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"The Nuts and the Bolts of the Theology of the Body"

By Annie Vining MTh, President TOBET

"The Nuts and Bolts of the Theology of the Body" is a reflection given to an alternative medicine group at the Spiritual Fitness Center in Richardson TX on 1/6/05. This reflection takes a more philosophical look into the Theology of the Body as opposed to an outright theological investigation.

©2005
  1. The nuts and bolts of the TOB
    1. A series of Wednesday Audiences spanning 4 or 5 years, the first in his pontificate
    2. based on polish philosophy describing the person as a free subject who experiences reality through the body
    3. Is written in response to the sexual revolution and the call for the Church to change her teaching regarding contraception
    4. answers all the hot questions out there right now: contraception, women priests, so called homosexual marriage, abortion, euthanasia, new birth technologies, etc
    5. method used: begins with the words of Jesus on marriage "In the beginning it was not so…", goes back to the beginning, Genesis where "In the image of God He made them, male and female He created them." and ends with Eph 5, "And the two shall become one flesh… This is a great sacrament and I mean that it refers to Christ and the Church."
  2. The Foundation for the TOB: Subjective Experience
    1. the value of the person: (aka the human person has the highest value/dignity)
      1. because we are the only things on earth capable of reason, of progress
      2. because we are the only things capable of free will, of non-dominance by our instincts
    2. I experience that I am capable of understanding (or else you would not have come to this talk)
    3. I experience that I am free, that no one can choose/desire/want/ will for me.
      1. I am responsible for the things I choose to do, not anyone else
    4. I experience in my heart a deep longing for union with others, I long to love and be loved.
    5. All of these things make themselves felt in and through my body
  3. The body as the sacrament of the person
    1. sacrament: that which makes the invisible visible
    2. all of the spiritual values above make themselves known through the desires of the body, they are manifested in our bodies
    3. Just as the eyes are considered "windows to the soul", the body and its actions and desires are formed by the soul, and thus it tells us about it
  4. The body as the image of God
    1. Because they are the image of God in the soul, that also manifests in the body (God breathed His spirit into them)
    2. Thus by looking at the language of the body, we learn about God
    3. What is the body saying?
    4. "In the image of God He made them, male and female he created them." The individual body is God's image, thus it is worthy of profound respect.
    5. And together the complementarity of the sexes shows us the essentials about God
    6. Its anatomy shows that we were made for one another: we were made for love, thus confirming our spiritual experience
    7. But what kind of love? Jesus shows us on the cross
    8. It is a love that is a gift of self that is full, free, faithful, and fruitful (Jesus, and us sexually)
    9. The fullest manifestation of this is in marriage, which is the sacrament of the union of Jesus with His bride, the Church. It makes this invisible spiritual reality visible in the bodies of the spouses.
  5. The implications: The body expresses the person
    1. as you already know: the state of the soul manifests itself in the body
    2. this is how it should be!
    3. our bodies should not take a backseat in our spiritual lives: they are the only bridge between the spiritual and the physical world "The body and it alone is capable of making visible the invisible mystery of God." JPII
    4. By recognizing that our body plays a pivotal role in our spiritual progress, we can aid the spiritualization of the material world.
    5. We can treat our bodies with respect, taking care of them, clothing them as sacred things ought to be clothed.
    6. We can involve them in our worship, as has been done since ancient times through rituals (catholic sacraments are a great example of this)
    7. By sharing our bodies with others in the ordinary circumstances of life by giving of our selves we can further God's kingdom on earth and wage the war against the forces of evil and become more like God who works through the extraordinary as well as the ordinary, who likes to work through people
    8. The body is what makes my spirituality concrete
    9. When its energies are channeled/directed in the proper way through good use, the body becomes a "vector of aspiration" that "propels us toward our own perfection." Here is where we fight the forces of evil, this is the battleground that exists in our hearts.
    10. Through the body we receive God's grace (sacramentally) and we become conformed to the image of God's Son, even in our very bodies. (stigmata: "Let no one disturb me further for I bear in my body the brand marks of Jesus Christ".) Even though we had God's spirit, we lost it in the fall, and now we must be constantly on guard because evil is constantly crouching at our door…
    11. By looking at the actions and desires of the body, we can learn about the state of our spirit: you can tell a tree by its fruits. This can also help us grow. Take time each day to reflect on the "desires of the flesh".
  6. Conclusion
    1. The body was created by God to make visible His invisible reality
    2. God is love and the body was made to make love concrete and tangible
    3. By taking advantage of the spiritual instrument that the body is, we can further the growth of good as well as our personal perfection so that we can be made into the perfect bride for uniting with God in heaven.


Annie Vining can be contacted at avining@tobet.org

The Theology of the Body Evangelization Team can be reached at info@tobet.org
 

© 2005
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