Theo

Key Figures

• Pope St. John Paul II

• Polish pope who served from 1978 to 2005.

• Known for his teachings on human dignity, love, and sexuality, especially through Theology of the Body, a series of 129 Wednesday audiences.

• Emphasized that human love and the body reveal divine truths about God and our purpose.

Theology of the Body

• Sacramentality of the Body

• The idea that the body is a sacrament: a visible sign of an invisible reality.

• Through the body, we communicate love and reflect God’s image.

• Example: Marriage as a reflection of Christ’s love for the Church.

States of Humanity

1. Original Man

• Refers to humanity before the Fall (Adam and Eve).

• Experienced harmony with God, themselves, and creation.

2. Historical Man

• Humanity after the Fall, living with sin, concupiscence, and the need for redemption.

• Struggles with lust, selfishness, and broken relationships but has hope through Christ.

3. Eschatological Man

• Humanity’s destiny in heaven, fully united with God.

• Includes the Resurrection of the Body, where we will have glorified bodies.

States of Original Humanity

• Original Sin

• The first act of disobedience by Adam and Eve, leading to separation from God.

• Introduced sin, suffering, and death into the world.

• Original Innocence

• The state of purity before the Fall. Adam and Eve saw each other without lust or shame.

• Original Solitude

• Adam’s awareness that he was alone and different from the rest of creation.

• Revealed humanity’s unique call to communion with God and others.

• Original Unity

• The profound connection between Adam and Eve, reflecting the union God intended for all marriages.

• Original Nakedness

• The lack of shame in their bodies, signifying their pure hearts and ability to love selflessly.

Key Terms in Love and Relationships

• Four Types of Love (from Greek):

1. Agape: Self-sacrificial, unconditional love (the highest form of love, reflecting God’s love).

2. Eros: Passionate or romantic love; must be guided by virtue.

3. Philia: Friendship and companionship.

4. Storge: Familial love, like the affection between parents and children.

• Lust

• Distorted desire for sexual pleasure that objectifies the other person.

• Concupiscence

• The inclination to sin that remains after baptism due to Original Sin.

• Chastity

• Virtue of ordering sexual desires according to God’s design.

• Calls for self-control and self-gift, both inside and outside of marriage.

Marriage and Sexual Ethics

• Four Marks of Marital Love

1. Free: Love must be given freely without coercion.

2. Total: Complete gift of self to the other person.

3. Faithful: Exclusive and lifelong commitment.

4. Fruitful: Open to the gift of children and spiritual growth.

• One-Flesh Union

• Reflects the deep, spiritual, and physical union of marriage.

• Mirrors Christ’s love for the Church.

• Language of the Body

• The body communicates truths about love, unity, and self-gift.

• Sexual intimacy speaks the language of total self-gift when expressed within marriage.

• Nuptial Meaning of the Body

• The body is made for self-gift and communion.

• Men and women are designed to complement and complete each other in love.

Sins Against Sexuality

• Fornication

• Sexual activity between unmarried people.

• Separates the act from its proper context in marriage.

• Adultery

• Sexual relations between a married person and someone who is not their spouse.

• Pornography

• Reduces people to objects of sexual gratification, distorting the true meaning of love.

• Contraception

• Any act that deliberately closes off the procreative potential of the marital act.

• Seen as contrary to God’s plan for sexuality.

• Masturbation

• Misuse of sexuality for self-pleasure rather than self-gift.

• Homosexual Activity

• Sexual acts between people of the same sex.

• Church distinguishes between same-sex attraction (not sinful) and homosexual acts (contrary to God’s plan).

• Natural Family Planning (NFP)

• A moral way to space pregnancies, respecting God’s design for fertility and the body.

Eschatology and Eternal Life

• Heaven and the Beatific Vision

• The ultimate goal of human life: to see God face-to-face and experience perfect union with Him.

• Resurrection of the Body

• At the end of time, our bodies will be glorified and reunited with our souls.

• Communion of Saints

• The spiritual union of all believers, living and deceased, in Christ.

Freedom and Truth

• Objective Truth

• Truth is not subjective or relative but rooted in God’s eternal law.

• Freedom

• Not simply the ability to do whatever you want, but the ability to choose the good.

• True freedom leads to love and fulfillment.

Other Key Concepts

• Divine Image

• Humans are created in God’s image and likeness, with intellect, will, and the capacity to love.

• Personalistic Norm

• Every person should be treated as an end in themselves, not as a means to an end.

• Utilitarianism

• A philosophy that values people based on their usefulness, opposing the dignity of the person.

• Oxytocin

• A hormone released during childbirth and sexual intimacy, promoting bonding and trust.

• Abstinence

• The choice to refrain from sexual activity as an act of self-control and respect for God’s plan.