Body And Gift: Reflections on Creation

In September of 1979, about a year after becoming pope, John Paul II began a series of brief reflections on love, sexuality, and the human person. These fifteen-minute talks, which continued through the fall of 1984, became known collectively as the “Theology of the Body.” With the Bible as his guide, John Paul II set out to answer some of the most important questions of our time. The result was a compelling response to the “sexual revolution,” pointing the way towards a revolution of love. Now, the theology of the body is being made available in simplified language for the general reader. This four-part series will be a valuable resource for all Christians seeking a biblical understanding of sexuality. The first book, Body and Gift, begins with the creation of man as recorded in Genesis. What does this ancient book have to teach us today about the human body and God’s design for marriage? Body and Gift expresses the heart of John Paul’s teachings on this important subject. The second book, Purity of Heart, reveals how lust harms relationships, and how it can be overcome by love. True Christianity does not aim to repress our sexuality, but to redeem it. Through Christ, we can truly experience the “redemption of the body.” The third book, Heaven and Earth, covers the resurrection of the body and celibacy for the kingdom. Why is the resurrection important? Because in order to know how to live, we must know our ultimate destiny. The celibate vocation anticipates the resurrection in this life, complementing and reinforcing the vocation of marriage. The fourth book, Love and Life, is a profound meditation on the meaning of marriage. Why is marriage a sacrament? How do husbands and wives mirror the love of Christ and the Church? Love and Life answers these and other questions, ending with a consideration of family planning in light of the entire theology of the body.