Posts Tagged
Ruah Woods
Adultery of the Heart, Part 1
Note: This article is part of an ongoing series on Pope St. John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body” (TOB). Jesus came not to abolish the law and the prophets but to fulfill them (Mt. 5:17). Through His teaching and example, the Lord has called us, His disciples, to a …
The Gift of Moral Law
Note: This article is part of an ongoing series on Pope St. John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body” (TOB). In the second major part of TOB, Pope St. John Paul II guides us in exploring the implications of our redemption in Christ and the moral teaching of the New …
Porn Addiction: Enslaved to a Lie
Note: This article is part of an ongoing series on Pope St. John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body” (TOB). In my last articles, I explored the scourge of pornography as a prime example of the problem of “shamelessness.” I discussed how porn is omnipresent today, toxic to body and …
The Toxic Nature of Porn
Note: This article is part of an ongoing series on Pope St. John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body” (TOB). While recently discussing the issue of “shamelessness” in this series, I identified pornography as the most prevalent example in today’s culture. Last month, I began to answer the question of …
Why All the Fuss Over Porn?
Note: This article is part of an ongoing series on Pope St. John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body” (TOB). Last month I raised the problem of shamelessness and how, in the face of concupiscence, a healthy sense of shame is essential in preserving the dignity of the human body …
The Problem of Shamelessness
Note: This article is part of an ongoing series on Pope St. John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body” (TOB). In recent articles, we have explored the emergence of shame in our first parents and all subsequent human beings after Original Sin. We saw how the emergence of concupiscence, particularly …
Original Shame Part 3
Note: This article is part of an ongoing series on Pope St. John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body” (TOB). With their fall from grace, our first parents experienced a decisive shift in their relationship, marked by what I have been referring to as original shame. In my last article, …
Original Shame Part 2
Note: This article is part of an ongoing series on Pope St. John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body.” As described in my previous article, Pope St. John Paul II regarded the emergence of shame in the wake of the original sin committed by our first parents as a “boundary …
Original Shame Part I
As we have been exploring the nature and effects of original sin on humanity, it is now time to plunge into the reality of shame, with the help of Pope St. John Paul II. We could hope for no better guide. As a poet, pastor, philosopher and theologian, he reflected …
The Wounds of Sin
In our last two reflections, we explored the nature of the sin that occurred at the beginning of human history, when Satan tempted our first parents to mistrust their Creator and seek to supplant Him. Being deceived, they grasped at divinity, thinking they could determine right from wrong and become …