Hi Everyone,
Here is where we will be conducting our summer study of Theology of the Body. Please comment on anything interesting, cool quotes, or relevant newsy type things. This week (May 17th-23rd) we will be reading "Broken Communion" up to and including "Mutual Belonging."
Happy Reading!
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Some thoughts on these chapters:
In "Broken Communion" the thing that stood out to me was that we still use body language to communicate. I often think of this as a mere necessity of conveying a message, but its root lies in the original plan for the body, sex being the ultimate "body language."
I was also struck in "Sexual Division" by the line at the bottom of page 65 "In the beginning man was created male AND female. Now it seems, man is male OR female." God is both male and female, and he meant us to be too, but this cannot be anymore since the Fall. I think this speaks to the struggle today for gender identity and equality. We strive for both equality and distinction, but we get caught up in the details of gender roles and power struggles, much of which has a root in lust and the Fall.
In "Communion vs. Domination" I found it to be a very hope-filled sentiment that if man and women practice modesty (shame) they can fully share in communion of the bodies, as God's orignal plan detailed. It is sometimes hard to imagine that in our society, it is possible to live chastely and that others will desire to live chastely as well. "A Battle For the Heart" also points out that we need to guard our hearts and self-check that we are not acting out of lust. As all of us know, it is so easy to convince ourselves against the truth of our thoughts or feelings. Through the grace of God, he will purify our intentions and our actions towards each other so that we never treat each other with less dignity than we were meant to have. As this same chapter says: "The human person is the only physical creature created for communion with God. For that reason, the person should never be reduced to an object."
Finally, in "Mutual Belonging" I like how they highlight the man's role as "protector of the gift." It reminds me of something I heard from a friend and also what Bob Sutton mentioned about the temptation of the woman: the man was there and was supposed to protect the woman from the serpent. My prayer is that all men will take this responsibility seriously, and that the wonderful young men of God in CSA will continue to bear this responsibility.
I welcome any thoughts, since I'm certainly not the smartest person on this subject and I love to hear other perspectives. Peace! (Sorry this post was a little late in the week!)
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