Chris West and the Theology of the Body

Christopher West has been the most popular speaker in America on John Paul II's great work the "Theology of the Body". Most people have not even heard about "The Theology of the Body", so to learn more about it go to the "Theology of the Body" website http://www.tobinstitute.org/. Christopher West was on ABC's nightline about two weeks ago, and since then there has been a pretty big dust-up on the Internet from some leading scholars, that stated Christopher West has distorted JP II's Theology of the Body, to read the two articles that criticize Chris West's approach, read here http://http//www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=15950, and here http://http//www.headlinebistro.com/hb/en/news/west_schindler2.html

I am so grateful that the Theology of the Body is getting out there, and this current dust-up is leading to some extremely healthy debate within the Catholic Church. To read 2 major scholars that came to Christopher West's defense, read here http://http//catholicexchange.com/2009/05/28/118937/, and here, http://insidecatholic.com/Joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6117&Itemid=48

I personally support Christopher West's work, and think he is doing a great service to the Church in popularizing the Theology of the Body, because John Paul II's master piece is so important. The American Catholic Church needs to realize that we have struggled from the effects of Jansenism on our faith. So many people speak of "Irish Guilt", and "Irish Shame", and its a fact that the Irish Church suffered mightly from Jansenism and a false shame about themselves and the body. Its too much to go into in one post, but John Paul II's Theology of the Body is the medicine.

Here's why John Paul II's work is so important in my opinion, the Catholic understanding of the person is that we are made Good by God, the classic Calvinistic doctrine is that man is ultimately corrupt, but by God's Grace we are saved and transformed. That sounds simple enough, but its wrong, and the results if lived out can be a devastating, The Irish Church in many circles, fell into this heresy. They believed in the power of Grace, but they wrongly believed in their own depravity. The Church's teaching from the very beginning, is that man is created Good! We are fallen and suffer from the effects of original sin, but we are created Good by God.

Think about how this simple clarification can effect every choice you make today. If you believe that you are Good, that you are made by a Good and Loving God, your choices are probably going to reflect your identity in this way. But if you believe that you are bad, then in the words of John Paul II, you are going to wrongly struggle with a "suspicion" of yourself, which can lead to choices that don't reflect your identity. That's why I encourage people to dive in head first into John Paul II's Theology of the Body, and if Christopher West is the easiest to understand, then praise God!

I always mention Sister Elvira, who founded "The Community Cenacolo", which are basically rehabs for people with struggles in life with drugs, depression, etc. She was asked by EWTN, how people who were involved in lives greatest evils, can make a comeback and become saints! Her answer says it all, "I tell people when they enter, you are GOOD, you are GOOD, your are GOOD, now FORGIVE, FORGIVE, FORGIVE."