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Nova Forum Seminar: The Body as Gift

  • Nova Forum for Catholic Thought 844 West 32nd Street Los Angeles, CA, 90007 United States (map)

Moderators: David Albertson & Fr. Luke Dysinger

Readings:

John Paul II, Man and Woman He Created Them: The Theology of the Body (Table of Contents, #9-10 [pp. 161-169], #13-14 [pp. 177-185], #17-19 [pp. 194-204]

Reading Guide: Theology of the Body

Beyond sexual ethics and sexual identities, what is the full meaning of sexuality in Christian faith? What does it mean to give one’s body to another? What does that have to do with Jesus giving his body in the Last Supper? What would it mean to consider the bodily union of marriage as the “primordial sacrament”? St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body might be the best book written about human loves since the Enlightenment and is arguably the most important Christian book of our lifetimes. While it is richly informed by philosophy and theology, the book is simply a commentary on some challenging words of Jesus. We will focus on a few short excerpts and also try to get a sense of the whole.

Seminar Schedule:

9:00-9:30 Mass in Church of Our Savior (optional)
9:30-10:00 Coffee & donuts on the patio
10:00-11:30 Session 1 in Newman Hall
11:30-12:30 Buffet Lunch outside on the patio
12:30-1:30 Session 2 in Newman Hall

This Event is made possible by the support of ‘In Lumine: Supporting the Catholic Intellectual Tradition on Campuses Nationwide’ (Grant #62372) from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in any publications, videos, lectures, etc. associated with this project are those of the author(s) or speaker(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.