Christopher West
Encyclopedia
Christopher West is a Catholic
author and speaker, best known for his work on Pope John Paul II
’s series of audience
addresses entitled the Theology of the Body
.
anthropology, the Creed
, morality, sacraments, marriage, sexuality, and family life. He has also spoken on national radio and on television. He is one of the main educators in the Theology of the Body Institute, which offers graduate level courses and other training programs on the Theology of the Body
.
He and his wife Wendy reside in Lancaster County
, Pennsylvania
(USA), and have five children.
in Anthropology
in 1992 from the University of Maryland
. In 1996 he was certified as an Instructor of Marriage Preparation from the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. In 1997, he obtained a Master of Theological Studies
at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family at The Catholic University of America, and became a Certified Catechist by the Archdiocese of Denver Catechetical School.
Charles J. Chaput
, O.F.M. Cap. Archbishop of Denver says that "Christopher West’s keen grasp of John Paul II’s Theology of the Body and his ability to make it accessible to others is changing lives, strengthening marriages, and renewing people’s faith in the Church across the country and internationally."
Theologian David L. Schindler charged that West promotes a “pansexualist tendency” that ties all important human and supernatural activity back to sex without making necessary distinctions.
Moral theologian Dr. Janet Smith
defended West, saying his work is "completely sound" and that she found Schindler's response "puzzling." Smith, in her response to Schindler's critique, says that Schindler "provides a list of his objections to West’s theology without citing one text to substantiate his charges...As it stands, I do not find that his concerns correspond with what I have read in West’s work or heard in his lectures."
Dr. Alice von Hildebrand
, widow of Catholic theologian Dietrich von Hildebrand
, has said West's approach has become too self-assured. She criticized his presentations as irreverent and insensitive to the “tremendous dangers” of concupiscence.
Theologian Michael Waldstein, who wrote the definitive translation of The Theology of the Body, addressed Schindler’s remarks in an essay published on InsideCatholic.com.
Waldstein said that Schindler’s essay was a “blanket negative statement” that made “sweeping accusations” against a position he did not recognize as West’s.
Dawn Eden
, author of the book The Thrill of the Chaste, published her examination of West’s presentation of John Paul II’s teachings in her master's thesis. Eden commends West's speaking and writing skills, but takes issue with some points of theology that West uses in his ministry.
Justin Cardinal Rigali
, Archbishop of Philadelphia, and Kevin Rhoades, Bishop of Harrisburg, issued a joint statement in support of West's work.
They said,
West also responded to many of the critiques, acknowledging that "so long as we are on earth, we will always have to battle with concupiscence" and conceding "In some of my earliest lectures and tapes, I confess that I did not emphasize this important point clearly enough." However, he continues with the rhetorical question, taken from Veritatis Splendor
103, "Of which man are we speaking?" and discusses the teaching of John Paul II that "[Christ] has given us the possibility of realizing the entire truth of our being; he has set our freedom free from the domination of concupiscence."
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
author and speaker, best known for his work on Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
’s series of audience
Audience
An audience is a group of people who participate in a show or encounter a work of art, literature , theatre, music or academics in any medium...
addresses entitled the Theology of the Body
Theology of the Body
Theology of the Body is the topic of a series of 129 lectures given by Pope John Paul II during his Wednesday audiences in the Pope Paul VI Hall between September 1979 and November 1984. It was the first major teaching of his pontificate...
.
About
West has been delivering lectures since 1997, mostly on topics such as ChristianChristian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
anthropology, the Creed
Creed
A creed is a statement of belief—usually a statement of faith that describes the beliefs shared by a religious community—and is often recited as part of a religious service. When the statement of faith is longer and polemical, as well as didactic, it is not called a creed but a Confession of faith...
, morality, sacraments, marriage, sexuality, and family life. He has also spoken on national radio and on television. He is one of the main educators in the Theology of the Body Institute, which offers graduate level courses and other training programs on the Theology of the Body
Theology of the Body
Theology of the Body is the topic of a series of 129 lectures given by Pope John Paul II during his Wednesday audiences in the Pope Paul VI Hall between September 1979 and November 1984. It was the first major teaching of his pontificate...
.
He and his wife Wendy reside in Lancaster County
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Lancaster County, known as the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a county located in the southeastern part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010 the population was 519,445. Lancaster County forms the Lancaster Metropolitan Statistical Area, the...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
(USA), and have five children.
Education
West graduated from [Lancaster Catholic High School] in 1988. He received a Bachelor of ArtsBachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
in 1992 from the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
. In 1996 he was certified as an Instructor of Marriage Preparation from the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. In 1997, he obtained a Master of Theological Studies
Master of Theological Studies
A Master of Theological Studies is a general academic degree that gives students an introduction to advanced theological studies. The M.T.S usually requires two years of program study to complete. The Latin equivalent for M.T.S...
at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family at The Catholic University of America, and became a Certified Catechist by the Archdiocese of Denver Catechetical School.
Commentaries
Cecilia LeChevallier, Coordinator, Marriage Preparation and Natural Family Planning, Diocese of Camden, NJ commented that "Christopher West is able to synthesize the Theology of the Body in an understandable and exciting way that gets people excited about it and excited about living it."Charles J. Chaput
Charles J. Chaput
Charles Joseph Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. is an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He is the ninth and current Archbishop of Philadelphia, serving since his installation on September 8, 2011. He previously served as Archbishop of Denver and Bishop of Rapid City .Chaput is a professed Capuchin and...
, O.F.M. Cap. Archbishop of Denver says that "Christopher West’s keen grasp of John Paul II’s Theology of the Body and his ability to make it accessible to others is changing lives, strengthening marriages, and renewing people’s faith in the Church across the country and internationally."
Theologian David L. Schindler charged that West promotes a “pansexualist tendency” that ties all important human and supernatural activity back to sex without making necessary distinctions.
Moral theologian Dr. Janet Smith
Janet E. Smith
Janet E. Smith is a professor of moral theology and the Fr. Michael J. McGivney Chair of Life Issues at the Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, Michigan. She previously taught at the University of Notre Dame, and the University of Dallas...
defended West, saying his work is "completely sound" and that she found Schindler's response "puzzling." Smith, in her response to Schindler's critique, says that Schindler "provides a list of his objections to West’s theology without citing one text to substantiate his charges...As it stands, I do not find that his concerns correspond with what I have read in West’s work or heard in his lectures."
Dr. Alice von Hildebrand
Alice von Hildebrand
Alice von Hildebrand is a Catholic philosopher and theologian and a former professor.She came to the U.S. in 1940 and began teaching at Hunter College in New York City in 1947...
, widow of Catholic theologian Dietrich von Hildebrand
Dietrich von Hildebrand
Dietrich von Hildebrand was a German Catholic philosopher and theologian who was called by Pope Pius XII "the 20th Century Doctor of the Church."...
, has said West's approach has become too self-assured. She criticized his presentations as irreverent and insensitive to the “tremendous dangers” of concupiscence.
Theologian Michael Waldstein, who wrote the definitive translation of The Theology of the Body, addressed Schindler’s remarks in an essay published on InsideCatholic.com.
Waldstein said that Schindler’s essay was a “blanket negative statement” that made “sweeping accusations” against a position he did not recognize as West’s.
Dawn Eden
Dawn Eden
Dawn Eden is an American author and journalist who was formerly a rock historian and tabloid-newspaper headline writer...
, author of the book The Thrill of the Chaste, published her examination of West’s presentation of John Paul II’s teachings in her master's thesis. Eden commends West's speaking and writing skills, but takes issue with some points of theology that West uses in his ministry.
Justin Cardinal Rigali
Justin Cardinal Rigali
Justin Francis Rigali is an American cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the eighth Archbishop of Philadelphia, having previously served as Archbishop of St. Louis from 1994 to 2003...
, Archbishop of Philadelphia, and Kevin Rhoades, Bishop of Harrisburg, issued a joint statement in support of West's work.
They said,
- "We are convinced that John Paul II's Theology of the Body is a treasure for the Church, indeed a gift of the Holy Spirit for our time. Yet, its scholarly language needs to be 'translated' into more accessible categories if the average person is to benefit from it. To do this is the specific mission of the Theology of the Body Institute, and we believe that Christopher West, the Institute's popular lecturer and spokesman, has been given a particular charism to carry out this mission. With great skill as a presenter, with keen insight as a thinker, and with profound reverence for the mystery of human sexuality, he has been able to reach thousands in our sexually wounded culture with the Gospel of salvation in Christ."
West also responded to many of the critiques, acknowledging that "so long as we are on earth, we will always have to battle with concupiscence" and conceding "In some of my earliest lectures and tapes, I confess that I did not emphasize this important point clearly enough." However, he continues with the rhetorical question, taken from Veritatis Splendor
Veritatis Splendor
Veritatis Splendor is an encyclical by Pope John Paul II. It expresses the position of the Catholic Church regarding fundamentals of the Church's role in moral teaching. The encyclical is one of the most comprehensive and philosophical teachings of moral theology in the Catholic tradition...
103, "Of which man are we speaking?" and discusses the teaching of John Paul II that "[Christ] has given us the possibility of realizing the entire truth of our being; he has set our freedom free from the domination of concupiscence."
Books
- (2008) Heaven's Song 2008 ISBN 1-934217-46-8
- (2007) The Love that Satisfies 2007 ISBN 1-934217-13-1
- (2004) Theology of the Body for Beginners, 2004 ISBN 1-932645-34-9
- (2004) Good News About Sex and Marriage 2004 ISBN 0-86716-619-3
- Charles J. ChaputCharles J. ChaputCharles Joseph Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. is an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He is the ninth and current Archbishop of Philadelphia, serving since his installation on September 8, 2011. He previously served as Archbishop of Denver and Bishop of Rapid City .Chaput is a professed Capuchin and...
comments about this book in this way- In Good News About Sex and Marriage, Christopher West is articulate, joyful, faithful and absolutely passionate about Jesus Christ. He employs his marvelous gift of making important truths easily accessible, demonstrating the whys behind the whats of Catholic teaching in articulate ways. In Good News About Sex and Marriage, he takes Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul IIBlessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
's Theology of the bodyTheology of the BodyTheology of the Body is the topic of a series of 129 lectures given by Pope John Paul II during his Wednesday audiences in the Pope Paul VI Hall between September 1979 and November 1984. It was the first major teaching of his pontificate...
and makes it understandable, compelling and relevant for married couples today. His reflections on the Church and contraception are simply outstanding. In effect, this little volume is a kind of Catechism of Catholic Teaching on sex and marriage and therefore perfect for marriage preparation courses, RCIA, adult education and marriage enrichment. But it is not theoretical work nor a textbook. Rather it is a source of practical nourishment because it continually shows that dealing honestly with issues of sex and marriage brings us face to face with the whole gospelGospelA gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
message and the meaning of our lives. It's entitled good news for a good reason: it's a book about our humanity and the human drama of our creation, fall and redemption in Jesus Christ which truly is good news; good news because there is real power in Christ to live the truth.- (2003) Theology of the Body Explained : A Commentary on John Paul II's "Gospel of the Body" 2003 ISBN 0-8198-7410-8
- (2007) Theology of the Body Explained : A Commentary on John Paul II's Man and Woman He Created Them 2007 ISBN 0-8198-7425-6
- In Good News About Sex and Marriage, Christopher West is articulate, joyful, faithful and absolutely passionate about Jesus Christ. He employs his marvelous gift of making important truths easily accessible, demonstrating the whys behind the whats of Catholic teaching in articulate ways. In Good News About Sex and Marriage, he takes Pope John Paul II