Theology of the Body

Theology of the Body The Family and the Blessed Trinity Fr. Edward J. Richard, MS

Law and Morality • If we compare the current trend in law with the traditional relationship between law and morality, the result of the interest in legal theory in social engineering has been a diminishment of familial cohesion and a reformulation of the notion of freedom, once seen as an inalienable right, to a radical idea unrelated to the human person as such

Evangelization • Marriage preparation involves a process of evangelization which is both a • maturation and • deepening in the faith. • If the faith is weak or almost nonexistent (cf. Familiaris Consortio = FC 68), it must be revived. • Thorough, patient instruction that arouses and nourishes the ardor of a living faith cannot be excluded.

Evangelization • A "journey of faith, • similar to the catechumenate" • presentation of the fundamental Christian truths • Marriage preparation • a new evangelization for the future families.

Introduction • Begins in December of 1980 • “New Creation” • The inner man is the subject of the ethos of the body • The historical man • Man of concupiscence

The Ethos of Redemption • Redemption informs the meaning of marriage even as one reads the Genesis texts • What is at stake is the “hope of everyday” • Incarnation, Redemption, Resurrection inform the definition of “goods” for married life today • Redemption of the body-Romans 8:23 • The fulfillment of the spousal meaning of the body

In the Beginning • Jesus’ encounter with the Pharisees: Mt 19:3 • Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife? • Moses allowed divorce out of the hardness of your hearts • It was not so in the Beginning. • Contrasts • the state of primitive innocence-integral nature • with the state of human sinfulness-fallen nature

CommentaryGen 1:26-31 • God’s intention-to make man [adam]in his image and likeness • “The Creator seems to halt before calling him into existence, as if he were pondering within himself to make a decision: ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness’” • The body-as image

Image-Royal Representative • Selem-The “Image” in Exodus • God’s intention in creating adam • personal address • The Sabbath • unique and self-conscious • self-determination

Original Innocence and Experiences • Original Solitude • Original Unity • Original Nakedness • These do not belong only to man’s theological prehistory; they are always at the root of every human experience. • They are part of the “revelation of the body”

Original Solitude • Gen 2:18 • It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him” • This is the second account of creation, Yahwist, creation of first man is different from the first woman • The creation of the first man [adam] is defined as male [‘is] only after the creation of the first woman [‘issah] • When Gods speaks, then, about the solitude it is reference to solitude of “man” as such, not just about the male

Original Solitude • Man discovers his uniqueness • A consciousness of himself through his body • Solitude has two meanings • One deriving from human nature as such • It is a search about what it means to be human; in search of his own identity • One deriving from the relationship between male and female

Original Solitude • But he is “alone”-distinguished from the animalia (other living beings)-he is different • Consciousness of the body • Man is a subject • Because of awareness • Because of his own body • Because of his “authorship” of human activity • Because the human body expresses a person

Original Solitude • The human body-he is a body among bodies • “Man, thus formed, has a consciousness and awareness of the meaning of his own body, on the basis of the experience of original solitude.” (TB, 39)

Original Solitude • The alternative between death and immortality (if you eat of the tree, you shall die) • Establishes the eschatological meaning of the body and humanity itself • Distinct from other living beings • Has a unique relationship, covenant with God • These words reveal a dimension of solitude previously unknown

Original Unity - Gn 2:21-24 • “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make a helper similar to himself” v. 18 • creation of woman • He falls “asleep” in order to wake up male and female • In Gen 2:23 we see the distinction between ‘is and ‘issah for the first time

Original Unity - Gn 2:21-24 • The original experience of Unity is founded on the mutual reciprocity between the two • Distinction between male and female, both in “solitude” • Sexual difference, yet somatic sameness • Oriented toward a communion of persons

Original Unity • The human person loves and expresses love in and through the body • The creation of the woman • Overcomes the frontier of solitude • This, at last, is flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone • Creation of woman fulfills the creation of the human person

Original Unity - Gn 2:21-24 • Gift • mutual gift-Gn 2:24: A man shall leave his father and mother… and the two become one flesh • leads to communion of persons • in every aspect of life • through a total, reciprocal gift • communion is foremost in “image” • gift of God

Original Unity • The distinction between male (‘is) and female (‘issah) introduced • As embodied persons, their masculinity and femininity allow for unity of persons • The reality of sex appears

Original Unity • The two discover the immense joy of loving union expressed through their bodies • Unity comes through reciprocal donation • Through intellect and will they have dominion over their bodies allowing for the expression of authentic love

Original Unity • The two ways of being human turn out to be oriented toward a communion of persons

Original Unity • God did indeed create the human body to express the person. Therefore, God gave the minds and wills of our first parents a certain control over their bodies. They were able to express their persons in through their bodies because their bodies, unlike ours, were under the rule of their minds and wills. Consciousness, efficacy, freedom, transcendence, and truth were expressed in and through their bodies. In other words, they were integrated. The wills of our first parents did not have to struggle against the desires of their flesh. Our first parents had no need of will power as we do. The experience of original unity was possible for our first parents because both, within themselves, were completely in harmony. There was no opposition, as there is in us, between the mind and the will, on the one hand, and the body, on the other. Hogan, Covenant of Love, 48.

Original Unity • The concept of “gift” • The key to sexuality • A total gift of self in a reciprocal relationship

Original Unity • The summit of the creation account • A communion of persons, husband/wife • In every aspect of life • Through total, reciprocal self-gift • Communion of persons image the limitless communion of the divine Persons

Original Unity • Gen 2:24: “One flesh” • This is why a man leaves his father and mother and the two become one flesh • Muliple dimensions • Ethical-marriage, one and indissoluble • Sacramental-St. Paul (Eph) and the prophets • “Incarnate” communion of persons • Emotional-Happiness in communion

Original Nakedness • Gen 2:25 • Both of were naked…but they felt no shame in front of each other • The point of departure for the experience of “historical” man is the state of original innocence • By reference to the “beginning” Christ establishes the idea of continuity and connection between the two

Original Nakedness • The fundamental message • Authentic gift of self; the experience of joy and innocence • They are free with regard to themselves • The absence of shame is not a lack of insufficient development. • There is rather a particular fullness of consciousness and experience

Original Nakedness • The gift of self • The reciprocal experience of the other • The absence of shame underlines the peace and tranquility of the “interior gaze” mutually bestowed • Their serenity shows their interior harmony with Creator’s plan by their union • Gift emphasizes the quality of the relationship

Original Nakedness • They are free with regard to themselves • Their interior harmony manifests their freedom to give themselves • To do this they must be masters of themselves • They are free and can give without falling prey to self-seeking • With no presence of shame, they are fully conscious of the meaning of the body that comes from the typical perception of the senses.

Remember this? Freedom and Morality Human Being Virtues The Goal of Human Life

Freedom: The ability to choose the Good • Human freedom is the God-given ability to choose the means to our ultimate end • The End (telos) presupposes a nature • Morality is about the means toward fulfillment of our nature

Original Nakedness Human Nature (image of God) Freedom Gift of Self

The Hidden Meaning of Vision • “God saw everything that he had made and indeed it was very good.” 1:31 • Nakedness signifies the original good of the divine vision. • It has an inner dimension of the share in the vision of the Creator himself. • They realize the full meaning of the body from the heart of their communion

A Spousal Meaning of the Body • The vision yields the truth about the body • Man appears in Creation as one who, in the midst of the world, has received the other as a gift • “Being-gift” • Reciprocal total self-gift • A person is a being who gives himself/herself • The origin of the definition of person is the Creator’s gift

Spousal Meaning of the Body • Conjugal Significance of the Body • Not content with original solitude • Open to communion • Total gift of self is gateway to communion

Summary of Original Meaning of Sexuality • Conjugal significance of the body • Body has a nuptial meaning • “man comes ‘into being’ with consciousness of this finality of his own masculinity-femininity” • Aware of his procreative capacity as male and female, they are free from the constraint of the body and sex

Summary of Original Meaning of Sexuality • The nature of Freedom • Freedom is the fundamental characteristic of a person that makes possible the truth of the gift • It makes the language of the body true • Our freedom is our capacity for giving

The Fall In Light of the Sermon on the Mount Matt. 5:27-28 “Whoever looks to Desire…”

The Fall • The Sermon on the Mount • You have heard it said, you shall not commit adultery, I say to you that anyone who looks with “desire” at a woman has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Sermon on the Mount • Mt 5:17 Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish but to fulfill • The appeal is to the inner man. • “Desire” refers to something born immediately in the heart Mt 5:27-28 • We are directed to the threefold structure of concupiscence

The Fall • 1Jn 2:16-17 • “For all that is in the world, the concupiscence of the flesh, the concupiscence of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passes away, and the concupiscence of it, but he who does the will of God abides forever.”

The Fall • Gen 3 • The woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom…(5) • …Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they realized that they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together to make themselves loin cloths. (7) • Where are you? … I heard you in the garden and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself. (9-10)

The Fall • The “Fruit” of the Breach of the Covenant-Concupiscence • The covenant was broken in the heart • Concupiscence comes from the world

The Fall • It comes from doubt about the original gift • “Questioning in his heart the deepest meaning of the donation, that is, love as the specific motive of the creation and of the original covenant (cf. Gn 3:5), man turns his back on God-Love, on the Father. In a way he casts God out of his heart. At the same time, he detaches his heart and almost cuts it off from what is ‘of the Father.’ Thus, there remains in him what is ‘of the world.’” (111)

The Fall • Nakedness and shame are new to the consciousness • Gen 3:10 • I was naked and I hid myself • The need to hide shows the depth of shame they feel before each other • A sense of fear of God has matured which was previously unknown • “Nakedness” reveals that they are deprived of participation in the Gift.

The Destruction of Unity • In Original Innocence nakedness represented acceptance of the body • First sign of presence of Man in the world • Confirmed as a person • Faithful witness and verification of solitude in the world • Transparent component of self-giving, masculine and feminine • Unquestionable sign of the image of God

I Hid Myself • Loss of the original certainty of the image of God expressed in the body • Loss of the right to participate in the divine vision of the world and the joy that came from living the truth about the body • The body has ceased drawing power on the power of the spirit which raised him to the level of Image of God • Now humiliation is mediated by the body

The Fall • Body contains a center of resistance • A breakdown of spiritual and somatic unity • Body is no longer subordinated to the spirit • Concupiscence is a specific threat to the structure of self-mastery • He is ashamed of his body owing to the state of his spirit, not so much of his body, but precisely because of concupiscence.

The Fall • Domination in interpersonal relations • Concupiscence causes a distortion • The simplicity and purity of the original experience disappear • The capacity of full and mutual communion ends • The heart holds within itself desire and shame

Theology of the Body