Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Teaching the Theology of the Body
CatholicExchange.com ^ | 05-10-06 | Mark P. Shea

Posted on 05/10/2006 9:22:55 AM PDT by Salvation

by Mark P. Shea Bible Study and Truth Tracts Author

Other Articles by Mark P. Shea
Contact this Author
Teaching the Theology of the Body
5/10/2006


George Weigel, the biographer of Pope John Paul II, has remarked that one of the most exciting "ticking bombs" of Catholic thought (set to go off sometime in the 21st century) is John Paul's teaching on the Theology of the Body.

In This Article...
What Is the Theology of the Body?
Teaching Kids
Teaching Teens

What Is the Theology of the Body?

In a nutshell, John Paul draws on the most basic message of the entire Christian tradition — "The Word became Flesh" — to make clear that the body is not a mere machine, or an unusually clever piece of meat, or an apparatus used to gain a particular sensory experience, or a Tupperware container for the soul, or a thing completely unrelated to the true union of souls, or the mere "animal" part of us unrelated to our "heart" or "mind." Rather, the body is the very window of the soul, with its own language that speaks more deeply than we can with words. When God wished to speak His ultimate Word to us He sent, not a telegram, but a baby — at Bethlehem. The ultimate form of speech is the body. And so the body and the things we say with it matter. This, says Pope John Paul, is why sex outside marriage is such a cruel violation of the nature of the human person. Because, in the language of the body, sex means (and can only mean) "I give you all of myself, body, soul, and spirit, in self-sacrificial love." To say that with the body, and then vanish the next morning, is to tell a terrible and wounding lie.

Teaching Kids

Teaching our children to recognize this "language of the body" is therefore vital to helping them grasp a really central truth of life and faith. The body matters in many ways beyond sex, and we can begin to help our children see that at a very early age.

For instance, at dinner time, we can show our little ones the difference between the language of the tongue and the language of the body by tasting a bit of lemon and saying (with our tongue) "That's really sweet!" while saying with our puckered faces the truth about the lemon's tartness. Then we can ask our young child, "Do you think the way I talked with my lips matched up with the way I talked with my face?" From there, it's possible to show that our words and the language of our bodies have to line up. We can talk about how God gave us our bodies as good gifts that are meant to give good to others and to speak the truth to others, not just with our words but with every part of us. We might even look at the Gospel story of the two sons who were asked to work in the Vineyard. The one said "yes" but didn't go. The other said "no" and went. The point of the story is that what we do with our bodies matters more than what we say with our words (though, of course, both are important).

The Theology of the Body is one of John Paul's richest gifts to the Church. Like a miraculous river, it is shallow enough for an ant to wade in and deep enough for an elephant to swim in. Whether your child is 5 or 25, the Theology of the Body has something to offer us as we seek to grow in love and truth with God and with each other.

Teaching Teens

For adolescents, caught in that period between childhood and adulthood, the stress can be powerful. It is the appropriate task of adolescence to leave childhood behind, but not childlikeness and not virginity. Our culture, deeply hostile to childhood, is for the same reason deeply hostile to virginity, for it hates innocence. This makes it particularly attractive and intimidating to adolescents, because it promises instant maturity through easy sexual license and various material goods. The adolescent who wants to grow up and who is desperately afraid of being "the last virgin" can easily be cowed into believing this.

The Theology of the Body speaks to this by striking two very strong chords: truth and heroism. Adolescents have very strong Bunk Detectors. And they are passionately desirous of heroism. We can speak to our adolescents by pointing out that sex is a promise of complete self-giving to another and that when we make that promise lightly, not out of real love for another, but out of fear of what our friends think, we are lying. More than that, we are being taken in by the advertisers and corporate greedheads who use these cultural messages to manipulate us. We can emphasize that virginity is the truly counter-cultural and heroic act.

We can build on this essential message for our older children as they approach the time to leave the nest by pointing out that sex, in addition to being a kind of language, is also something that is ordered by God toward their good, just like the rest of their body. On the positive side, this means that a sexual relationship, entered into in the context of a full Christian marriage, is one of most pleasurable and powerful binding forces in the universe and a joy like nothing else. On the negative side, uncommitted sex with multiple partners is like adhesive tape: if you apply it and then tear it off over and over, it eventually loses its power to stick. And the tragedy is, that loss is usually permanent, even if you do get married. Sexual dysfunction and infidelity among couples who practiced pre-marital sex (especially with more than one partner) is a documented fact.


Mark Shea is Senior Content Editor for Catholic Exchange. You may visit his website at
www.mark-shea.com check out his blog, Catholic and Enjoying It!, or purchase his books and tapes here.



TOPICS: Activism; Apologetics; Catholic; Charismatic Christian; Current Events; Eastern Religions; Ecumenism; Evangelical Christian; General Discusssion; History; Islam; Judaism; Mainline Protestant; Ministry/Outreach; Moral Issues; Orthodox Christian; Other Christian; Other non-Christian; Prayer; Religion & Culture; Religion & Politics; Religion & Science; Skeptics/Seekers; Theology; Worship
KEYWORDS: body; catholiclist; popejohnpaulii; theology; theologyofthebody
Theology of the Body is for all!
1 posted on 05/10/2006 9:23:01 AM PDT by Salvation
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: klossg

For your ping list! Thanks!


2 posted on 05/10/2006 9:23:59 AM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: InterestedQuestioner; annalex; Notwithstanding; Romulus; A.A. Cunningham; Mrs. Don-o; ...
Theology of the Body Ping!

If anyone wants on or off theTheology of the Body Ping List, notify me here or by freepmail.

Info on The Theology of the Body
3 posted on 05/10/2006 11:25:34 AM PDT by klossg (GK - God is good!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Salvation

Beautifully stated by Mark Shea. He has a gift for putting things within your grasp.


4 posted on 05/10/2006 1:20:41 PM PDT by Mrs. Don-o (Veritatis Splendor.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Salvation

Excellent Post!

Marked for later reference...


5 posted on 05/10/2006 2:26:50 PM PDT by rzeznikj at stout (This Space For Rent. Call 555-1212 for more info.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Salvation

I don't always read Mark Shea's blog...a little too much Bush-bashing, but his podcast at Catholic Exchange, is fabulous. It's daily, about 5 - 6 minutes in length. You don't need an iPod or any mp3 player to get it. You can listen to the podcasts on your computer.


6 posted on 05/11/2006 9:52:03 AM PDT by CatQuilt (GLSEN is evil)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: klossg
Our culture, deeply hostile to childhood, is for the same reason deeply hostile to virginity, for it hates innocence.

I've been watching the news lately about the schismatic-Mormon polygamist who made it on the FBI most wanted list and was wondering about this. We've built a society that is so utterly hostile to children that it operates, through Planned Parenthood, Hollywood, public schools and two-incomes economy, like a gigantic child molestation machine. Yet Planned Parenthood and MTV do not get on the FBI's ten list, a crazed preacher with a mini-harem of adolescent girls does. Not to minimize his crime, but when the FBI pust creeps like this on its top ten list, I think David Koresh all over again.

7 posted on 05/11/2006 12:24:47 PM PDT by annalex
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Leo Carpathian

Ping


8 posted on 05/11/2006 5:10:54 PM PDT by KOZ.
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: annalex

I have not seen one good dispute against the Theology of the Body. I know it was a proposal, but man it seems like no one can reject it. It is truth and it is deep down good truth that saves and builds life and love.


9 posted on 05/12/2006 6:03:56 AM PDT by klossg (GK - God is good!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: klossg

BTTT for the marriage debate.


10 posted on 07/21/2006 6:56:31 PM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: All
Man, though made of body and soul, is a unity. Through his very bodily condition he sums up in himself the elements of the material world. Through him they are thus brought to their highest perfection and can raise their voice in praise freely given to the Creator. For this reason man may not despise his bodily life. Rather he is obliged to regard his body as good and to hold it in honour since God has created it and will raise it up on the last day.

-- Gaudium et spes

11 posted on 07/23/2006 8:28:23 AM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Salvation

bookmark


12 posted on 09/06/2007 1:06:45 PM PDT by TASMANIANRED (Taz Struck By Lightning Faces Battery Charge)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Salvation

Genesis 1:

27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.

28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”


13 posted on 09/06/2007 1:26:34 PM PDT by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilisation is aborting, buggering, and contracepting itself out of existence.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: klossg

**It is truth and it is deep down good truth that saves and builds life and love.**

Thanks to Pope John Paul II for writing it.


14 posted on 09/06/2007 5:12:02 PM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson