This is a great, down-to-earth article from Jennifer Hartline, a contributing writer for Catholic Online: “It is Time for a Real Sexual ‘Counter-Revolution.’ This real-life Catholic mom and Army wife writes with her head on straight.
If I may critique a little, however, I think that Hartline may be missing something in her argument.
Hartline calls for a counter-revolution that liberates men and women, honors marriage and reaffirms the dignity of human love, and she stresses that there needs to be a radical shift in how our culture views sex. However, she doesn’t mention anything relating back to John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, which is the most radical and revolutionary material and tool we have to stand up in dignity to what sex and male/female relationships have come to in our culture.
If you haven’t heard or read anything about JPII’s Theology of the Body, you need to!
The reason that the TOB is such a powerful tool is that it gives us an entirely new perspective on what being human is all about, starting with the way we were created male and female.
On the cross, Christ asked his Father to “forgive them, for they know not what they do.” In the same way, so very many people just don’t understand what they are doing to their hearts, souls and bodies when they engage in premarital or extramarital sex, pornography, abortion, masturbation, birth control, and other behaviors and activities that use, abuse, or take away the dignity of themselves and others.
JPII showed us how the way God created our bodies gives us the answers to some of the most fundamental questions of life, such as what it means to be a true man or woman, why we were created male and female, what it means to love fully, and what God’s ultimate plan is for our lives.
Fantastic writers and speakers like Christopher West and Jason and Crystalina Evert have unpacked much of JPII’s writings for adults and even teenagers. This stuff is so, so very important for people of all ages.
Michael and I taught a class this summer for teenagers on the Theology of the Body, using materials from Jason and Crystalina Evert and Brian Butler. At the last session, it was absolutely incredible to hear from the teens what God had shown them about themselves, their relationships, and His plan for them over the course of the summer.
Michael and I both feel strongly that God has called us (above and beyond how He calls us all to do this) to promote and defend the dignity of human life through educating people of all ages–but especially young adults–on the Theology of the Body and the true meaning and purpose of love, sex and relationships.
I have all kinds of resources and links on the Theology of the Body that I am happy to send to you if you want–just let me know.
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