Theology of the Body On-Line Resource Library

As explained so well by contemporary Catholic speakers and authors like Christopher West and Marcellino D'Ambrosio, the 'Theology of the Body' is Pope John Paul II's integrated vision of the human person - body, soul, and spirit.  In Pope John Paul II's thought, the human body has a specific meaning and is capable of revealing answers regarding fundamental questions about us and our lives.  Why were we created male and female?  Why were man and woman called to communion from the beginning? What does the marital union of man and woman say to us about God and his plan for our lives?  What is the purpose of the married and celibate vocations? What exactly is "Love"? Is it truly possible to be pure of heart?

All of these questions and many more are answered in 129 Wednesday audiences, which were given by John Paul II between the years 1979 and 1984 and which develop what has come to be known as "The Theology of the Body."  These biblical reflections based especially on Genesis, the Gospels, and the Pauline epistles, contain a vision of the human person truly worthy of man.  The on-line Theology of the Body resources below by Christopher West , Marcellino D'Ambrosio, and others are intended as an aid to understanding the Pope John Paul II's teaching and its implications for everything from the sacrament of marriage to the Church's moral teaching on sexual morality.  For books, videos, and audio recordings on the theology of the body, click here.

"Brace yourself! If we take in what the Holy Father is saying in his Theology of the Body , we will never view ourselves, view others, view the Church, the Sacraments, grace, God, heaven, marriage, the celibate vocation…we will never view the world the same way again." - Christopher West