“This course is for high school students or parents whose kids will be taking Theology of the Body classes through the diocese and they want to know what it is,” said King. “In a very fun, interactive way, (parents will) be able to experience what their kids will be going through.”
The course is based on a book that compiled Pope John Paul II’s 129 weekly talks given between 1979 and 1984. Theology of the Body described the pope’s vision of the human person, body, soul and spirit, and was meant to answer several fundamental questions, such as:
• Is there a real purpose to life?
• Why are we created male and female?
• Why were man and woman called to communion from the beginning?
• What is the purpose of the married and celibate vocations?
• What exactly is love and is it truly possible to be pure of heart?
“The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops gave the directive that all sex education was to be removed from Catholic schools,” noted King. “The Green Bay Diocese Department of Education decided to come up with a very concise plan of action to answer that call to provide chastity-based education that would be parent-orientated. One of the things they came up with for the teen years is to put the Theology of the Body curriculum in place in school.”
Program held Wednesdays
Christina King is presenting a 12-series program titled “Theology of the Body for Teens” at St. Gabriel Church, 900 Geiger St., in Neenah. The program, which began Dec. 8, will be held Wednesdays from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. There is no charge to attend. Guests can attend all or any session. |
It’s already being taught at Xavier High School and will be a part of St. Mary Central High School’s curriculum in January.
“There’s going to be a lot of people with questions since this is a new curriculum in our diocese. Theology of the Body is all biblical. We are really seeing Scripture through a new lens when we consider what Theology of the Body is telling us about how we were created. We were created male and female for a reason,” said King.
She said cultural trends can numb morality. “With that we are being threatened by selfishness. … This course answers the questions, why am I here and what’s the point of life. The world is telling teens it’s about exterior, how good you look, all the stuff you have, materialism. There’s a place there for God. We reach for things in the world to fill that place that only God can fill.”
Through movie clips and other things that are relevant to teens, King will relay the message that God is always there for them.
“This is a very awesome program as it’s oriented to youth. I believe it’s going to foster vocations. It’s going to increase self-esteem because there’s power in understanding what it means to be a male or a female and it’s going to strengthen our future families as well as the families now because kids will go home and talk about this there.”
Pope John Paul knew what he was doing when he created Theology of the Body, added King. “We are such an over-sexualized culture right now but I believe this is a remedy. That is a disease and this is the cure. This is properly ordering something that is disordered. That’s why it’s so relevant for our time right now.”