November 08, 2021

The Fourth Ring | ACW149

22 minutes

How can I pursue Theology of the Body when my husband isn't on board? Will we still be male and female after the resurrection of the body? Is marriage worth fighting for?

Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute President Christopher West and his beloved wife Wendy share their humor and wisdom, answering questions about marriage, relationships, life, and the Catholic faith, all in light of John Paul II’s beautiful teachings on the Theology of the Body.

Get a copy of God Is Beauty, A Retreat on the Gospel and Art by Karoly Wojtyla/John Paul II. Available now for the first time in English.

Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute and have a better chance of us answering your question? Join our Patron Community!

Patron Question:

While I was baptized Catholic and received the Sacraments, I was not raised in a family that practiced the faith. I’m a married mother of 3 children but felt that something was missing in my life. I had a profound conversion while attending a Cursillo weekend 3 years ago. Since then, my husband has grown further and further away from me because he says, "I have changed." We have tried 4 different marriage therapists, the last 2 being Catholic (one was from Dr. Popcak's group), but when it comes to him making changes and really putting in effort he quits going and says he doesn't need to change anything. If I go to him and tell him I want to pursue not only learning Theology of the Body but also living it out in our marriage, it may be the last straw for him. So my question is, how can I pursue this without him on board? How can I teach this to my children if they don't see it at work in their own home?

Question 2:

In a recent conversation about the resurrection of the body, a friend of mine told me that she doesn't believe our resurrected bodies will be male or female in heaven. Her reasoning is that, because the Bible says we are neither "married nor given in marriage" in heaven, then the sexual difference is no longer necessary in eternity. Also, since we're made in the image of God (who is pure spirit and therefore neither male nor female), she thinks that our glorified bodies will more "perfectly" image God by becoming gender neutral.

In light of St. John Paul II's Theology of the Body, what is the proper response to my friend's ideas? Does the Catholic Church have any official teaching on this, and if so, is there anything in the Catechism or the Bible about it?

Qestion 3:

Thank you so much for your podcast.

My husband is suffering from a mental health issue and lately it has made our lives difficult. I have never had any issue with fidelity in the past but the last months it has become a daily inner-fight. Could you please remind me what I am fighting for?

Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com.

Resources mentioned this week:

View our COURSE SCHEDULE to register for a course, ONLINE or IN-PERSON!

If you are in financial need and honestly cannot afford a book or resource recomended on this podcast, contact: [email protected]

Find Christopher West on Facebook and Instagram.

Discover the Theology of the Body Institute.

If you enjoy the podcast, help us out by writing a review. Thanks for listening!

Christopher and Wendy hope their advice is helpful to you, but they are not licensed counseling professionals. If you are dealing with serious issues, please consult our list of trusted professionals.

Featuring music by Mike Mangione.

...more

View all episodes

By Theology of the Body Institute

4.9

512512 ratings