Theology of the Body Explained
A Commentary on John Paul II’s Man and Women He Created Them

By Christopher West

The first edition of Theology of the Body Explained (2003) quickly became a Catholic best-seller, serving as a standard reference text in universities, seminaries, and private study. This newly revised and expanded edition (2007) is based on Michael Waldstein’s outstanding translation of John Paul II’s catechesis published by Pauline Books & Media under the title Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body (2006).

In this newly revised and expanded edition:

• All quotes of John Paul II have been updated with the new translation
• Key insights discovered through Dr. Waldstein’s access to the John Paul II archives have been incorporated
• The outline of the text has been substantially reorganized to reflect what we now know about the structure of John Paul II’s original manuscript
• The newly discovered headings of the Pope’s original text have been incorporated throughout
• The illuminating insights of John Paul’s six undelivered and previously untranslated addresses on the Song of Songs, Tobit, and Ephesians are unfolded here for the first time
• The Prologue has been thoroughly revised, updated, and expanded based on new insights into the mind of Karol Wojtyla/John Paul II

What Are People Saying about this Title?

“West’s work offers readers an excellent entry and much solid assistance in decoding John Paul II’s difficult text. It will encourage them to read John Paul II himself with more open eyes and with clearer reflection.”
—From the Foreword by Michael Waldstein
Founding President, International Theological Institute, Austria

From the First Edition:
“In my biography of the Pope, I wrote that the theology of the body needed explication for those who weren’t specialists in biblical studies, theology, or philosophy. I am delighted that Christopher West has taken up that challenge. With intellectual care, with the experience bred of long years of teaching this material in the classroom and the parish, and taking account of his own experiences as a husband and father, Christopher West has put us in his debt by making the ‘theology of the body’ available to a wide and, I hope, appreciative readership.”
—From the Foreword by George Weigel
Senior Fellow, Ethics and Public Policy Center

“This book will be of enormous pastoral value to those seeking to put forth the Church’s liberating teachings on sexuality. Reading John Paul’s text directly can be quite daunting for those without a background in philosophy and theology. This is what makes this book so exciting—it succeeds in ‘translating’ the Holy Father’s insights into a much more accessible language.”
—Monsignor Lorenzo Albacete
Founding Professor, John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family, Washington D.C.

“John Paul II’s theology of the body offers a powerful resource for evangelization in an age which is beginning to count the cost of the sexual revolution. Christopher West’s book makes this resource available for the first time to people at all levels within the Christian community. Love, sexuality and human flourishing are inseparable. Those who have doubted this will find West’s book a transforming experience, and those who have been wounded will find in it liberation, healing and peace.”
—George Cardinal Pell
Archbishop of Sydney

“Christopher West unlocks the beauty of Catholic teaching on love and sexuality with intelligence, clarity and grace. This is a book rich in substance for the serious scholar, but accessible and rewarding for the average reader as well. This is an excellent resource from one of our most insightful and committed Catholic authors.”
—Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap.
Archbishop of Denver

“Christopher West has done a splendid job providing an intelligent and accurate commentary on Pope John Paul II’s catechesis. West shows that the Holy Father’s theology of the body gives us a wonderful evangelical and Christian education on the meaning of being human. Readers will discover in West’s book how John Paul’s thought shows the modern world that the Christian understanding of sex and marriage, far from being a list of “don’ts,” is a liberating, redeeming view of the human bodily person, male and female.”
—William E. May
Professor, John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family, Washington, D.C.

“The vibrancy of Christopher West, his infectious enthusiasm and penetrating understanding of the thought of Pope John Paul II is well-known to those who have heard his lectures and tapes. This lucid explanation of the Pope’s Theology of the Body conveys the same enthusiasm and intelligence. The public needs to hear what the Holy Father thinks on issues of sexuality, marriage, and celibacy and West has generously committed his considerable talents to making this a possibility.”
—Janet E. Smith
Professor of Life Issues, Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit

About this author
Christopher West is recognized around the globe for his work teaching and promoting John Paul II’s theology of the body. He serves officially as a research fellow and faculty member of the Theology of the Body Institute near Philadelphia. West has also taught graduate and undergraduate courses on a number of other faculties, including St. John Vianney Seminary in Denver, the John Paul II Institute in Melbourne, Australia, and the Institute for Priestly Formation in Omaha. He is the best-selling author of four books, and his popular column “Body Language” is syndicated to newspapers throughout the United States. Christopher lives with his wife, Wendy, and their four children near Lancaster, PA.

Paperback / 688 pages / Dimensions: 6" x 9 1/4" / ISBN: 0819874256
Retail Price: $29.95