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|  | |  | | | Freedom: 12 Lives Transformed by the Theology of the Body (English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Japanese, Russian, Ukrainian, Chinese, Hindi, ... Gujarati, Bengali and Korean Edition) | | | | | | | |
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| | Description | God has revealed His mystery of love through the Word made flesh Theology of the Body. This phrase is not only the title of a series of talks by the late John Paul II, it represents the very logic of Christianity. The Theology of the Body calls us to encounter the living, Incarnate Christ and to ponder how His body reveals the meaning of our bodies. This is where God meets us: in the flesh. Therefore, the theology of the body is for every-body. And, as you ll see from the stories in Freedom: 12 Lives Transformed by the Theology of the Body, John Paul II s teaching appeals to all different kinds of people: married, single, consecrated celibates, professionals, stay-at-home moms. And, as this book also demonstrates, it s not just for Catholics either. It s for anyone hungry for the meaning of life. For, as the Pope said, the TOB affords the rediscovery of the meaning of the whole of existence, of the meaning of life. In Freedom, you will meet 12 people who, through the Theology of the Body have encountered Jesus Christ in the flesh, who offered the truth that set them free. Through their new-found freedom, these people have come to rediscover the meaning of their very existence. Many have had dramatic, life-altering experiences; others had buried truths, innate in all of us, awaken within them. All of them have discovered for themselves that the Theology of the Body answers the two most fundamental questions: 1) What does it mean to be human? 2) How do I live my life in a way that brings true happiness and fulfillment? These are questions we all long to find answers to, and the world offers no shortage of answers. But the longer we seek, the clearer we begin to see the best the world can offer are counterfeits that wound us, betray us and leave us wanting. Sadly, the truth of the Christ s teaching on sex is confirmed in the wounds of those who haven t lived it. Our longings for love, intimacy, and freedom are good, but the sexual revolution sold us a bill of goods that simply can not satisfy. We haven t been liberated - we ve been bound and trapped. But here s the Good News: if we read the signs of the times, we will realize the Theology of the Body is not a fad. God is doing something. A new sexual revolution is underway spreading slowly and quietly in human hearts that welcome the truth that this Polish Pope proclaimed about the human person. The predominant cultural ideology will collapse when enough men and women realize who they really are and to what bodily glory the en-fleshed God calls them to. The TOB revolution is beginning to take root in one person, one body at a time. The world is a mission field ready to soak up John Paul II s Theology of the Body, and it s already changing so many lives around the world. In Freedom, you ll meet 12 people who asked the same questions you have and are here to proclaim from the rooftops: This is what you ve been looking for all along! In Freedom, you will discover the power of the Theology of the Body in the lives of: A man who was liberated from his addiction to Internet pornography. A woman who, after suffering terrible abuse by her family, was freed from a life of poor self-esteem, eating disorders, and drug addiction. A young mother whose woundedness from past sexual sin and a teenage pregnancy was healed, allowing her to become the wife and mother her family needed. A priest who learned how to live his priesthood mystically united with Jesus, the divine Bridegroom. An evangelical Christian whose relationship with Christ was deepened by a new-found appreciation for the Incarnation. |  |
| | Product Details | | Author: | Matthew Pinto | | Paperback: | 208 pages | | Publisher: | Ascension Press | | Publication Date: | January 12, 2009 | | Language: | English | | ISBN: | 193421745X | | Package Length: | 8.3 inches | | Package Width: | 5.4 inches | | Package Height: | 0.7 inches | | Package Weight: | 0.45 pounds | | Average Customer Rating: | based on 2 reviews |
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| | Customer Reviews | Average Customer Review: ( 2 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 7 found the following review helpful:
A refreshing, honest look at finding redemption of the human body Mar 25, 2010
By v3rtuoso Freedom provides a light, welcoming introduction to the late John Paul II's magnificent work, the Theology of the Body. This was my first reading into this wonderful teaching and I believe it offers an excellent entry into this theology.
Freedom offers a refreshing, honest look at twelve lives, each with their own unique experiences; their search for and discovery of real love; their renewed hearts and minds; and their redeemed bodies. Many readers will be able to relate to one or more of the 12 stories revealed in this book, through their own experiences with human sexuality. Through the examples of these individuals, Freedom helps a person to see how they can mimic Christ's sacrificial love with their own body and learn to love as God intended.
Love is a word that is haphazardly tossed around today, leaving many to question what love really is. To discover what real love is, we must look to the Author of love. Christ gave us the perfect example of sacrificial love, by dying for humanity--even for those who hated him. By understanding what real love is, people will find how it can improve relationships in every aspect of their lives. The real-life examples found in Freedom opens hearts and minds to the truth that real love--and the freedom that comes with it--is possible... We just need a new lens with which to see it and live it.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Inspiring Book-- Easy to Read-- Riveting Stories! Sep 21, 2011
By Theresa Thomas
"Catholic Mom of 9"
"Theology of the Body".
The phrase sounds so.....intellectual. It makes one think of lofty religious ideology, spirituality, and maybe even a type of mysticism associated with marital union. Pedagogy. Instruction. Philosophy. Hard to understand. Need my glasses. Yikes! Way too much for the average person to digest. Right? Wrong!
"Theology of the Body" may seem like a lofty term at first glance, but really it is not that complicated. It is simply Pope John Paul II's integrated vision of the human person - body, soul, and spirit...." The term and subject matter of "Theology of the Body" is based on a series of 129 lectures that the pontiff gave during his Wednesday lectures from September 1979 to November 1984. The lectures included discussion of the Christian ideal and sacrament of marriage, contraception, celibacy and virginity, resurrection of the body, and adultery. This is all-inclusive material for sure, but fascinating, understandable and certainly very relevant for every Catholic.
Numerous resources are available for those hoping to dive into a comprehensive study of the "Theology of the Body" see below) but there aren't a whole lot of books which delve into the actual experiences of those who are trying to integrate that theology into their lives. Freedom: Twelve Lives Transformed by the Theology of the Body (Ascension Press), by Matthew Pinto is a book that does.
In Freedom (aptly titled on account of the individuals who finally find freedom from sin and a wounded life) best-selling author Matt Pinto brings together seemingly unlikely persons to illustrate chaste- living and a proper male/female sexual attitude. By sharing the stories of an ex-pornography addict, a woman who sold her body for money, a former teen mom and others, he demonstrates how God's transformative grace can offer hope to everyone. Each story chronicles the struggles of an individual in a distinctive life situation as he or she comes to grips with what God intends for human sexuality and love. In the end, all realize that the message of the "Theology of the Body" is the key to understanding their purposes in life, and their lives are much richer for it. Their journeys to understand what the "Theology of the Body" means to them personally is the way they find true happiness and true freedom.
One part of Christopher West's introduction particularly spoke to me. Let me share it here:
I can remember from a very early age being amazed by the differences between the sexes. When that God-given curiosity is not met in healthy, holy ways--that is, with a proper ongoing formation in God's glorious, beautiful, wonderful plan form making us male and female--we inevitably seek to satisfy that curiosity in unhealthy, unholy ways. That is the story of my childhood and teen years in a nutshell. Having been `evangelized' by the likes of Hugh Hefner, I followed what the world told me would satisfy my hunger. The wounds from several years of unchaste living, however, would catch up with me in college. The fervent prayers of my mother were eventually answered when at the age of 20, after a painful breakup with a long-time girlfriend; I experienced a profound encounter with Christ and returned to the practice of the Catholic faith. ...(p. xi So at the age of twenty one, I devoted myself to an intense study of all the key texts of Scripture that spoke of God's plan for making us male and female and calling us to become "one flesh".
Several things struck me about this excerpt:
1- The commonness of West's experience of `falling into' pornography because of the culture.
2- The exceptional fact that by age 21 he realized something was terribly `off' in his approach to sexuality and at that point decided to intensely study the Church teaching on the subject.
3-That he feels the prayers of his mother affected his conversion.
The first point illustrates the state of the fallen world, and that so many people fall prey to society's secular and `modern' definitions of sex and love. The second demonstrates what God's grace can do in a very short time. The third point fortified me in my desire to continue to pray for each one of my nine children daily, not knowing what temptations and struggles they may be experiencing at any given moment.
If West's introduction intrigued me, the stories following his prologue blew me away. Each honest and riveting story illustrated time and time again the first two points mentioned above- how easy it is to fall into sin and how God's merciful love can pull even the most hardened or wounded soul out.
Another fact I noticed is how sins have a social consequence. The abuse of a child, for example, not only violates the child physically and emotionally at the time but also opens the door to hurting her in the future- for her decisions can spiral into negative ones on account of her early experiences. Wounded, she has no frame of reference for healthy living. And so, the perpetrator of abuse not only inflicts wounds on a child's body immediately but also on his spirit and soul in the future. This is a grave moral evil.
I initially opened Freedom: Twelve Lives Transformed by the Theology of the Body, fearful that I might be delving into some abstract theological philosophy. I shouldn't have worried. The book is relevant, easy to read and inspiring. It demonstrates the power of God's grace in everyday people and allows readers to see that no matter how entrenched they may be in sexual sin or a distorted view of the male/female relationship, it is always possible to attain true freedom with Christ.
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