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Theology of the Body: A Diversity of Voices

by Pia de Solenni 

George Weigel, in his biography of John Paul II, Witness To Hope, described the pope’s theology of the body as a theological time bomb. After participating in the Theology of the Body Congress last week, I couldn’t agree more.

The Congress, which drew about 450 participants from around the world, conceivably could have been even larger since it sold out months before the event. Many who could not attend in person were able to enjoy a virtual congress via streaming video. Participants included Justin Cardinal Rigali, bishops, numerous clerics, religious, and seminarians. Attendees came from 111 dioceses around the world.

I was honored to be among the 25 experts speaking at the Congress, but an even greater honor was just to be present among other attendees, almost all of whom are actively involved in communicating the teachings on theology of the body (TOB) to whatever audiences they’ve been given. A married couple from Mexico teaches it to various groups, including Mayan Indians who may not even be Catholic. Valentine and Ann Coelho from Goa, India, heard a tape on TOB ten years ago and have since worked to teach it to any audience possible. A priest from Uganda came so that he might find ways TOB could address the problem of HIV/AIDS infection in his country. There were other international efforts represented as well as the numerous activities in the United States.

In a sense, John Paul II’s theology of the body is about more than marriage and sex. I would say that ultimately he is proposing a profound metaphysics to describe the relation of the human soul to God. But we learn by starting with the experiences that are best known to us, not least of which are marriage, sex, loneliness, and the desire for unity. These natural circumstances point towards a supernatural reality. Marriage as we know it between husband and wife points to the deep, intimate union between Christ and the Church. In fact, Thomas Aquinas, John of the Cross, and other saints, understood marriage to exist perfectly between Christ and the Church. But most of us don’t start with an understanding of the supernatural. Most of us, including myself, are struggling to understand the natural and earthly aspects of our lives. So, while TOB may be about more than marriage and sex, pedagogically it makes sense to start with what we know best, albeit imperfectly, so that we can come to a better understanding of it and, from there, proceed to an understanding of the supernatural.

The diversity of both teachers and audiences I saw exemplified at the Congress reflects a certain truth: The communication of the theology of the body will and must vary according to differences in culture, state in life, social dimensions, etc. I find it to be like the differences in authentic spiritualities. They will speak to each of us, according to our personal dispositions. Some of us may be drawn to Franciscan spirituality, while others are drawn to Communion and Liberation, and others to Opus Dei, etc. Some of us may even be in the process of developing a new spirituality, as evidenced by the continued growth in religious orders, Church organizations, and spiritual movements. While these expressions of faith may vary, they are all united in their adherence to the Catholic faith.

Similarly, all of the Congress participants, including non-Catholics, were drawn to the truth found in theology of the body. But we differ in our presentations of it. And, as for what theology of the body means, I’m in complete agreement with Fr. Richard Hogan, one of the first to publish on theology of the body, that it will take at least a hundred years to unpack the work of John Paul II.

No one person can undertake this work. Rather, it is a communal work that requires many participants, both academic and non-academic. At this point, it seems that most of the work has taken place outside of academia, in the real world. (As an academic, I think this may be a good thing.) But the important thing is that theology of the body is transforming countless lives for the better. And, as it transforms lives, it is being learned.

Anyone familiar with the Catholic Church knows that even within this one faith, there are countless ways of seeing things and engaging the world. The more I see of constructive efforts, like the spreading of theology of the body, the more I am convinced that we need the differences in order to understand the depths of our beliefs.

St. Augustine, when addressing the question of how to deal with different interpretations of Scripture, explained that there can in fact be many interpretations but that the sole measure is charity: does it witness the love of God? He also gave the example of a mountain which has many paths to the top. Some of the trails may be more arduous, others somewhat meandering. The important thing is that they reach the top of the mountain. His analogy could easily be applied to our individual lives. The dynamism of this Congress certainly brings to mind Augustine’s guidance.

Not even thirty years after John Paul II first presented his teaching on theology of the body, the work of understanding this great treasure is well under way as witnessed by the lives transformed through these various applications of the teaching. No other body of theological thought has been so quickly diffused throughout the world. Seeing its implementation today makes all the more real the springtime in the Catholic Church. Despite the current challenges facing the Church, we have the tools, even if we don’t fully understand them yet, to transform the world. 

Pia de Solenni is a moral theologian and cultural analyst who writes from Seattle, Wash. She can be reached via Facebook and Twitter. (Her website is getting a prolonged makeover and is currently offline.)

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(The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of Headline Bistro or the Knights of Columbus.)