Men and Women Are From Eden: A Study Guide to John Paul II's Theology of the Body

This is a "must read" for those who want a good, easy to read summary of the Theology of the Body presented by Pope John Paul II. Healy goes into enough detail that one can easily understand the premises behind JPII's theology. JPII's Theology of the Body, as a book, is a compilation of a series of his talks on this subject of human sexuality and true spousal union as mutual self-gifting. If you purchase the other book, you will find many repeats because each "talk" begins with a recap of the lecture before. Healy breaks this all down to the basics of JPII's lecture series and is an excellent companion to the large volume that includes the exact words of the Holy Father. Healy writes in simple language for even younger people to comprehend. This book emphasizes the value and sanctity of marriage and the gift of sexuality, as originally given to us by God outlined in Genesis. JPII continually refers to Genesis and "in the beginning," before the fall of humankind, and this is what we were created for---true spousal union, when man and woman truly become one with each other, and with the grace of God through the interaction with the Holy Spirit, a true sacramental marriage is possible. She mentions JPII's comments on objectification of the human body and how it has depleted our dignity as human beings. Overall, I recommend this book to those who are not theologians but to people who want to know more about the divine design of the human race and how sexuality is sacred when respected and treasured as a gift from God.

Get one for you and your partner! Beautiful truth about love and respecting its dignity in you.*(Might take this review with a grain of salt because I’m still not married 😂)

As a young, recently married Catholic, I have been introduced to Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body, but some of the literature can be quite intimidating. This is essentially an introduction to the Theology of the Body written as a study. I suppose it could be used for groups, but I have found it to be a great book for individual study, complete with Scripture passages, quesitons for reflection and spiritual exercises. You'll want to have a Bible handy while reading as well. I highly recommend this book for Catholics young and old, married or single. Actually, I recommend it to anyone, Catholic, Christian or not who is seeking the truth about human dignity. I have since given this book as a gift to my younger brother who recently married and to my parents who just celebrated their 40th anniversary. I want more people to know about Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body because it has changed my life and my marriage.

My book arrived very quickly & was in excellent condition!

For a long time I wanted to read Theology of the Body. This should be the first book you get for learning and love what is in TOB. Wonderful, easy to read, easy to understand, takes into account all “ those hard issues” and explains them under the light of God’s love for humanity.

Mary Healy is a wonderful writer. She speaks of St. John Paul II's Theology of the Body is a beautiful narrative style and makes something that is very dense, very comprehensible.

This book eloquently and coherently conveys the theology of the body from John Paul II's teachings in the context of Biblical and Roman Catholic teachings. Mary Healy demonstrates an intimate knowledge of the topic, as she skillfully presents some complex ideas. This teaching is rooted in Scripture and follows the course of the Pope's teachings.I approached this book thinking of it as a book on marriage. I discovered that it is much more than a book on marriage. It is a book for all people to learn God's truths about who we are as humans in physical bodies; our bodies are called the "sacrament of the person." This is certainly helpful for a better Biblical understanding of marriage, but it also helps us better understand being single or celibate.The chapters address the redemptive-salvation history of God's relationship with people-- our creation, fall, redemption, future glorification. Our bodies and relationships are addressed in this context of the revelation of God's love and grace. We are called to follow God in expressing self-giving love through our bodies as Christ did in his sacrifice. This book teaches how this might look in our lives. The reality of Christ's coming has changed our realities and responsibilites forever. We have been set free and charged to love as God loves.For the married person, the teaching shows that we are to love our spouses as Christ loves the church; in fact, Healy writes "The cross of marriage is its glory." And for the celibate person or single person, the teaching shows that God's love is sufficient and that we can commmit ourselves to him fully.I think the topics of the book are all substantiated by Scripture with the exception of the Roman Catholic teaching on contraception. To me, this is something that is permissable rather than something contrary to Scripture. I think at the very least the use of contraception is what the wider church would call adiaphora --something nonessential to salvation and not morally mandated for Christian ethics. We are called to live by faith and not put stumbling blocks before other Christians. Although I disagree with the teaching on this topic, I appreciated the writing and carefully thought out explanations.I recommend this book to all Christians, especially Roman Catholics who desire to learn the Pope's teachings better; however, in no way is the book's helpfulness limited to Roman Catholics.

Mary Healy does a superb job of breaking down JPII's teachings on Theology of the Body! Great, easy to understand, read and very needed for our times! A must read!

Great read

Excellent book outlining Pope John Paul's Theology of the Body.

This little book is ok but it’s very limited and does leave you wanting more it’s not the full JP2 theology of the body so it’s more of a light introduction its only 113 pages from start to finish so it’s a light read but overall it didn’t hit the spot for me so 50/50