Theology of the Body

1. Theology of the Body Vocations

2. Ch 1 The Original Experience p. 9 • TOB has been called a theological time bomb • The new insights into humanities “original state” is what is deemed a “time bomb” • The Bible and Human Experience p. 10 • The bible is the Word of God • We believe God actually speaks to us, through Jesus, the Word made flesh • The scriptures make Christ present to us – now • Reading the scriptures puts us in contact with the living Jesus • Reading the scripture in this light will change your life • We know Jesus through: • The scripture • Our personal experience • The sacraments

3. The Original Experience p. 11-12 “The Beginning” • Divorce in the Roman Empire was common • Marriage was not so common; the marriage rate was low • Several Emperors passed decrees to encourage marriage • Additionally, abortion, infanticide contraception, homosexuality were common at the time of the early church • Responding to the challenge placed by the Pharisees: • Jesus encourages the permanence of marriage • And of celibacy, something unheard of at the time (accepting a gift to build the Kingdom of God)

4. The Original Experience p. 12-14 • Mt. 19:3-12 (Jesus responding to Pharisees) • In the Beginning… refers to Genesis • The creation of man and woman • God’s intention of the two being “one flesh” • Consider the idea of intention • Intention bespeaks a purpose • We interpret Jesus’ response to say that God created with an intention that man and woman are called to marriage or celibacy • Both callings are a gift • Both states of life were created by God

5. The Original Experience p. 14-17 The Theological Time Bomb Explodes! • JPII goes much deeper with the concept of Original ____ • Original Solitude • Original Unity • Original Nakedness • Original Sin • JPII ponders the time before Original Sin • These new insights allow us to come to an awareness of a new meaning of human life • In the beginning we were not broken, but whole • Thus our relationships were pure, peaceful and intimate

6. The Original Experience p. 14-17 • At the beginning of Genesis, God and man were on intimate terms • Read the text of the Creation story focusing on the italicized words… p. 16 • Original Solitude p. 17-21 • The bible has two accounts of creation • Written by two different authors (inspired by the Holy Spirit) • They are not meant to be read - literally • Truth taught - God created the world out of nothing

7. The Original Experience p. 19-21 • The Genesis Creation Story • First - God is mentioned six times, noting that God and man were friends; they talk and listen to each other • Second - Man is different than the other creatures • Man has a special responsibility, i.e. naming animals • Naming presumes authority over the named • The man realizes none of the animals are like him • Religious Insights: • God and man are alone and in a unique relationship • Man is different from the rest of creation • Man communicates with God • Man stands with God, in His presence! • We have a spirit that enables us to know and love God, the world and ourselves • We humans know that we know; we are conscious that we know

8. The Original Experience p. 21 • Man alone has the ability to reflect on events and use our knowledge to affect them • Have insights, gain wisdom, learn truths • This is Original Solitude! • Our fundamental original state of human life; Solitude with God • We can understand our personal identity as being from, with and in relationship with God • Secondly – • Man noticed something was wrong • He was alone • Being alone, he realized he was lacking something

9. The Original Experience p. 22-29 • Original Unity • God creates a body similar to his, but different • He realizes she is a person (WOOman!) • Man decides to be one with her • Leaving his former life to be one flesh with her • A man finds perfection not in solitude, but in unity • Adam discovers he is alone with God, and the woman • Alone, but in unity with each • Our experience bears out the truth • Humans are social creatures with the need to belong • Friendship is essential to happiness • We are created to be in relationship

10. The Original Experience p. 22-29 • Original Unity • We are created to be in relationship • Like God, the Holy Trinity who is relationship with himself (Three persons in one being) • God is a profound unity • Distinct but inseparable • We are created in God’s image and likeness • We are distinct but inseparable • These are truths of God’s intention at creation • We can better understand God’s desire for us • God made us to be attracted to each other • Perfect, normal, holy

11. The Original Experience p. 25-26 • Original Unity is about two things: • Accepting and Giving • The man accepts and compliments the woman • “Helper” • God originally says, “It is not good for man to be alone. I will make him a helper fit for him” • Helper is used 21 times in the OT • 19 times it refers to a Divine Aid • The woman then could be said to be a “divine aid” • The woman lifts the man beyond himself • She helps him reach perfection • The reverse is also true (man ‘helps’ the woman) • The man and woman are “incarnations”, made flesh • They love, think, remember communicate through their bodies JPII strives to fully explain the roles of woman’s relationship with man

12. The Original Experience p. 25-26 • Original Unity • Our will, intellect, memory are spiritual realities • Men and women express these differently – like their bodies are different • Women are relational (feminine) • Men are goal or task oriented (masculine) • Men and women communicate differently • Understand relationships differently • Men and women have different ways of being human • Second dimension of Original Unity • Adam gives himself to Eve, and the two become one flesh • Adam uses free will to choose to be with Eve

13. The Original Experience p. 25-26 • Second dimension of Original Unity • Accepting –and- giving are the basis of friendship and unity • This enhances and provides a new sense of their dignity • This mutually accepted unity gives them a “new identity” • Together they are better than when they were alone • Sin, or harming another causes a desire to again be whole • We are willing to sacrifice our pleasure for the sake of the other • Such is satisfaction when we are whole again

14. The Original Experience p. 29-34 Original Nakedness • “They were both naked, but felt no shame” • Original Nakedness is a symbol of freedom in communication • There were no barriers to their communicating and relating to each other • Like mature 2-year olds; naked but purely intelligent (Pure, innocent) • They have almost unlimited trust, no sense that harm can be caused by their “nakedness” • They have not reached the age of reason • Consider freedom (not following the crowd) • Freedom is deciding to surrender to the love of another • Freedom is about the type of person we want to become

15. The Original Experience p. 32-33 Original Nakedness • As we use our freedom, we become “more human” • Thus we give glory to God by being who we are • We offend God by offending ourselves (being less than good) • Freedom is “letting go” of our lives • St. Paul in Ephesians states husbands and wives should “submissive” to each other (letting go for the good of the other) • In doing so, each become more free • Freedom finds its fullest expression when we make ourselves a gift for the other • A feminist agenda, would naively desire women to be the same as men; their sexuality agenda proclaims women’s behavior should be similar to man’s (to be discussed latter)

16. The Original Experience p. 33-34 Original Nakedness • “Sexual Shame” • JPII has a positive view of shame • Shame is good because it protects purity and chastity • Shame was not part of the original plan, but rather entered the world with sin • Moral Shame / Sexual Shame • Moral Shame – shame that results from our own wrongdoing • Sexual sins result in moral shame • Sexual Shame – is a “shield of emotion” that protects us from abuse • Being modest can protect us from be viewed as an object • Shame becomes a protector or guardian of our bodily and sexual life

17. The Original Experience p. 34-36 Review of Positive Original Experiences • JPII’s staring point is not our sinfulness, rather it is the exciting vision God has for humanity • Until TOB, we did not have language to discuss these truths • Original sin and personal sin are still realities • We still need to be converted from sin; To what? • Original Solitude, Unity and Nakedness • We are to be converted to what God wants for us: • Happiness and freedom in our relationship with him and others • These three original experiences shed light on the meaning of life • This is the revolution, the time bomb!

18. The Original Experience p. 37-38 Original Sin • Original Sin is an act of mistrust and pride • The result of Original Sin: Concupiscence • We find evil attractive, difficult to choose good • We are less than we were intended to be • Basically good, but flawed, sinful and weak • We find it hard to sense God in our lives • Some even doubt God’s existence • Jesus, true God and true man, has redeemed us • Jesus has reestablished the meaning of human existence • Thomas Aquinas taught the Jesus is THE reason we can understand God, divine truths, and redemption • By His death and resurrection, we now can yearn for our original holiness with God • The Four original experience give us a sense of God’s view of the human body