: Amazon.com.au: Books
Publisher : Alba House,U.S. (31 December 1997)
Language : English
Paperback : 606 pages
Customer Reviews: 4.6 out of 5 stars 32 ratings
Top reviews from other countries
Charles Vivian
3.0 out of 5 stars Heavy!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 July 2009
Verified Purchase
I view myself as reasonably intelligent, but this book was hard work. JP2 is a theologian, philosopher and anthropologist. Unless you have similar training at an advanced level, you'll probably also find the prose too dense. Christopher West has provided a fantastic introduction, and then a detailed analysis of this teaching. (Theology of the Body for Beginners, and Theology of the Body Explained). These two texts are readable and wonderful.
6 people found this helpful
Kelly
5.0 out of 5 stars Understand the reasons for living a chaste life
Reviewed in the United States on 1 November 2018
Verified Purchase
A clear voice speaking to today's young people. Rather than preaching the law, the legendary JPII speaks to us about WHY we should live values that dignify the human body as the Temple of God, revere the sacred gift of procreation, and honor life from conception to natural death. Recommended reading for all judeo-Christians. Wish we had read this in CCD or religious ed classes. This would be an excellent book for discussion, which was the point of the original speeches.
3 people found this helpful
---
Derrik Mantel
5.0 out of 5 stars A philosophical masterpiece and a "Theological Time Bomb"
Reviewed in the United States on 30 August 2002
Verified Purchase
The Theology of the Body is comparable in depth of thought to the works of Augustine and Aquinas.
The writings speak to a reader at numerous levels: the personal, the organizational, global, sacramental, familial, paternal, maternal, fraternal, vocational, scriptural, anthropological and many others. The beauty is the integration of teachings at and across each level!
The teachings encapsulated within this work synthesize many truths about humanity and Catholic Christianity.
The book's writings shed light on the fullness of Truth revealed in and over the fullness of time. What was implied in the truth of the Gospel is revealed in a more explicit way in the Pope's analysis.
Topics of interest include: the dignity of the human person, the human body in art versus pornography, the intended relationship between man and woman from the beginning - in the present - and future, what the physical human body reveals about the nature of the person and God, the call to Chastity and Modesty, the universal call to holiness, the mystery of Body of Christ, the mystery of the priesthood, celibacy, and the mystery of the Eucharist and much, much more.
The book is a difficult read if you are not familiar with the Pope's method... but well worth it!!
44 people found this helpful
------------------------
Marcia Wilz
3.0 out of 5 stars Best version of TOB for beginners
Reviewed in the United States on 23 June 2012
Verified Purchase
If you want to understand Theology of the Body (TOB).... I recommend this book. "Human Love and the Divine Plan", I believe it is the version best suited for the beginner or for people who have no religious training. For a basic understanding of TOB this book is the "Ticket". I believe this version will more resonate with the general population.
The book is divided into parts. Part 1 contains two sections: A) Original Unity of Man and Woman - B) Blessed Are the Pure of Heart. Part 2 is called "Life According to the Spirit". Each lesson given by the John Paul the Great, in his general audience, is discussed in this version of TOB as a lesson. For example, TOB 1 is lesson 1, TOB 2 lesson 2 and so forth. The subject of each lesson is easily definable in the Table of Contents.
There are more than one version of TOB in print. "Human Love in the Divine Plan" is the earlier version and "Man and Woman He Created Them" is a later version. Both contain the same TOB message and are both good. However, the books visually present TOB differently and the sentence structure is a little different. Some of the words are also different, such as using lust vs. concupiscence respectively.
13 people found this helpful
----
