teachings of the Church—contraception, divorce and remarriage, homosexuality, an all-male priesthood, etc.—begin to make beautiful sense. (p. 125)
That passage made me end the book angry, which is probably why this review is so long. Those teachings do NOT make beautiful sense to me. They strike me as simultaneously coldhearted and naïve, which is a rare and deathly potent combination. They reek of privilege.
We have a moral responsibility to learn from history and experience. When you know better, do better. The Church has had millennia to refine its teachings based on experience, yet here we still are. Sexual abuse, domestic violence, gender discrimination, depression and suicide related to gender identity/sexual orientation, and AIDS transmission in the developing world are all real problems. They cause people pain and sometimes cost them their lives. This idealized and male-driven view of humanity and virtue perpetuates them. The only people who are not typically victimized by these ills are straight, adult men in the developed world—who are, not coincidentally, also the people who’ve always been in power in the Church.
All of that to say: I guess this book did not bring me back to the Church, but I’m very glad I read it.
February 26, 2009
If you want to know more about PJII's take on love, sex, and marriage this is the best way to start!
The book is real - it ties in very well to the Catholic/Papal teachings and is relatable.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and encourage everyone to start here to learn the secret to true love ;)
The book is real - it ties in very well to the Catholic/Papal teachings and is relatable.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and encourage everyone to start here to learn the secret to true love ;)
December 22, 2023
Christopher West's sometimes corny jokes and puns aside, this was a helpful intro to Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body. (Even for non-Catholics, it seems to be an enormously helpful, iconically huge work of theology for Christians. Would love to get to it in the future.) In the meantime, I'll visit the tiny little encyclical Humanae Vitae I picked up. The reaction to it is what prompted John Paul II to even write Theology of the Body.
Because Protestants are extremely deficient in this area (partly due to a lack of sacramentality, among other things), we have Christians who have no ethical boundaries or moral framework when it comes to things like creating embryos and IVF, surrogacy, donor eggs and sperm, hormonal contraception and sterilization, or otherwise lack a robust vision of things such as the vocation of celibacy.
The closest book I've read in this vein are Matthew Lee Anderson's "Earthen Vessels" and Oliver O'Donovan's "Begotten Or Made?" I have Nancy Pearcy's "Love Thy Body" on my list, as well as John W. Kleinig's "Wonderfully Made: A Protestant Theology Of The Body." (My fear is that those last two book don't actually get into the weeds of how such theology has profound implications for how we ought to handle our body in marriage, with regard to procreation and fertility - which is, again, a glaring blindspot (ethical laziness?) in Protestantism. I hope to be proved wrong if I get to those two books!
Because Protestants are extremely deficient in this area (partly due to a lack of sacramentality, among other things), we have Christians who have no ethical boundaries or moral framework when it comes to things like creating embryos and IVF, surrogacy, donor eggs and sperm, hormonal contraception and sterilization, or otherwise lack a robust vision of things such as the vocation of celibacy.
The closest book I've read in this vein are Matthew Lee Anderson's "Earthen Vessels" and Oliver O'Donovan's "Begotten Or Made?" I have Nancy Pearcy's "Love Thy Body" on my list, as well as John W. Kleinig's "Wonderfully Made: A Protestant Theology Of The Body." (My fear is that those last two book don't actually get into the weeds of how such theology has profound implications for how we ought to handle our body in marriage, with regard to procreation and fertility - which is, again, a glaring blindspot (ethical laziness?) in Protestantism. I hope to be proved wrong if I get to those two books!
July 21, 2012
Our church, though not Catholic, has collectively been studying John Paul II’s "theology of the body," and this book was recommended reading. It provides a fairly accessible overview of the pope’s theology on human sexuality, though I found some of the metaphors and jokes used to convey all this to be a bit corny. I think the book has more to say to men than to women; this is not a criticism, just an observation. In fact, when it comes to sexuality, the church arguably has a history of saying too much to women and not enough to men, so that's a nice reversal. The virtue of this theology is the focus on meaning, on the “why” behind the “thou shalt not,” the “why” too few Christians are given when they ask their elders and teachers, as well as an emphasis on the "thou shalt." My inner Protestant scratched and shook its head at certain points of the theology, but there was much to learn from and mull over as well. The book presents a highly spiritualized (and perhaps romanticized) vision of human love, marriage, and sex which is mystically appealing and yet which can seem very much out of reach in the daily reality. I don’t think West does enough to address this disconnect; it is too facilely dismissed for me with something to the effect of “well, but we have the Holy Spirit” and “pray.” I got to hear Christopher West speak at a conference at my church as well and felt he was much more effective as a keynote speaker highlighting the important points of this topic than he was in the length of this book.
August 15, 2021
Even as a protestant, I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to see the depth of beauty God has instilled in His creation of man and woman.
Read
April 19, 2022Wow. Ummm, I don't even know where to begin. If you are not a Christian, this book is probably way out of left field. If you are a Protestant Christian, this book is still probably way out of left field. Let me tell you, the Catholics are not afraid to talk about bodies, sexuality, and their stances in direct, unashamed language. Though I don't agree with everything in this book, I do respect them for that (evangelicalism... learn this lesson please). John Paul II's vision for embodied life is one that I haven't really heard before. There were times that it made me very uncomfortable or laugh out loud because it sounded so ridiculous to me, but there were times that the vision was so compelling and beautiful. I am very glad to be challenged and forced to wrestle their ideas.
December 10, 2020
A Protestant Pastor's Review Of The TOB
"The Genius Of The TOB"
The genius of the TOB can be summed up by Christopher West's own words, "If this Theology of the Body provides the answer to the crisis of our times, it's not because it offers the world some 'great teaching.' Rather, it's because it reconnects the modern world with the 'great mystery' that is Christ and his love for His Bride, the Church."
A profound Theology of the Body that shows the deep mystery of the Gospel is precisely what we need in this age, where the 'earthly things' and earthly truths (such as sexuality, gender, identity and our bodies) are being entirely deconstructed. This book helps do just that. The basic idea is essential for us to comprehend as Christians of all shades.
"Celibacy: The Unique Roman Catholic Contribution To Protestant Theology"
I found the chapter on celibacy to be especially profound. There are ideas a bit too Romanish surrounding RCC celibacy for my tastes - however, understanding the theology of celibacy, the legitimacy of it, the profound statement of it as a "skipping of the earthly symbol to go straight to the thing symbolized" was absolutely beautiful.
This beautiful picture of celibacy is something I am eager for Protestant circles to learn from, to embrace and to teach as a beautiful, legitimate path for Christians seeking to please God and to seek oneness with Christ and usefulness for His purposes. I think it is especially important in this day and age for Christians who struggle with same-sex attraction to know that they do not have to get married, that celibacy for the Kingdom is marriage with Christ - and that is the thing we are all pressing on toward.
"The Fundamental Flaw Of The TOB"
Unfortunately, I cannot give my complete and utter praise for the TOB because of its fundamental flaw. The flaw is apparent throughout the book, but becomes abundantly 'in your face' in the last chapter, "Theology in the Bedroom" (to which I had previously looked forward to reading because of the spicy chapter title). In it, West argues for the "church's teaching" against 'sterilizing pregnancies."
On the one hand, I appreciate the argument against terminating pregnancies and contraceptives (which are effectively the same things), but West (and the Roman Catholic Church) treats these essentially as the same thing as "preventative methods" (such as withdrawal and condoms). But we're supposed to accept it, because, after all, it is the teaching of the Church (and by "Church," he means, the human institution of the Roman Catholic Church).
The final chapter is essentially a defense of popish, man-made traditions - going beyond the Divine Law, creating a new one. It does not simply agree with God's Law, "You shall not murder," and therefore decry contraception. Rather, it goes beyond, and thus falls short, of God's Law. It takes a conviction (that in and of itself is not a bad one to have) and elevates it through the human institution of the RCC to the level of God's Law. But in the end, it is only that - a conviction of conscience.
Perhaps the Protestant response to this absurd argument would be to proclaim the Gospel of liberty as relates to HOW we play out the sacrament of sex in covenantal marriage, as well a treatise on conscience - that we should not go against our conscience (as our weaker brothers, the RCC'ers, should not either), nor should we mandate our conscience and place it on the same level as God's Law (as the RCC, in fact, does - with many things).
For this reason, I would be tempted to give the book 2 stars - but I do believe the necessity of the main message and its power far outweigh this fundamental slipup.
"Better Alternatives For Protestants?"
If you're a Protestant wondering if this would be a good book to go through (either alone or with a group), let me give you my nuanced perspective.
I actually wished to provide this core, essential teaching to my church through a book study group - but now, I'm starting to regret it, seeing that it adheres too heavily on the traditions and precepts of men and not the Laws of God. Its grievous method of relying on church traditions is enough to chafe any Bible-believing, Bible-thumping protestant.
However, I will say, I have not found a Protestant equivalent for this book that does the topic (of sex as a symbol for the relationship between Christ and His Bride, the Church) justice. Christopher West has a book called "Our Bodies Tell God's Story" that is apparently a little softer in the RCC theology that I haven't tried yet, but I noticed that it didn't deal with celibacy - a topic I feel is essential to discuss as a powerful and legitimate alternative path for Christians experiencing same-sex attraction.
For those reasons, I chose to stick with the TOB - but I crave an alternative that masterfully portrays love-making as a "sacrament" of the thing to come (that is, oneness with Christ) and the multiplication of Christ's image, as well as demonstrates a powerful theology of celibacy.
Conclusion & Recommendations
For now, I can only recommend the TOB as source material for the research of ministry leaders.
"Love Thy Body" by Nancy Pearcey is a great book that comes from a basic Christian perspective.
I can also recommend my podcast "The Divine Story Of Sexuality & Gender" as a good biblical introduction (link: https://open.spotify.com/show/3TgLwgf...).
The Lord bless you until He returns and teach you all things.
"The Genius Of The TOB"
The genius of the TOB can be summed up by Christopher West's own words, "If this Theology of the Body provides the answer to the crisis of our times, it's not because it offers the world some 'great teaching.' Rather, it's because it reconnects the modern world with the 'great mystery' that is Christ and his love for His Bride, the Church."
A profound Theology of the Body that shows the deep mystery of the Gospel is precisely what we need in this age, where the 'earthly things' and earthly truths (such as sexuality, gender, identity and our bodies) are being entirely deconstructed. This book helps do just that. The basic idea is essential for us to comprehend as Christians of all shades.
"Celibacy: The Unique Roman Catholic Contribution To Protestant Theology"
I found the chapter on celibacy to be especially profound. There are ideas a bit too Romanish surrounding RCC celibacy for my tastes - however, understanding the theology of celibacy, the legitimacy of it, the profound statement of it as a "skipping of the earthly symbol to go straight to the thing symbolized" was absolutely beautiful.
This beautiful picture of celibacy is something I am eager for Protestant circles to learn from, to embrace and to teach as a beautiful, legitimate path for Christians seeking to please God and to seek oneness with Christ and usefulness for His purposes. I think it is especially important in this day and age for Christians who struggle with same-sex attraction to know that they do not have to get married, that celibacy for the Kingdom is marriage with Christ - and that is the thing we are all pressing on toward.
"The Fundamental Flaw Of The TOB"
Unfortunately, I cannot give my complete and utter praise for the TOB because of its fundamental flaw. The flaw is apparent throughout the book, but becomes abundantly 'in your face' in the last chapter, "Theology in the Bedroom" (to which I had previously looked forward to reading because of the spicy chapter title). In it, West argues for the "church's teaching" against 'sterilizing pregnancies."
On the one hand, I appreciate the argument against terminating pregnancies and contraceptives (which are effectively the same things), but West (and the Roman Catholic Church) treats these essentially as the same thing as "preventative methods" (such as withdrawal and condoms). But we're supposed to accept it, because, after all, it is the teaching of the Church (and by "Church," he means, the human institution of the Roman Catholic Church).
The final chapter is essentially a defense of popish, man-made traditions - going beyond the Divine Law, creating a new one. It does not simply agree with God's Law, "You shall not murder," and therefore decry contraception. Rather, it goes beyond, and thus falls short, of God's Law. It takes a conviction (that in and of itself is not a bad one to have) and elevates it through the human institution of the RCC to the level of God's Law. But in the end, it is only that - a conviction of conscience.
Perhaps the Protestant response to this absurd argument would be to proclaim the Gospel of liberty as relates to HOW we play out the sacrament of sex in covenantal marriage, as well a treatise on conscience - that we should not go against our conscience (as our weaker brothers, the RCC'ers, should not either), nor should we mandate our conscience and place it on the same level as God's Law (as the RCC, in fact, does - with many things).
For this reason, I would be tempted to give the book 2 stars - but I do believe the necessity of the main message and its power far outweigh this fundamental slipup.
"Better Alternatives For Protestants?"
If you're a Protestant wondering if this would be a good book to go through (either alone or with a group), let me give you my nuanced perspective.
I actually wished to provide this core, essential teaching to my church through a book study group - but now, I'm starting to regret it, seeing that it adheres too heavily on the traditions and precepts of men and not the Laws of God. Its grievous method of relying on church traditions is enough to chafe any Bible-believing, Bible-thumping protestant.
However, I will say, I have not found a Protestant equivalent for this book that does the topic (of sex as a symbol for the relationship between Christ and His Bride, the Church) justice. Christopher West has a book called "Our Bodies Tell God's Story" that is apparently a little softer in the RCC theology that I haven't tried yet, but I noticed that it didn't deal with celibacy - a topic I feel is essential to discuss as a powerful and legitimate alternative path for Christians experiencing same-sex attraction.
For those reasons, I chose to stick with the TOB - but I crave an alternative that masterfully portrays love-making as a "sacrament" of the thing to come (that is, oneness with Christ) and the multiplication of Christ's image, as well as demonstrates a powerful theology of celibacy.
Conclusion & Recommendations
For now, I can only recommend the TOB as source material for the research of ministry leaders.
"Love Thy Body" by Nancy Pearcey is a great book that comes from a basic Christian perspective.
I can also recommend my podcast "The Divine Story Of Sexuality & Gender" as a good biblical introduction (link: https://open.spotify.com/show/3TgLwgf...).
The Lord bless you until He returns and teach you all things.
September 4, 2018
This book is the third revision of this text. And is in some ways a culmination of almost two decades work on this topic by Christopher West. Previously I have only read one book by Christopher West, Love Is Patient, But I'm Not: Confessions of a Recovering Perfectionist, and it was an amazing read. And I doubt you could find a Catholic that has not heard about Saint Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body. So it was about time that I dove into this topic myself. This book was first published in 2002, revised in 2009 and this third edition was released in 2018. I have the eBook of the second edition, and it has been sitting in my 'to be read pile' for a long time, but when I read about this new edition I picked it up and devoured it. The chapters in this book are:
Introduction
One: What Is the Theology of the Body?
Two: The Creation of the Body
Three: The Redemption of the Body
Four: The Resurrection of the Body
Five: Celibacy for the Kingdom
Six: Marriage as a Divine Gift
Seven: Marriage as a Human Sign of Divine Love
Eight: Theology in the Bedroom
Conclusion
The beginning of the description of this book is:
"Divorce. Broken families. Sexual abuse. Addiction. Pornography. Same-sex marriage. Gender issues. Everywhere we look, we find more and more confusion about the most fundamental truths of human life. As we lose our basic understanding of the meanings of man, woman, marriage, and sex, the question becomes ever more urgent: What does it mean to be a human being? The human race seems unable to answer this question."
If we look at secular culture today we can see the world turning itself over to every kind of identity issue. The sexual revolution has run amok and we have the #me2 movement and the clergy abuse scandal of 2018 that highlight the opposite ends of those failures. In this book Christopher West gives an introduction, and summary of Saint Pope John Paul II's teachings on the theology of the body. He delves into questions on the meaning of life. How do we fulfil our deepest desires? Questions around God having created us male and female, and what that means to us as individuals and as societies. And he draws us to conclusions around finding true happiness on earth and eternal life through finding God's will and pursuing it.
In many ways this book is a crash course or 'Coles Notes' on decades of writings from Pope Saint John Paul II. It is an easily accessible read, and would be good for high school students, university students and adults beginning their study of this subject. Looking back on my own life and my years away from the Catholic church a book like this would have caused me much less hurt, and helped me to hurt others less.
This book is thoroughly Catholic. It clearly and concisely explains many aspects of the Catholic world view around sex, sexuality, and intimacy. I know that Christians of other denominations have used this book for study, but if you are not Christian there is likely much in this book that would be opposite your world view. It was an excellent read and I wish I had read it earlier. And I give this new edition top marks.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Christopher West.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2018 Catholic Reading Plan!
Introduction
One: What Is the Theology of the Body?
Two: The Creation of the Body
Three: The Redemption of the Body
Four: The Resurrection of the Body
Five: Celibacy for the Kingdom
Six: Marriage as a Divine Gift
Seven: Marriage as a Human Sign of Divine Love
Eight: Theology in the Bedroom
Conclusion
The beginning of the description of this book is:
"Divorce. Broken families. Sexual abuse. Addiction. Pornography. Same-sex marriage. Gender issues. Everywhere we look, we find more and more confusion about the most fundamental truths of human life. As we lose our basic understanding of the meanings of man, woman, marriage, and sex, the question becomes ever more urgent: What does it mean to be a human being? The human race seems unable to answer this question."
If we look at secular culture today we can see the world turning itself over to every kind of identity issue. The sexual revolution has run amok and we have the #me2 movement and the clergy abuse scandal of 2018 that highlight the opposite ends of those failures. In this book Christopher West gives an introduction, and summary of Saint Pope John Paul II's teachings on the theology of the body. He delves into questions on the meaning of life. How do we fulfil our deepest desires? Questions around God having created us male and female, and what that means to us as individuals and as societies. And he draws us to conclusions around finding true happiness on earth and eternal life through finding God's will and pursuing it.
In many ways this book is a crash course or 'Coles Notes' on decades of writings from Pope Saint John Paul II. It is an easily accessible read, and would be good for high school students, university students and adults beginning their study of this subject. Looking back on my own life and my years away from the Catholic church a book like this would have caused me much less hurt, and helped me to hurt others less.
This book is thoroughly Catholic. It clearly and concisely explains many aspects of the Catholic world view around sex, sexuality, and intimacy. I know that Christians of other denominations have used this book for study, but if you are not Christian there is likely much in this book that would be opposite your world view. It was an excellent read and I wish I had read it earlier. And I give this new edition top marks.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Christopher West.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2018 Catholic Reading Plan!
November 15, 2021
Regaining a sacramental view of the human body is incredibly essential for every Christian, especially within the Protestant tradition. Christopher West does an amazing job of revealing the beauty of Pope John Paul II's teaching on the Theology of the Body and why it is incredibly relevant for our current cultural moment. We are saved through the body of Jesus Christ, and thus, He reveals what it truly means to be embodied image bearers of God.
Read
February 15, 2023Decent intro, but the actual work is worth your time.
November 11, 2021
Not being familiar with Pope John Paul II's original work, I wanted to get my feet wet with something smaller. Christopher West's presentation of the "theology of the body" is understandable and thought-provoking. I liked how he regularly anticipates the potential thoughts, questions, and feelings of the readers and responds to them in a humble and compassionate way.
Christopher West quotes the Pope as saying, "The body, in fact, and it alone, is capable of making visible what is invisible: the spiritual and the divine. It was created to transfer into the visible reality of the world, the mystery hidden since time immemorial in God, and thus to be a sign of it." I cannot read that sentence without the bodily revelation of God in Jesus Christ coming to mind.
I found this book to be a refreshing take on marriage and the creation of human beings. In contrast to complementarian literature, which frequently describes the first two chapters of Genesis in a way that is mostly focused on establishing pre-fall gender distinctions and hierarchy, I loved this book's focus on communion and love. God, in the intimate Trinitarian love and oneness, creates Adam. Adam, created in God's image, is communal by nature. Woman, the next human, is also communal. Together they are to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it. To be fruitful and multiply is more than a command, it is a way they bear the divine nature and image. Love is seen as something that grows and expands, first as the love shared within the Trinity, then growing into love between God and man, then becoming human love shared between the man and the woman.
"In his solitude, Adam realizes that love is his origin, his vocation, and his destiny. He realizes that, unlike the animals, he's invited to enter a 'covenant of love' with God himself...In his solitude, therefore, Adam has already discovered his two-fold vocation: love of God and love of neighbor."
To me this focus makes so much more sense and fits better with the greater narrative of the Bible.
Jesus and Paul, when talking about marriage, both refer back to the creation account. After Adam welcomes his bride to the earth and names her, Genesis 2:24 states, "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." Jesus uses this passage to emphasize that what God has joined together, man ought to not separate. Paul refers to this same verse in his famous Ephesians 5 passage on marriage, in which he uses the picture of a complete human being (head/body). This is much different than the head/helper paradigm which strongly insists on keeping men and women distinct and separate by nature of the differing roles.
(If I were to expand more of my own thoughts, I would here go into the previous chapter of Ephesians 4 with its themes of unity within the body of Christ, building one another up in love, and growing up into our head who is Christ. All of this is leading up to Paul's marriage passage which first addresses wives, then husbands, then back to wives, as if to come full circle with the mystery.)
Another thought on marriage which I found quite beautiful: Referring again to Ephesians 5, where Paul talks about submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ, Christopher West states, "John Paul II goes so far as to say that this reverence 'is none other than a spiritually mature form of the mutual attraction of the sexes.'" To me this presents a holy and peaceful future in marriage, quite different from relationship goals such as "keeping passion alive". We were created as human creatures of love, to be continuously transformed by acts of love. The marriage relationship for sure requires work and intentionality to maintain and nourish the human connection, but it is meant to change and mature over time, to be developing and growing up into an even deeper and richer love in Christ. Instead of expectations, it will look like fulfillment. Even more than desires, the heart is filled with devotion. Instead of brokenness and separation, there is healing and forgiveness. One in Christ, we become the possessors of divine appreciation and reverence for all that makes the beloved human.
Christopher West quotes the Pope as saying, "The body, in fact, and it alone, is capable of making visible what is invisible: the spiritual and the divine. It was created to transfer into the visible reality of the world, the mystery hidden since time immemorial in God, and thus to be a sign of it." I cannot read that sentence without the bodily revelation of God in Jesus Christ coming to mind.
I found this book to be a refreshing take on marriage and the creation of human beings. In contrast to complementarian literature, which frequently describes the first two chapters of Genesis in a way that is mostly focused on establishing pre-fall gender distinctions and hierarchy, I loved this book's focus on communion and love. God, in the intimate Trinitarian love and oneness, creates Adam. Adam, created in God's image, is communal by nature. Woman, the next human, is also communal. Together they are to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it. To be fruitful and multiply is more than a command, it is a way they bear the divine nature and image. Love is seen as something that grows and expands, first as the love shared within the Trinity, then growing into love between God and man, then becoming human love shared between the man and the woman.
"In his solitude, Adam realizes that love is his origin, his vocation, and his destiny. He realizes that, unlike the animals, he's invited to enter a 'covenant of love' with God himself...In his solitude, therefore, Adam has already discovered his two-fold vocation: love of God and love of neighbor."
To me this focus makes so much more sense and fits better with the greater narrative of the Bible.
Jesus and Paul, when talking about marriage, both refer back to the creation account. After Adam welcomes his bride to the earth and names her, Genesis 2:24 states, "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." Jesus uses this passage to emphasize that what God has joined together, man ought to not separate. Paul refers to this same verse in his famous Ephesians 5 passage on marriage, in which he uses the picture of a complete human being (head/body). This is much different than the head/helper paradigm which strongly insists on keeping men and women distinct and separate by nature of the differing roles.
(If I were to expand more of my own thoughts, I would here go into the previous chapter of Ephesians 4 with its themes of unity within the body of Christ, building one another up in love, and growing up into our head who is Christ. All of this is leading up to Paul's marriage passage which first addresses wives, then husbands, then back to wives, as if to come full circle with the mystery.)
Another thought on marriage which I found quite beautiful: Referring again to Ephesians 5, where Paul talks about submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ, Christopher West states, "John Paul II goes so far as to say that this reverence 'is none other than a spiritually mature form of the mutual attraction of the sexes.'" To me this presents a holy and peaceful future in marriage, quite different from relationship goals such as "keeping passion alive". We were created as human creatures of love, to be continuously transformed by acts of love. The marriage relationship for sure requires work and intentionality to maintain and nourish the human connection, but it is meant to change and mature over time, to be developing and growing up into an even deeper and richer love in Christ. Instead of expectations, it will look like fulfillment. Even more than desires, the heart is filled with devotion. Instead of brokenness and separation, there is healing and forgiveness. One in Christ, we become the possessors of divine appreciation and reverence for all that makes the beloved human.
December 24, 2024
Quotes worth reading:
“Ponder this for a moment: If the union of the sexes is the main sign in this world of our called to union with God… where do you think the enemy is going to aim his most potent arrows? If we want to know what is most secret in this world, all we need to do is look for what is most violently profaned.”
“The theology of the body, saves us from the strong temptation of normalizing our brokenness, as if God made us that way. It’s okay that we’re broken. Everyone is… But it’s not okay to call our brokenness health. So long as we do, we remain closed to God‘s remedy like a sick man who sees no need for a doctor, because he refuses to admit that he’s ill.”
“we needn’t walk through life merely coping with our lust and disorders. Christ didn’t die on a cross and rise from the dead to give us more coping mechanisms for our sins. We already had plenty of those without a savior. Christ died on a cross, and rose from the dead to save us from sin, so that we, too, could live a new life.”
“Mature purity consists of quickness to affirm the value of the person in every situation.”
“If we look to another person as our ultimate fulfillment, we will crush that person. Only the eternal marriage of heaven can satisfy the human ache of solitude… setting our sites on that eternal union is the only hope that can safely see us through the inevitable, sorrows and trials of this life.”
“By receiving the divine love by which we are loved, we can become human signs of that love to others. And that is what the sacrament of marriage is all about.”
“The Lord offered wedding vows to his bride at the last supper as a verbal expression of the language of his heart. Then, when he lay down on the marriage bed of the cross, he expressed the same covenant love without words, through the language of his body”
“Only to the degree that we are living in nuptial union with God are we capable of living in authentic nuptial union with an earthly spouse.”
“It’s critical, that we hold God‘s hands of mercy. Without grounding ourselves there, we will be tempted either to despair over our sin, or to rationalize it away.”
“If you cannot say ‘no’ to sex, what does your ‘yes’ mean? Only the person who is free is capable of authentic love.”
“We must come to recognize in the human body, the revelation of the human person, whose dignity demands, they never be used, exploited, manipulated, or discarded.”
“Ponder this for a moment: If the union of the sexes is the main sign in this world of our called to union with God… where do you think the enemy is going to aim his most potent arrows? If we want to know what is most secret in this world, all we need to do is look for what is most violently profaned.”
“The theology of the body, saves us from the strong temptation of normalizing our brokenness, as if God made us that way. It’s okay that we’re broken. Everyone is… But it’s not okay to call our brokenness health. So long as we do, we remain closed to God‘s remedy like a sick man who sees no need for a doctor, because he refuses to admit that he’s ill.”
“we needn’t walk through life merely coping with our lust and disorders. Christ didn’t die on a cross and rise from the dead to give us more coping mechanisms for our sins. We already had plenty of those without a savior. Christ died on a cross, and rose from the dead to save us from sin, so that we, too, could live a new life.”
“Mature purity consists of quickness to affirm the value of the person in every situation.”
“If we look to another person as our ultimate fulfillment, we will crush that person. Only the eternal marriage of heaven can satisfy the human ache of solitude… setting our sites on that eternal union is the only hope that can safely see us through the inevitable, sorrows and trials of this life.”
“By receiving the divine love by which we are loved, we can become human signs of that love to others. And that is what the sacrament of marriage is all about.”
“The Lord offered wedding vows to his bride at the last supper as a verbal expression of the language of his heart. Then, when he lay down on the marriage bed of the cross, he expressed the same covenant love without words, through the language of his body”
“Only to the degree that we are living in nuptial union with God are we capable of living in authentic nuptial union with an earthly spouse.”
“It’s critical, that we hold God‘s hands of mercy. Without grounding ourselves there, we will be tempted either to despair over our sin, or to rationalize it away.”
“If you cannot say ‘no’ to sex, what does your ‘yes’ mean? Only the person who is free is capable of authentic love.”
“We must come to recognize in the human body, the revelation of the human person, whose dignity demands, they never be used, exploited, manipulated, or discarded.”
September 18, 2008
This was a provocative read. I was intrigued to learn about the lecture series given by Juan Pablo Dos about the "Theology of the Body" -- what a fascinating title. Then I was really taken by John Paul's vision of the created nature of humans, male and female you shall make them. But this book ultimately lost me when he suggests that the rhythm method is an acceptable method to avoid having a child because it takes advantage of the "natural infertility" of the woman's menstrual cycle. As far as I can tell, oral sex, anal sex, and coitus interruptus also take advantage of "natural infertilities." The logical end of his argument is to have married hetero-sex whenever the desire strikes you and have all the children that issue forth -- whether you have one child or thirteen, whether you live in the US or Africa.
October 25, 2015
You know the arguments are weak when I, who agree with him, find his arguments unconvincing.
September 5, 2023
Theology of the Body by Christopher West is a careful examination of St. John Paul’s II work “Theology of the Body”. In this work, West uses John Paul’s work as a guide for highlighting the sexual questions found in today’s society. John Paul’s work is held with high regard in the catholic community and his teachings are paramount in developing a Christian sexual ethic. In the first chapter, West seeks to define what the theology of the body is. He claims that the body is more than biological, but is theological. This point will be the foundation for the entire book. Each chapter builds off the previous one and uses the body’s theological significance to draw a worldview. The first chapter also discusses the body in more detail. It states that the body has high significance and that your body is a part of who you are, he will later allude to this in the chapter highlighting the return of Christ. Chapter One also introduces an analogy that is used throughout the rest of the book’s entirety. The “spousal analogy” describes the relationship between Christ and His bride, the Church. This section states that God is madly in love with His people and wants to marry them. This does not indicate that your body is divine by any means, “but it is the most powerful sign of the divine mystery in all creation”. Chapter Two addresses the creation of the body. In this chapter, West seeks to address the creation account in Genesis 1-3 and highlight the origins of the body and the significance linked with it. Chapter Three builds off of the previous chapter by discussing the redemption of the bodies that come with their fall and origin. This chapter addresses the carnal desires the body longs for and tends to cave into primarily sinful ones. The body can either give in to such desires or eliminate them, both of which may not be the correct response. West suggests looking at the desires for their original purposes and asking God to help us see them from that perspective. For example, lust traditionally leads to sinful actions or annihilation of the desires. He suggests that we should see lust for what it is, a desire of hunger for love, which can ultimately only come from God. Chapter Four addresses the resurrection of the body. There will come a point when a percentage of humanity, those who have accepted Christ as Lord, will be rejoined to their body. Soul and body will rejoin and reside in the New Heaven. The spousal analogy will be completed when the bride is truly joined with the groom for an eternity. Chapters five through eight highlight sex in a scandalous way. I would say that the second half of the book is not for a younger audience. He highlights sex and the union between a man and a woman. These chapters primarliy address this question; “Does what we’re doing with our bodies truly image God’s free, total, faithful, fruitful love or does it miss the mark?” This is a great question!
There were some really good components in this book. I thoroughly enjoyed West’s examination of marriage and its significance. He does a great job highlighting the purpose of marriage and its role in the New Earth. I found that his explanation has helped me develop a better understanding of biblical marriage. There were several moments during my reading where I was in disagreement. I believe that West took some lengthy liberties in his exegesis of scripture. He makes a statement that the imagery may be scandalous but has biblical roots. I agree that his imagery is scandalous, but I am not sure that he is correct in saying that it has biblical roots. I struggled to see some of his images of God and His love for His people.
There were some really good components in this book. I thoroughly enjoyed West’s examination of marriage and its significance. He does a great job highlighting the purpose of marriage and its role in the New Earth. I found that his explanation has helped me develop a better understanding of biblical marriage. There were several moments during my reading where I was in disagreement. I believe that West took some lengthy liberties in his exegesis of scripture. He makes a statement that the imagery may be scandalous but has biblical roots. I agree that his imagery is scandalous, but I am not sure that he is correct in saying that it has biblical roots. I struggled to see some of his images of God and His love for His people.
June 12, 2023
(Note: I did not get to read this book in its entirety, but I do feel I read enough to get a good feel for how to review it.)
At first glance, Protestants may want to pass on this book because it draws from the teachings of Pope John Paul II and is written by a Roman Catholic author. However, there is much to glean from it.
“Theology of the Body” by Christopher West was first recommended to me by a friend. It begins by detailing where the view that the body is evil originates and how to view our bodies in light of Christianity and God’s will and Word. In the midst of our current culture, this is bound to serve as a very helpful book.
West writes, “To say ‘theology of the body’ is, in fact, just another way of saying we’re made in the image and likeness of God.”
Some highlights from the book:
“The woman’s body primarily tells the story of receiving divine love while the man’s body primarily tells the story of offering that love, of pouring it out.”
“While the sexual and feminist revolutions of the twentieth century were right to challenge certain roles conventionally limited to one or the other gender, there are two roles—one belonging only to men and the other only to women—that are inalterable and absolutely indispensable for the survival of the human race: fatherhood and motherhood.”
“The problem with our sex-saturated culture . . . is not that it overvalues the body and sex. The problem is that it has undervalued them; it has failed to see how incredibly valuable the body and sex really are.”
“‘It is one thing to be understanding of human weakness and the complexities of life,’ says Francis, ‘and another to accept ideologies that attempt to sunder what are inseparable aspects of reality.’ We ‘are called to protect our humanity,’ he insists, ‘and this means, in the first place, accepting it and respecting it as it was created [by God].’”
“We are ‘free’ in a sense to ‘do whatever we want with our bodies.’ However, we are not free to determine whether what we do with our bodies is good or evil. As Adam learned, this is a tree (the ‘tree of the knowledge of good and evil’) from which he cannot eat, lest he die (see Genesis 2:16-17). Therefore, human freedom is fully realized not by inventing good and evil, but by choosing properly between them.”
At first glance, Protestants may want to pass on this book because it draws from the teachings of Pope John Paul II and is written by a Roman Catholic author. However, there is much to glean from it.
“Theology of the Body” by Christopher West was first recommended to me by a friend. It begins by detailing where the view that the body is evil originates and how to view our bodies in light of Christianity and God’s will and Word. In the midst of our current culture, this is bound to serve as a very helpful book.
West writes, “To say ‘theology of the body’ is, in fact, just another way of saying we’re made in the image and likeness of God.”
Some highlights from the book:
“The woman’s body primarily tells the story of receiving divine love while the man’s body primarily tells the story of offering that love, of pouring it out.”
“While the sexual and feminist revolutions of the twentieth century were right to challenge certain roles conventionally limited to one or the other gender, there are two roles—one belonging only to men and the other only to women—that are inalterable and absolutely indispensable for the survival of the human race: fatherhood and motherhood.”
“The problem with our sex-saturated culture . . . is not that it overvalues the body and sex. The problem is that it has undervalued them; it has failed to see how incredibly valuable the body and sex really are.”
“‘It is one thing to be understanding of human weakness and the complexities of life,’ says Francis, ‘and another to accept ideologies that attempt to sunder what are inseparable aspects of reality.’ We ‘are called to protect our humanity,’ he insists, ‘and this means, in the first place, accepting it and respecting it as it was created [by God].’”
“We are ‘free’ in a sense to ‘do whatever we want with our bodies.’ However, we are not free to determine whether what we do with our bodies is good or evil. As Adam learned, this is a tree (the ‘tree of the knowledge of good and evil’) from which he cannot eat, lest he die (see Genesis 2:16-17). Therefore, human freedom is fully realized not by inventing good and evil, but by choosing properly between them.”
August 28, 2024
Christopher West does a nice job explaining and contextualizing Catholic teachings about love, marriage, and the body. I've never delved into the original work from Saint John Paul II, but West boils down a lot of complex teachings into something more simple to understand. I haven't always understood the Church's teaching on sex and gender, but I now feel like I have a better grasp thanks to this book. Instead of framing teachings as restrictive rules, West (building on JPII and many other Church figures) presents TOB as a true gift.
God's love is manifest on earth through man and woman, with human marriage representing the relationship between Jesus Christ the bridegroom and the Church, his bride. The Sacrament of marriage is therefore among the most important. West rebuts some common complaints and makes good points, including with humorous anecdotes and puns. For example, he points out that those called to the vocation of celibacy for whatever reason are not excluded from the gifts of God's love, but instead presage the heavenly marriage each of us looks forward to with God himself. And contextualizing Pauline teachings, West smartly points out that patriarchal domination only arose after the Fall--the male-female relationship is one of full self-giving that lives out God's love for us and willingness to give up his own body in the form of Christ.
I wasn't entirely satisfied with West's explanations of some issues like (or at least ignorance towards) the difference between sex and gender. I didn't necessarily expect a nuanced treatment of every issue from a short summary of TOB, but I don't love the lack of nuance on this either.
Overall, this is a worthwhile introduction for Catholics to the Theology of the Body. Certainly worth reading if you have questions about the Church's teachings on sex and gender!
God's love is manifest on earth through man and woman, with human marriage representing the relationship between Jesus Christ the bridegroom and the Church, his bride. The Sacrament of marriage is therefore among the most important. West rebuts some common complaints and makes good points, including with humorous anecdotes and puns. For example, he points out that those called to the vocation of celibacy for whatever reason are not excluded from the gifts of God's love, but instead presage the heavenly marriage each of us looks forward to with God himself. And contextualizing Pauline teachings, West smartly points out that patriarchal domination only arose after the Fall--the male-female relationship is one of full self-giving that lives out God's love for us and willingness to give up his own body in the form of Christ.
I wasn't entirely satisfied with West's explanations of some issues like (or at least ignorance towards) the difference between sex and gender. I didn't necessarily expect a nuanced treatment of every issue from a short summary of TOB, but I don't love the lack of nuance on this either.
Overall, this is a worthwhile introduction for Catholics to the Theology of the Body. Certainly worth reading if you have questions about the Church's teachings on sex and gender!
October 30, 2024
So many mixed feelings. This book is so theologically rich regarding a topic we often deem "immoral" even if it is done in all the right ways with all the right steps beforehand. I liked how matter of fact and thorough West was but there definitely are major differences in between Protestant and Catholic teaching.
It does make me sad how lacking Protestants are regarding the theological significance of marriage and sex. It seems that we have fallen into the sin of hyper-sexuality that we cannot understand the true meaning of sex - we sexualize it too much.
It does make me sad how lacking Protestants are regarding the theological significance of marriage and sex. It seems that we have fallen into the sin of hyper-sexuality that we cannot understand the true meaning of sex - we sexualize it too much.
July 8, 2024
This book should be a requirement for all marriage prep!
To understand the Theology of the Body is to see the bigger picture of God's great mystery of love. To give Himself fully, freely, faithfully, and fruitfully to His people so that they may become one. And spouses are given the gift of partaking in that beautiful mystery in a self-gifting and sacrificial marriage. This beautiful reality is something I wish all could encounter and live out because, boy, it is life-changing.
To understand the Theology of the Body is to see the bigger picture of God's great mystery of love. To give Himself fully, freely, faithfully, and fruitfully to His people so that they may become one. And spouses are given the gift of partaking in that beautiful mystery in a self-gifting and sacrificial marriage. This beautiful reality is something I wish all could encounter and live out because, boy, it is life-changing.
May 21, 2018
So incredible!! Every Catholic man and woman should read this book. Just so much about the dignity of a person. But also it is a pretty intense read, a lot to take in. It's probably one of those books that you get more out of with each re-read (which is wild because I got so much this first time, but I know there's more).
April 23, 2019
So good! Yes, it's an explanation of a pope's writings, but this important subject is not just for Catholics. All Christians and anyone searching for a deeper, more authentic style of loving her spouse can gain much from this book.
April 23, 2024
Great for learning about the purpose of our bodies as humans and as children of God! Very insightful and easy to understand. Highly recommend reading with a book study to discover the various perspectives towards each topic.
January 25, 2021
Um livro simplesmente excepcional que me encheu de fé, esperança e amor por Deus. Definitivamente todos deveriam ler esse livro
May 14, 2023
a true masterpiece! I will be referring back to this book for the rest of my life. so much GOODNESS 🤌
May 29, 2020
Pope John Paul's "Theology of the Body" earns a 5-star. West's dumbing down of it receives a four.
August 5, 2021
I love the teaching of Theology of the Body, just didn't care much for Christopher West's writing style. I also feel that this book was geared toward absolute beginners (the title, duh), but I already sort of had a baseline knowledge of TOB before reading so I found myself wanting to go deeper. Having said all that, I did learn some new things and still appreciate everything Christopher West is doing to spread the word on this much needed teaching. I hope to be able to get my hands on Pope John Paul II's original text at some point in the future.
August 22, 2021
I’ve thought of theology of the body as a solid approach to Christian sexual ethics. It is a gift to the church.
November 14, 2023
Christopher West summarizes and explains Pope John Paul II’s theology of the body in Theology of the Body for Beginners: Rediscovering the Meaning of Life, Love, Sex, and Gender. He explicates the Catholic position and beliefs regarding the human body, celibacy, marriage, sex, and birth control. Additionally, he highlights sex’s religious meaning and argues that human erotic desire points to a deeper human desire for meaning, fulfilled only in God.
Chapter 1 lays a foundation by discussing the body’s theological significance. Male-female sexual union reflects the Trinity’s communion and Christ’s union with the church. Catholicism’s seven sacraments emphasize physicality, and the human body itself can be sacramental: it bears God’s image, and Jesus revealed God through a body. Thus, John Paul II’s theology of the body teaches that God reveals divine mysteries through the human body.
Next, West examines the body and sexuality through the biblical themes of creation, redemption, and resurrection. Chapter 2 examines creation, which reveals God’s plan for human sexuality: God created just two biological sexes and genders. God created humans to be embodied souls; allowing humanity to express free will and love. God designed sex to be a self-giving union between man and woman in permanent marriage. West says that sex reveals the “spousal meaning of the body,” in which humans open to each other in self-giving love. In Chapter 3, West considers God’ redemption of the body. Although God designed sexual desire to point humans to God, human sin has distorted erotic desire so that it is now lustful and idolatrous, selfishly longing for personal pleasure rather than God. Living in purity does not mean repressing one’s sexual desires; instead, it involves reorienting these desires toward their proper end, which is union with Christ. To bring this reorientation, Christ gave His life to redeem humans and transform their hearts, empowering believers to follow His commands. Next, Chapter 4 considers the resurrection of the body. When Christ returns, He will redeem humans’ bodies (Rom. 8:23). These glorified physical bodies will still be male and female, but there will be no human marriage or sexual intercourse; instead, believers will experience ultimate union with God, at the marriage of the Lamb (Matt. 22:30; Rev. 19:7). Humans’ ultimate pleasure and fulfillment are found not in sex, but in the joys of heaven, which erotic desire foreshadows.
Finally, West discusses practical issues in sexual ethics. Chapter 5 discusses celibacy, which should be freely chosen rather than coerced. Like marriage, celibacy gives a theological message: it demonstrates that human desires find their ultimate fulfillment not in sex, but in God. Through celibacy, God redeems celibates’ desires and enables them to model self-giving love to Him and other people. In Chapter 6, West points out that marriage is a visible sign of Christ’s love for and union with the church. Ephesians 5:21-33 teaches that husbands and wives should mutually love and serve each other, even though they have different roles. In Chapter 7, West discusses marriage as a physical sign of God’s love. Humans communicate through their bodies; thus, sex reaffirms a couple’s marriage vows by embodying their self-giving commitment to each other. West claims that Song of Songs celebrates the pleasures of marital sex, while the apocryphal story of Tobias and Sarah reveals the suffering often connected with love. Finally, Chapter 8 discusses how sex should image God’s “free, total, faithful, fruitful love,” as West explains. He rejects any sexual act, including masturbation and homosexuality, that does not properly image this love. In particular, he targets and rejects artificial contraception: he claims that intentionally rendering a sexual act sterile means that a couple is no longer imaging God’s life-giving love, because they are not open to the possibility of new life. By removing the need for self-control, contraception enables lust and further sexual sin. Instead, West recommends natural family planning. West encourages Christians to convey divine truth through their bodies.
Analysis
Overall, West’s book offers a comprehensive defense of the Catholic view of sexuality, marriage, and the human body. One strength is West’s theological integration of physicality and spirituality. Noting some religious tendencies to denigrate the body, West clarifies that God specifically designed humans to have a physical body, both at creation and in the new heaven and earth. As a result, the physical body is good and should not be ignored. West does not simply view humanity as a body plus a soul, however; instead, humans are embodied souls—their physical and spiritual aspects are permanently intertwined. It is through the physical body that human souls are able to live out spiritual commands and display spiritual truths. Thus, West can be commended for highlighting the integration of humanity’s physical body and spiritual soul.
Another strength is the consistency of West’s approach. He cites both biblical and biological evidence to support the Catholic theology of the body. For example, he reflects on both Song of Songs and the Gospels to glean biblical truth regarding human sexuality. However, he also highlights biological facts to support theological truths; for example, he cites sex’s link to procreation to demonstrate how marriage represents God’s life-giving love. Both John Paul II (who developed this theology of the body) and Christopher West (who summarized and explained the pope’s work) have clearly addressed the topic of sexuality in a holistic manner. They are able to combine multiple pieces of evidence into a single theology.
Furthermore, West does an excellent job of connecting sexuality to the gospel. Throughout the book, he reiterates that human erotic desire ultimately points to God, for only God can fulfill humanity’s deepest longings. Lust is a diminution and distortion of this desire, aimed at lesser things. Thus, the cure for lust is not to repress desire but to reform it; God wants to transform believers’ desires to long for Him again. Moreover, West also emphasizes that it is Christ’s death that enables believers to receive a new heart, and it is God who works in believers to empower them to live out His commands. Furthermore, West emphasizes that human marriage is an image of Christ’s love for the church. Thus, West can be commended for repeatedly connecting his discussion of sexuality with God’s love and redemptive purposes for humans.
However, West could have strengthened his argument by appealing more broadly to Protestants as well as Catholics. Certainly, Protestants can appreciate many of his biblical arguments and Christian theology. However, West also cites theological concepts and sources that are distinctly Catholic. For example, he builds much of his argument on the sacramentality of marriage. Because Protestants do not typically view marriage as a sacrament, they may not find his views as convincing. Additionally, Chapter 7 cites Tobias and Sarah as a biblical example of marriage. However, most Protestants do not view this apocryphal story as biblical; thus, it will not be as powerful or authoritative for Protestants. West could have improved his argument by citing only concepts and sources that both Protestants and Catholics accept. That way, he could have appealed to a broader audience from this common ground.
Finally, another weakness is West’s fairly one-sided discussion of artificial contraception. While he presents an excellent defense of the traditional Catholic view, he does not discuss possible Protestant counterarguments. His argument presupposes the Catholic view of marriage as a sacrament, and he does not allow room for Protestant objections that may try to preserve a high view of marriage while also allowing certain forms of contraception. West could strengthen his argument by anticipating and responding to alternative Protestant views of contraception.
Overall, West offers an excellent explication of Pope John Paul II’s theology of the body. While Protestants will likely reject some of his arguments, evidence, and conclusions, they can still gain insight from his theological discussion of the meaning of human sexuality.
Chapter 1 lays a foundation by discussing the body’s theological significance. Male-female sexual union reflects the Trinity’s communion and Christ’s union with the church. Catholicism’s seven sacraments emphasize physicality, and the human body itself can be sacramental: it bears God’s image, and Jesus revealed God through a body. Thus, John Paul II’s theology of the body teaches that God reveals divine mysteries through the human body.
Next, West examines the body and sexuality through the biblical themes of creation, redemption, and resurrection. Chapter 2 examines creation, which reveals God’s plan for human sexuality: God created just two biological sexes and genders. God created humans to be embodied souls; allowing humanity to express free will and love. God designed sex to be a self-giving union between man and woman in permanent marriage. West says that sex reveals the “spousal meaning of the body,” in which humans open to each other in self-giving love. In Chapter 3, West considers God’ redemption of the body. Although God designed sexual desire to point humans to God, human sin has distorted erotic desire so that it is now lustful and idolatrous, selfishly longing for personal pleasure rather than God. Living in purity does not mean repressing one’s sexual desires; instead, it involves reorienting these desires toward their proper end, which is union with Christ. To bring this reorientation, Christ gave His life to redeem humans and transform their hearts, empowering believers to follow His commands. Next, Chapter 4 considers the resurrection of the body. When Christ returns, He will redeem humans’ bodies (Rom. 8:23). These glorified physical bodies will still be male and female, but there will be no human marriage or sexual intercourse; instead, believers will experience ultimate union with God, at the marriage of the Lamb (Matt. 22:30; Rev. 19:7). Humans’ ultimate pleasure and fulfillment are found not in sex, but in the joys of heaven, which erotic desire foreshadows.
Finally, West discusses practical issues in sexual ethics. Chapter 5 discusses celibacy, which should be freely chosen rather than coerced. Like marriage, celibacy gives a theological message: it demonstrates that human desires find their ultimate fulfillment not in sex, but in God. Through celibacy, God redeems celibates’ desires and enables them to model self-giving love to Him and other people. In Chapter 6, West points out that marriage is a visible sign of Christ’s love for and union with the church. Ephesians 5:21-33 teaches that husbands and wives should mutually love and serve each other, even though they have different roles. In Chapter 7, West discusses marriage as a physical sign of God’s love. Humans communicate through their bodies; thus, sex reaffirms a couple’s marriage vows by embodying their self-giving commitment to each other. West claims that Song of Songs celebrates the pleasures of marital sex, while the apocryphal story of Tobias and Sarah reveals the suffering often connected with love. Finally, Chapter 8 discusses how sex should image God’s “free, total, faithful, fruitful love,” as West explains. He rejects any sexual act, including masturbation and homosexuality, that does not properly image this love. In particular, he targets and rejects artificial contraception: he claims that intentionally rendering a sexual act sterile means that a couple is no longer imaging God’s life-giving love, because they are not open to the possibility of new life. By removing the need for self-control, contraception enables lust and further sexual sin. Instead, West recommends natural family planning. West encourages Christians to convey divine truth through their bodies.
Analysis
Overall, West’s book offers a comprehensive defense of the Catholic view of sexuality, marriage, and the human body. One strength is West’s theological integration of physicality and spirituality. Noting some religious tendencies to denigrate the body, West clarifies that God specifically designed humans to have a physical body, both at creation and in the new heaven and earth. As a result, the physical body is good and should not be ignored. West does not simply view humanity as a body plus a soul, however; instead, humans are embodied souls—their physical and spiritual aspects are permanently intertwined. It is through the physical body that human souls are able to live out spiritual commands and display spiritual truths. Thus, West can be commended for highlighting the integration of humanity’s physical body and spiritual soul.
Another strength is the consistency of West’s approach. He cites both biblical and biological evidence to support the Catholic theology of the body. For example, he reflects on both Song of Songs and the Gospels to glean biblical truth regarding human sexuality. However, he also highlights biological facts to support theological truths; for example, he cites sex’s link to procreation to demonstrate how marriage represents God’s life-giving love. Both John Paul II (who developed this theology of the body) and Christopher West (who summarized and explained the pope’s work) have clearly addressed the topic of sexuality in a holistic manner. They are able to combine multiple pieces of evidence into a single theology.
Furthermore, West does an excellent job of connecting sexuality to the gospel. Throughout the book, he reiterates that human erotic desire ultimately points to God, for only God can fulfill humanity’s deepest longings. Lust is a diminution and distortion of this desire, aimed at lesser things. Thus, the cure for lust is not to repress desire but to reform it; God wants to transform believers’ desires to long for Him again. Moreover, West also emphasizes that it is Christ’s death that enables believers to receive a new heart, and it is God who works in believers to empower them to live out His commands. Furthermore, West emphasizes that human marriage is an image of Christ’s love for the church. Thus, West can be commended for repeatedly connecting his discussion of sexuality with God’s love and redemptive purposes for humans.
However, West could have strengthened his argument by appealing more broadly to Protestants as well as Catholics. Certainly, Protestants can appreciate many of his biblical arguments and Christian theology. However, West also cites theological concepts and sources that are distinctly Catholic. For example, he builds much of his argument on the sacramentality of marriage. Because Protestants do not typically view marriage as a sacrament, they may not find his views as convincing. Additionally, Chapter 7 cites Tobias and Sarah as a biblical example of marriage. However, most Protestants do not view this apocryphal story as biblical; thus, it will not be as powerful or authoritative for Protestants. West could have improved his argument by citing only concepts and sources that both Protestants and Catholics accept. That way, he could have appealed to a broader audience from this common ground.
Finally, another weakness is West’s fairly one-sided discussion of artificial contraception. While he presents an excellent defense of the traditional Catholic view, he does not discuss possible Protestant counterarguments. His argument presupposes the Catholic view of marriage as a sacrament, and he does not allow room for Protestant objections that may try to preserve a high view of marriage while also allowing certain forms of contraception. West could strengthen his argument by anticipating and responding to alternative Protestant views of contraception.
Overall, West offers an excellent explication of Pope John Paul II’s theology of the body. While Protestants will likely reject some of his arguments, evidence, and conclusions, they can still gain insight from his theological discussion of the meaning of human sexuality.
February 15, 2019
Theology of the Body for Beginners, Christopher West
Excellent book, full of great insight! Much needed material in our sexualized culture. Small downsides: The book becomes repetitive at points, repeating points or phrases. Also, I'm not Roman Catholic, so some spousal analogy gets taken too far in my opinion. (e.g. The allegorical nature of sexual union at Christ's cross was disturbing, and even Christ and his bride, the Church.) I disagree with some elevation of Mary here, but I had never heard of Mary/Church as new Eve, along with Christ as New Adam. Anyway, great points below:
The body is capable of making visible what is invisible: the spiritual and divine. It is a sign, something that points us to a reality beyond itself, in some way, makes that transcendent reality present to us.
God wants to marry us.
If we want to know what is most sacred in this world, all we need to do is look for what is most violently profaned.
Describes death as separation of body and soul, though is not dualistic in claiming that we are only bodies with souls or souls with bodies.
When pleasure is the main goal of sex, people become the means.
Christ appeals to the beginning (Matt. 19:3-9) Christ appeals to the human heart (Matt. 5:27-28). Christ appeals to the resurrection (Matt. 22:23-33).
Jesus has come to teach us a way, a journey to be undertaken with him, we learn as we go. Backpacking for me has become a sacrament of life’s journey, an outward sign of an inner reality.
Every cell in a man’s and woman’s body has 46 chromosomes except one. The sperm and ovum each have only 23.
We can chose to foster or fight sexual inclinations. We’re all called to the spiritual battle involved in following Christ; we’re all called to the purification and healing of our desires, involving discipline and self-denial.
It’s okay that we’re broken. God loves us right where we are, and come to meet us there, but it’s not okay to call our brokenness health.
As fallen human beings, we will always be able to sense the pull of lust in our hearts and our bodies. This doesn’t mean we have sinned. It’s what we do when we experience the pull of lust that matters. Do we seek God’s help in resisting it or do we indulge it? When we indulge it (actively choose in our hearts to treat another person as merely an object for our own gratification) we seriously violate that persons’ dignity and our own.
Many books/programs have flooded the Christian market in our “pornified” culture, but the main thrust of these programs is to help husbands direct their sexual desires towards their wives, but rarely do the invite men to examine what kinds of desires they’re directing toward their wives.
Tendency to grasp: When my sons asks for a cookie for dessert, before I can even get the cookie out of the box to present it to him as a gift, what does he do? He grasps at it. Taking advantage of this teachable moment, I might say to my son, ‘Hold on, you’re denying the gift. Your papa loves you. I want to give this cookie to you as a gift. if you believe in this gift, all you would need to do is hold your hands out in confidence and receive the cooke as a gift.’ This is the problem with us all. We do not trust enough in our Father’s love, so we grasp at the cookie.
Fig leaf cover up is an excuse not to face the deep disorder of their hearts.
Christ’s life proclaims: You don’t believe God loves you? Let me stretch out my arms and show you how much God loves you. you don't believe that God is gift? this is my body given for you. You think God wants to keep you from life? I will offer myself so that my life's blood can give you life to the full. You thought God was a tyrant slave driver i will take the form of a slave. You thought God would whip your back if you gave him the chance? I will let you whip my back to demonstrate that God has no desire to whip yours. I have not come to condemn you but to save you. I have not come to enslave you, but to set you free. Stop persisting in your unbelief. Repent and believe the good news. As we open ourselves to this gift, the grace of redemption begins to revivify our humanity, to enliven our hearts with god’s own goodness. To the degree that we allow this grace to inform and transform us, the Holy Spirit fills and saturates our desires with love.
Faith is the openness of the human heart to God’s gift of the HS.
Perhaps we cling to lust because we’re convinced that starvation is the only alternative to the fast food. But if God has a prepared an everlasting wedding feast that satisfies the deepest cry of eros beyond our wildest imaginings, then dying to lust means we lose nothing and gain everything, while clinging to lust means we gain nothing and lose everything. it’s our choice. Dear God, grant us the grace to choose you!
Lord, help me to discern the movements of my heart. Help me to distinguish between the great riches of sexuality as you created it to be and the distortions of lust. I grant you permission Lord to lead me on the journey of full purification from all my lusts. Take them Lord. Crucify them so that I might come to experience the resurrection of sexual desire as you intend. Grant me a pure heart so that I might see you. Amen.
If God can gather up dust and breathe his life into it at the beginning of time, he can certainly do it again at the end of time (resurrection).
When we lost sight of the joys of heaven, we tend to view sexual union as our ultimate fulfillment.
Our desire as we embrace our true design points us back to our eternal destiny
Sin has corrupted man to dominate woman, and woman into manipulative self-interest. God is calling us (Eph 5) back to the original order of love through the redemption in Christ.
Being subject to one’s spouse means being completely given. Mutual submission (5:21) means a reciprocal gift of self (mutual and sincere self-giving in your body). Christ is the model.
Wives put yourselves under (sub) the mission of our husband? What’s the mission of the husband? Love your wives as Christ love the church, (gave himself up for her, unto death, to serve, lay down his life for his bride).The husband must be the first to serve.
Using Christ and bride spousal analogy, Holiness is not a matter of doing but of letting it be done to us.
This is the story that our bodies tell; we’ve been chosen in Christ to be united with God forever in an eternal covenant of love (Eph. 1:4).
How does Christ love? Freely (Jn 10:18), totally, with reservation, condition or selfishness (Jn 13:1), faithfully, with you always (Mt. 28:20), fruitfully (Jn. 10:10). If men and women are to speak the true language of their bodies, they must continually learn to ever more deeply open themselves to Christ’s love, letting it bear fruit in them, so that they can, in turn, share this same free, total, faithful, fruitful love with each other.
Does what we’re doing with our bodies truly image God’s free, total, faithful, fruitful love, or does it miss the mark?
Marriage is eucharistic, a way of offering our bodies as a living sacrifice.
If God’s commandments feel burdensome, it’s probably because we’re relying on our own strength to carry them out.
Excellent book, full of great insight! Much needed material in our sexualized culture. Small downsides: The book becomes repetitive at points, repeating points or phrases. Also, I'm not Roman Catholic, so some spousal analogy gets taken too far in my opinion. (e.g. The allegorical nature of sexual union at Christ's cross was disturbing, and even Christ and his bride, the Church.) I disagree with some elevation of Mary here, but I had never heard of Mary/Church as new Eve, along with Christ as New Adam. Anyway, great points below:
The body is capable of making visible what is invisible: the spiritual and divine. It is a sign, something that points us to a reality beyond itself, in some way, makes that transcendent reality present to us.
God wants to marry us.
If we want to know what is most sacred in this world, all we need to do is look for what is most violently profaned.
Describes death as separation of body and soul, though is not dualistic in claiming that we are only bodies with souls or souls with bodies.
When pleasure is the main goal of sex, people become the means.
Christ appeals to the beginning (Matt. 19:3-9) Christ appeals to the human heart (Matt. 5:27-28). Christ appeals to the resurrection (Matt. 22:23-33).
Jesus has come to teach us a way, a journey to be undertaken with him, we learn as we go. Backpacking for me has become a sacrament of life’s journey, an outward sign of an inner reality.
Every cell in a man’s and woman’s body has 46 chromosomes except one. The sperm and ovum each have only 23.
We can chose to foster or fight sexual inclinations. We’re all called to the spiritual battle involved in following Christ; we’re all called to the purification and healing of our desires, involving discipline and self-denial.
It’s okay that we’re broken. God loves us right where we are, and come to meet us there, but it’s not okay to call our brokenness health.
As fallen human beings, we will always be able to sense the pull of lust in our hearts and our bodies. This doesn’t mean we have sinned. It’s what we do when we experience the pull of lust that matters. Do we seek God’s help in resisting it or do we indulge it? When we indulge it (actively choose in our hearts to treat another person as merely an object for our own gratification) we seriously violate that persons’ dignity and our own.
Many books/programs have flooded the Christian market in our “pornified” culture, but the main thrust of these programs is to help husbands direct their sexual desires towards their wives, but rarely do the invite men to examine what kinds of desires they’re directing toward their wives.
Tendency to grasp: When my sons asks for a cookie for dessert, before I can even get the cookie out of the box to present it to him as a gift, what does he do? He grasps at it. Taking advantage of this teachable moment, I might say to my son, ‘Hold on, you’re denying the gift. Your papa loves you. I want to give this cookie to you as a gift. if you believe in this gift, all you would need to do is hold your hands out in confidence and receive the cooke as a gift.’ This is the problem with us all. We do not trust enough in our Father’s love, so we grasp at the cookie.
Fig leaf cover up is an excuse not to face the deep disorder of their hearts.
Christ’s life proclaims: You don’t believe God loves you? Let me stretch out my arms and show you how much God loves you. you don't believe that God is gift? this is my body given for you. You think God wants to keep you from life? I will offer myself so that my life's blood can give you life to the full. You thought God was a tyrant slave driver i will take the form of a slave. You thought God would whip your back if you gave him the chance? I will let you whip my back to demonstrate that God has no desire to whip yours. I have not come to condemn you but to save you. I have not come to enslave you, but to set you free. Stop persisting in your unbelief. Repent and believe the good news. As we open ourselves to this gift, the grace of redemption begins to revivify our humanity, to enliven our hearts with god’s own goodness. To the degree that we allow this grace to inform and transform us, the Holy Spirit fills and saturates our desires with love.
Faith is the openness of the human heart to God’s gift of the HS.
Perhaps we cling to lust because we’re convinced that starvation is the only alternative to the fast food. But if God has a prepared an everlasting wedding feast that satisfies the deepest cry of eros beyond our wildest imaginings, then dying to lust means we lose nothing and gain everything, while clinging to lust means we gain nothing and lose everything. it’s our choice. Dear God, grant us the grace to choose you!
Lord, help me to discern the movements of my heart. Help me to distinguish between the great riches of sexuality as you created it to be and the distortions of lust. I grant you permission Lord to lead me on the journey of full purification from all my lusts. Take them Lord. Crucify them so that I might come to experience the resurrection of sexual desire as you intend. Grant me a pure heart so that I might see you. Amen.
If God can gather up dust and breathe his life into it at the beginning of time, he can certainly do it again at the end of time (resurrection).
When we lost sight of the joys of heaven, we tend to view sexual union as our ultimate fulfillment.
Our desire as we embrace our true design points us back to our eternal destiny
Sin has corrupted man to dominate woman, and woman into manipulative self-interest. God is calling us (Eph 5) back to the original order of love through the redemption in Christ.
Being subject to one’s spouse means being completely given. Mutual submission (5:21) means a reciprocal gift of self (mutual and sincere self-giving in your body). Christ is the model.
Wives put yourselves under (sub) the mission of our husband? What’s the mission of the husband? Love your wives as Christ love the church, (gave himself up for her, unto death, to serve, lay down his life for his bride).The husband must be the first to serve.
Using Christ and bride spousal analogy, Holiness is not a matter of doing but of letting it be done to us.
This is the story that our bodies tell; we’ve been chosen in Christ to be united with God forever in an eternal covenant of love (Eph. 1:4).
How does Christ love? Freely (Jn 10:18), totally, with reservation, condition or selfishness (Jn 13:1), faithfully, with you always (Mt. 28:20), fruitfully (Jn. 10:10). If men and women are to speak the true language of their bodies, they must continually learn to ever more deeply open themselves to Christ’s love, letting it bear fruit in them, so that they can, in turn, share this same free, total, faithful, fruitful love with each other.
Does what we’re doing with our bodies truly image God’s free, total, faithful, fruitful love, or does it miss the mark?
Marriage is eucharistic, a way of offering our bodies as a living sacrifice.
If God’s commandments feel burdensome, it’s probably because we’re relying on our own strength to carry them out.
November 25, 2023
This book acts as an introduction to Pope John Paul II’s magisterial work, Theology of the Body. Its author, Christopher West, is a Catholic theologian whose work focuses on the intersection between human sexuality and theology.
West begins by deconstructing the false dichotomy between repressing our sexual desires, and indulging them. He argues that Christ wants neither to repress or indulge our desires; he wants to redeem them. The key to unlocking our understanding of sex is to think deeply about the theology of the body. Legalistic forms of religion sometimes argue that our culture over-values the body and sex. West argues that the reverse is true: our culture undervalues the body and sex. The body is not just a biological thing, he says. It is theological. It tells an amazing Divine story, especially through the one flesh concept of sexual union. Our bodies tell the greatest story ever told, West claims, because marriage is the sacrament of eternal communion with God. The author goes even further: God wants to marry humanity, and the physical intimacy between husband and wife is a picture of that cosmic tale. So we can only gain the right perspective on sex and marriage when we appreciate the cosmic and eternal truths told by the story of our bodies.
Evangelical Protestants, while they may balk at the sacramental language, are familiar with West’s approach because of a controversy that erupted within their theological stable in the Spring of 2023. A reformed theologian called Josh Butler published a book called Beautiful Union. Like West, Butler described the relationship between God and humanity in overtly sexual terms. (The ensuing controversy forced Butler to resign from a number of his positions within evangelicalism). Christopher West, following John Paul II, is even bolder than Josh Butler. He often uses the erotic imagery of the Divine penetrating the human, depositing the life-giving ‘seed’ of the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ words at the Last Supper “This is my body, given for you” is linked with the picture of a husband offering himself as a gift to his wife in sexual union. And the Cross itself is described as a ‘marriage bed’ that led to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit into humanity.
The controversy which will inevitably surround this book by Christopher West will not be shaped by traditional denominational distinctives. Rather, the debate will be between theologians like West and Butler who rejoice in viewing God’s relationship with humanity through the lens of sex, and feminist theologians who argue that, by portraying God as a male lover who deposits his seed in a female humanity, the impression is given that God is male. And if God is male, then male is God.
Before any judgement is formed on that particular controversy, it is important to stress that there is a huge amount of profound insight, theological wisdom, and piercing cultural critique in West’s book. The chapter on the redemption of the body is, on its own, worth the price of the book. West brilliantly repudiates the Gnosticism that lies at the root of so many of our society’s false ideas about sex and marriage. Human beings are incarnate spirits, a unity of soul and body. If we jettison the Christian concepts of gender and sex, then, like a set of dominoes, marriage falls, then the family falls, and so – inevitably – society falls. In fact, says West, when we tinker with God’s plan for sex, we are tinkering with the cosmic stream of human existence. So the stakes could not be higher.
At the heart of the book lie three chapters on the creation of the body, the redemption of the body, and the resurrection of the body. West uses the theology of Genesis 1-2 to argue that gender is inextricably linked to biological sex. His treatment of intersex conditions is sensitively handled, but he is firm that no anomaly can alter a norm. He concludes his argument from creation with the conclusion that marriage, sex, and babies are always linked, in that order.
The chapter on the redemption of eros is brilliantly written. Christ came to transform eros into an upward impulse towards the beautiful, good, and true. Using a framework that would gladden the heart of any reformed theologian, West refuses to normalise sexual brokenness, but instead places it within the framework of creation, fall, and redemption. The original beauty of being a gift to another in sexual union gets replaced by the grasping posture of lust. West makes the excellent point that both puritanical prudishness and licentiousness are based on the false idea that lust is the only paradigm for sexuality. The final ‘core’ chapter, on the resurrection of the body, rejects the Platonic idea that humans are spirits trapped within the prison house of a body. We will be raised as male and female, says West, sexually embodied persons for all eternity.
The remaining chapters deal with more practical matters such as celibacy, the roles of husband and wife, and the use of contraception within a marriage. The chapter on celibacy makes the important point that singleness is not a rejection of sexuality. Rather, singleness points forward to the ultimate consummation of the icon of marriage. These later chapters have much more relevance to those within the Catholic tradition, with their well-argued defences of a celibate priesthood, and a rejection of contraception.
But what about the underlying controversy that flows from what West calls the spousal meaning of the body? Is the sexed body the ‘greatest sacrament’, the most powerful sign of the divine mystery in all creation’? Readers can form their own judgement on that but, in the end, I was unpersuaded, for two reasons. Firstly, the picture of the church as a bride is only one of four pictures used in Scripture to describe humanity’s final state: Christians are described in Hebrews as ‘sons and daughters who have been brought to glory’. And in Ephesians (which is John Paul II’s central text) the church is described in considerable detail as a building and a body. So it seems arbitrary to elevate one metaphor (that of the bride) over the others. Secondly, Ephesians 5 says that husbands should love their wives as Christ loved the church. It does not say that Christ loved the church as husbands love their wives. Both Christopher West and Josh Butler therefore run the risk of projecting human concepts into the Divine. Those obscure regulations in the Old Testament that treated normal, perfectly healthy, sexual matters as ceremonially unclean were put in place to guard against that very same risk: sexual matters were located in the realm of that which is human, because, unlike the pagan deities of Canaan, the God of Israel was not a projection of the human condition.
Christopher West’s book is thoughtful, stimulating, and very well written. I recommend that you read it for yourself.
West begins by deconstructing the false dichotomy between repressing our sexual desires, and indulging them. He argues that Christ wants neither to repress or indulge our desires; he wants to redeem them. The key to unlocking our understanding of sex is to think deeply about the theology of the body. Legalistic forms of religion sometimes argue that our culture over-values the body and sex. West argues that the reverse is true: our culture undervalues the body and sex. The body is not just a biological thing, he says. It is theological. It tells an amazing Divine story, especially through the one flesh concept of sexual union. Our bodies tell the greatest story ever told, West claims, because marriage is the sacrament of eternal communion with God. The author goes even further: God wants to marry humanity, and the physical intimacy between husband and wife is a picture of that cosmic tale. So we can only gain the right perspective on sex and marriage when we appreciate the cosmic and eternal truths told by the story of our bodies.
Evangelical Protestants, while they may balk at the sacramental language, are familiar with West’s approach because of a controversy that erupted within their theological stable in the Spring of 2023. A reformed theologian called Josh Butler published a book called Beautiful Union. Like West, Butler described the relationship between God and humanity in overtly sexual terms. (The ensuing controversy forced Butler to resign from a number of his positions within evangelicalism). Christopher West, following John Paul II, is even bolder than Josh Butler. He often uses the erotic imagery of the Divine penetrating the human, depositing the life-giving ‘seed’ of the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ words at the Last Supper “This is my body, given for you” is linked with the picture of a husband offering himself as a gift to his wife in sexual union. And the Cross itself is described as a ‘marriage bed’ that led to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit into humanity.
The controversy which will inevitably surround this book by Christopher West will not be shaped by traditional denominational distinctives. Rather, the debate will be between theologians like West and Butler who rejoice in viewing God’s relationship with humanity through the lens of sex, and feminist theologians who argue that, by portraying God as a male lover who deposits his seed in a female humanity, the impression is given that God is male. And if God is male, then male is God.
Before any judgement is formed on that particular controversy, it is important to stress that there is a huge amount of profound insight, theological wisdom, and piercing cultural critique in West’s book. The chapter on the redemption of the body is, on its own, worth the price of the book. West brilliantly repudiates the Gnosticism that lies at the root of so many of our society’s false ideas about sex and marriage. Human beings are incarnate spirits, a unity of soul and body. If we jettison the Christian concepts of gender and sex, then, like a set of dominoes, marriage falls, then the family falls, and so – inevitably – society falls. In fact, says West, when we tinker with God’s plan for sex, we are tinkering with the cosmic stream of human existence. So the stakes could not be higher.
At the heart of the book lie three chapters on the creation of the body, the redemption of the body, and the resurrection of the body. West uses the theology of Genesis 1-2 to argue that gender is inextricably linked to biological sex. His treatment of intersex conditions is sensitively handled, but he is firm that no anomaly can alter a norm. He concludes his argument from creation with the conclusion that marriage, sex, and babies are always linked, in that order.
The chapter on the redemption of eros is brilliantly written. Christ came to transform eros into an upward impulse towards the beautiful, good, and true. Using a framework that would gladden the heart of any reformed theologian, West refuses to normalise sexual brokenness, but instead places it within the framework of creation, fall, and redemption. The original beauty of being a gift to another in sexual union gets replaced by the grasping posture of lust. West makes the excellent point that both puritanical prudishness and licentiousness are based on the false idea that lust is the only paradigm for sexuality. The final ‘core’ chapter, on the resurrection of the body, rejects the Platonic idea that humans are spirits trapped within the prison house of a body. We will be raised as male and female, says West, sexually embodied persons for all eternity.
The remaining chapters deal with more practical matters such as celibacy, the roles of husband and wife, and the use of contraception within a marriage. The chapter on celibacy makes the important point that singleness is not a rejection of sexuality. Rather, singleness points forward to the ultimate consummation of the icon of marriage. These later chapters have much more relevance to those within the Catholic tradition, with their well-argued defences of a celibate priesthood, and a rejection of contraception.
But what about the underlying controversy that flows from what West calls the spousal meaning of the body? Is the sexed body the ‘greatest sacrament’, the most powerful sign of the divine mystery in all creation’? Readers can form their own judgement on that but, in the end, I was unpersuaded, for two reasons. Firstly, the picture of the church as a bride is only one of four pictures used in Scripture to describe humanity’s final state: Christians are described in Hebrews as ‘sons and daughters who have been brought to glory’. And in Ephesians (which is John Paul II’s central text) the church is described in considerable detail as a building and a body. So it seems arbitrary to elevate one metaphor (that of the bride) over the others. Secondly, Ephesians 5 says that husbands should love their wives as Christ loved the church. It does not say that Christ loved the church as husbands love their wives. Both Christopher West and Josh Butler therefore run the risk of projecting human concepts into the Divine. Those obscure regulations in the Old Testament that treated normal, perfectly healthy, sexual matters as ceremonially unclean were put in place to guard against that very same risk: sexual matters were located in the realm of that which is human, because, unlike the pagan deities of Canaan, the God of Israel was not a projection of the human condition.
Christopher West’s book is thoughtful, stimulating, and very well written. I recommend that you read it for yourself.
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