Theology of the Body 6

Here is the summary of the final cycle! I ended up getting an A- in the class. No surprise as I consistantly earned A-s throughout, except on one summary.

The final cycle can be grouped into two sections. Starting with Humanae Vitae, John Paul II asserts the inseparability of procreative and unitive aspects of the conjugal act as the moral norm. He indicates that all previous analyses in this catechesis, which establish the anthropology and ethos of the redemption of the body, allow for the right understanding of Humanae Vitae. The teachings in the encyclical are pastoral and practically applicable, but are only possible to carry out by grace. John Paul II cites Humanae Vitae’s definition of responsible parenthood: knowledge and reverence for biology, dominion of passions, and prudence according to economic and social factors. By this definition, one can conclude that natural methods of regulating birth are morally licit, whereas artificial means of contraception are not. John Paul II then explains the essential evil of contraception, in that it objectivizes the persons, no longer master of themselves, preventing total and mutual self-gift, and despite a bodily union that still takes place. The natural methods promote right behavior and an ethical character. These natural methods, also referred to as periodic continence, foster the virtue of chastity (self-mastery). John Paul II states, “it is above all important to have a deep grasp of the ethical dimension, in whose area the method, as a ‘natural’ method, acquires its meaning as an honorable or ‘morally right’ method.” (TOB 125:5) Also, by citing Humanae Vitae 21, John Paul II stresses that responsible parenthood is not only about conception, but also the raising of children.

The second section outlines conjugal spirituality. He begins with a reflection on the spirituality of the married couple, as the teaching of Humanae Vitae is not limited to the biology of the conjugal act. That spirituality is to be authentically Christian, as it ought include prayer and the sacraments, especially those of Eucharist and Penance (cf TOB 126:5) in order to foster authentic love. The power of this love, whose difficult task is overcoming concupiscence, when united with chastity (continence), protects the two meanings of the conjugal act: unity and procreation. This difficulty, which remains a difficulty and not a contradiction in Church teaching, can be treated by engaging in other manifestations of affection that express personal communion, if the couple has right reason to avoid children. In order to speak to the possibility of continence in marriage, John Paul II positively defines continence as the ability to orient both arousal and emotion, though distinct, as to their content and as to their character (cf .TOB 129:5), which are unity and procreation. Continence, with regard to mutual self-gift, maintains equilibrium between arousal and emotion, never separating them. The gifts of the Holy Spirit, specifically reverence for God’s creation, i.e. the human person, are absolutely essential to live conjugal chastity as reverence promotes profound respect for the human body.

In John Paul II’s conclusion, he summarizes the entire catechesis and exhorts that a deeper theological and ethical anthropology guide us all in confronting issue of marriage in procreation.

Theology of the Body 2

Below is the summary for the second cycle of John Paul II's catechesis on the theology of the body. With minor editing, it came out to be 460 words. I earned an A-, however my professor told me to enhance the section on concupiscence, which I have done below, even more so than I had during my revisions before submitting the summary for grading. Now that we've discussed this cycle in class, I imagine the summary that follows would be top notch.

John Paul II looks to Christ's words in the Sermon on the Mount in order to execute the second cycle of audiences. He hones in on the specific verses, "You have heard it said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you: Whoever looks at a woman to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Mt 5:27-28). These words, for John Paul II, yet again call us back to "the beginning" as we saw in the first cycle. Once again, he exegizes the text of Genesis to set forth God's original plan for man's sexuality, marriage, and family.

Yet, John Paul II explains that, because of original sin, we now must speak of historical man, who is precisely not only Christ's immediate audience at the Sermon on the Mount, but also every single person to walk the earth since the Fall. John Paul II continues the second section of audiences describing in theological detail the effects of original sin on historical man. These effects are contained in the notion 'concupiscence', which is threefold--that of the flesh, that of the eye, and the pride of life--according to 1 John 2:16. As John Paul II elucidates, concupiscence is always to be considered a lack of something that was originally there in man. In other words, concupiscence is not a positive problem, added to the human heart, and thus man loves his wife too much, but a negative one, in the sense that the human heart lost something that should be there, and that man loves too little, evident in the translator's phrase "[in a reductive way]" when citing Christ's words from Mt. 5:27-28.

John Paul II moves onto the third section of this cycle acutely analyzing Mt 5:27-28, dividing the verses into three parts and articulating their role in forming a proper ethos. He concludes that Christ's words demand a "purity of heart", yet without accusing the human heart, as he is very careful to explore in the fourth section of the cycle. Section five is only one audience, yet establishes the ethos of the redemption of the body.

In the final exegetical section in this cycle, section 6, John Paul II uses Pauline theology to explore and define "purity of heart", which has two main characteristics: avoiding unchaste behavior and preserving the body in holiness and reverence. Additionally, purity flows from the virtue of temperance and, as one grows in self-mastery, it empowers the person to better experience purity through the hermeneutics of the gift, as was developed in the first cycle.

John Paul II proceeds to the seventh section by synthesizing all that has been discussed in his meditations into his pedagogy of the body, by which he also sets the course for future reflections.

At the end of the cycle, John Paul II pauses to consider historical man's relation to culture, especially applying the aforementioned meditations to works of art and culture products. He emphasizes repeatedly that creating art and other culture products has both an artistic aspect and an ethical aspect. Considering both aspects with respect to the dignity of the human person will help in building "a climate favorable to education in chastity", a phrase John Paul II borrows from Humanae Vitae.