Theology of the Body for Beginners: A Basic Introduction to Pope John Paul II's Sexual Revolution Book

Our church, though not Catholic, has collectively been studying John Paul II's "theology of the body," and this book was recommended reading. It provides a fairly accessible overview of the pope's theology on human sexuality, though I found some of the metaphors and jokes used to convey all this to be a bit corny. I think the book has more to say to men than to women; this is not a criticism, just an observation. In fact, when it comes to sexuality, the church arguably has a history of saying too much to women and not enough to men, so that's a nice reversal. The virtue of this theology is the focus on meaning, on the "why" behind the "thou shalt not," the "why" too few Christians are given when they ask their elders and teachers, as well as an emphasis on the "thou shalt." My inner Protestant scratched and shook its head at certain points of the theology, but there was much to learn from and mull over as well. The book presents a highly spiritualized (and perhaps romanticized) vision of human love, marriage, and sex which is mystically appealing and yet which can seem very much out of reach in the daily reality. I don't think West does enough to address this disconnect; it is too facilely dismissed for me with something to the effect of "well, but we have the Holy Spirit" and "pray." I got to hear Christopher West speak at a conference at my church as well and felt he was much more effective as a keynote speaker highlighting the important points of this topic than he was in the length of this book.