Theology of the Body: Introduction

Introduction to Theology of the Body (TOB)

• The TOB refers to Pope John Paul II's teachings on the human person and sexuality.
• It was presented as Wednesday Catecheses in St. Peter's Square from September 5, 1979, to November 28, 1984.
• The catecheses are also known as "Human Love in the Divine Plan" or "The Redemption of the Body and the Sacramentality of Marriage."
• The original Polish manuscript was rediscovered by Michael Waldstein.

Structure of the TOB

• It has two main parts: the words of Christ and the sacramentality of marriage.
• The Words of Christ section includes:
  • Christ appealing to the beginning (TOB 1-23)
  • Christ appealing to the human heart (TOB 24-63)
  • Christ appealing to the Resurrection (TOB 64-86), including chastity
• The Sacrament section includes:
  • The dimension of covenant and grace in marriage (103-107)
  • The Dimension of Sign (TOB 113-17)
  • The Law of Life as Their Inheritance (TOB 118-33)

Christ's Appeal to the Beginning

• This focuses on the book of Genesis.
• Christ addresses marriage based on God's original plan, as depicted in Genesis.
• Genesis explains humanity's nature, created in God's image, and marriage's unity and indissolubility.
• Humans are created in God's image with sexual differentiation which establishes metaphysics, anthropology, and ethics.
• The knowledge of good and evil distinguishes Adam and Eve's innocence from humanity's fallen state.
• Christ references original innocence with normative terms for theology of humanity and body.
• Gen 3:15 refers to salvation history of the body that guarantees continuity between sinfulness and original innocence.

Original Solitude

• Genesis 2:18 states that man should not be alone and need a helper.
• "Man" refers to the human person not just the male.
• Man in creation knows his freedom and his difference in creation.
• He is not God.
• He is body in the world but is in search of identity.
• Man is subjective.
• The tree of knowledge provides choice and free will.
• The command to fill the earth demonstrates man's capacity to transform the earth according to his needs.

Original Unity of Man and Woman

• Original solitude is based on man-Adam.
• Original unity is based on male-female.
• Adam's sleep before "ish-ishah" means a return to non-being then emergence as double unity.
• Bodily homogeneity is shown in woman's creation from Adam's rib.
• Despite sexual differentiation, Adam recognizes the female which establishes unity with man and vice versa.
• Man achieves humanity through another while male has emotion to female.
• Human nature has both unity and masculinity/femininity which helps solitude.
• Original solitude helps communion of persons.
• Communion involves deriving help from another and existing for one another meaning man needs a helper.
• Double solitude distinguishes man and woman apart from creation/God.
• self-knowledge/free choice creates the double solitude
• Sex is a personal constituant.
• The image of God in Genesis is based on human communion.
• Image/likeness means a person rules the world and a communion of Persons.
• Male and female share unity through the body.
• Blessing of fertility and human procreation flow from the body.
• The body demonstrates the male can see the female.
• Theology of the body is also about sex made in the image of God.
• Ethical and sacram rental union exists through "one flesh".
• Masculinity or femininity of the body assists in communion.
• Union constituent happens in marriage as husband and wife.

Unity and Indissolubility of Marriage

• Genesis's "one flesh" happens in conjugal acts.
• The body unites persons who submit the union to fertility.
• The man and woman rediscover creation as bone and flesh.
• one flesh helps discovery.
• Sex surpasses man's body limits.
• Each "self" assumes its own body solitude.
• Man and woman have one flesh and cleave from family which establishes the conjugal pact.
• Procreation has roots in creation itself and repeats the mystery.

Meaning of Original Nakedness

• Conscious meaning of the body leads to unashamed nakedness.
• Sin leads to boundary experience rather than just original.
• Sin causes the experience of boundary/shame.
• Experience of fear results and hiding.
• The human has first sin in relation to another "self.
• A need for affirmation and acceptance results and complex experience draws and drives people apart.
• Loss of fullness corresponds with shame experience.
• Fullness of consciousness of the body creates "flesh of my flesh."

Original Communication

• It happens through common union and the body.
• The communication allows communion of persons which is crucial.
• Lack of shame affirms what is inherent in a person for communion.
• Perception of nakedness corresponds with seeing "very good" God image likeness.
• God created the good vision of humanity as male/female, of sex.
• Man knows and sees others with exterior/interior, of their help/choice.
• Mutual self-gift is used.
• Limitation follows with shame.
• seeing in mind has a limitation through a disturb.
• Nuptial meaning in created love corresponds with the original meaning.

Nuptial Meaning of the Body

• Genesis grounds anthropology the “hermeneutics” of God.
• Gift dimension guides truth and depth for solitude,nakedness, and unity
• It helps the theology of the body.
• Creation a giving. Being from nothingness. Bears the fundamental/original.
• Giver exists, receiver of the gift exists, and relationship exists.
• Man made in Giver like.
• Created, God gifted.
• Has a being who. Not good for Man.
• Exist, exist in mutual "For".
• Is the fullfillment for solitude mutual gift.
• this gift happens with love.
• Love beats "me". People. Bones (to be). Persons.
• Sleeps gives self gift

Topic Subtitle

• Humanity. Bless. Fertility is a part of this meaning by (God).
• Love has. Gift. Has. Man
• Gift of (God). YahWeh. Man
• Understanding. Like "nuptial", truth eachother.
• Free God. "For". Sincere interiorly can the "free".
• Give of free creation. Man only by givong other.

Mystery of Man's Original Innocence

• meaning in. Rooted, love
• is. Creator
• on inner. Him
• innocence holi spirit . Other
• body radically. Shame.
• The purity
• a gift and. Will
• Innocence can see. Exhange

Key facts

• Before sin it. A reciptoal giving, man is in.