In his biography of Pope John Paul II,
Witness to Hope, George Weigel described the theology
of the body as a “theological time bomb” and “one of the
boldest reconfigurations of Catholic theology in centuries.”
It is an approach that will, according to Weigel, exorcise
“the Manichaean demon and its deprecation of human sexuality
from Catholic moral theology.” Pope John Paul II proposes
his “theology of the body” not simply as an innovative approach
to sexual ethics but as a way to understand the deepest
aspects of our human nature—our capacity for love and interpersonal
communion. Far from being a mere biological accident, human
sexuality—being human as male and female—is essential to
our being in the image of God. The union of man and woman
is a kind of icon of God’s love. Marriage is the primordial
sacrament of God’s love for creation and his people.
This course will examine the foundations
and major conclusions of this theology of the body, as this
is manifest in the John Paul II’s encyclicals and other
writings, as well as his public audiences on the theology
of the body. The focus will be on the universal vocation
to holiness (expressed by Vatican II) which is realized
in love.
Unit 1: “The Conflict over Humanity”–
Contemporary confusion about human nature and the basis
of John Paul II’s personalism.
Unit 2: “Image of the Trinitarian God”
– The man and woman as created for selfless love
Unit 3: “The Dignity and Originality of
Woman” – What the pope does and does not say about woman’s
vocation
Unit 4: “Ethics for Sinners” – How our
sinful state demands ethical reflection and virtue to realize
our human personhood
Unit 5: “The Depths of Humanae Vitae”
– How John Paul II understands Paul VI’s encyclical and
its profound implications
- Created and facilitated by
Notre Dame Professor.
- Six weeks in duration, with one week
for orientation.
- Typically 15-20 students in each course.
- Lectures delivered via an online presentation
with audio narration.
- Supplemental readings are provided
to encourage further exploration of topic, internet links
provided for all readings.
- Weekly written assignments (150-200
words) required.
- Weekly facilitator moderated chat sessions
with students in course.
- All course materials available online
in the course.
Requirements for course include:
- Weekly reading or viewing of lecture
texts.
- Participation in class discussion using
discussion area (minimum 2 comments, questions or responses
weekly.)
- Weekly written assignment (150-200
words.)
- Weekly chat session with other students
in course (attend minimum of 3 during course.)
- Course evaluation.
- 4 to 6 hours a week (time varies from
student to student depending on your learning style and
schedule.)
A Certificate of Completion awarding 30
Contact Hours will be sent upon completion of all course
requirements.
|
|
Married with four
grown children, Adrian J. Reimers is Adjunct Assistant
Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre
Dame. Dr. Reimers earned his doctorate from the Internationale
Akademie für Philosophie in Liechtenstein with a dissertation
on human happiness, written under Professor Rocco
Buttiglione. The revised dissertation was published
in 2001 under the title, An Analysis of the Concepts
of Self-Fulfillment and Self-Realization in the Thought
of Karol Wojtyla – Pope John Paul II. Dr. Reimers
has also authored many articles on the thought of
John Paul II for scholarly journals. Dr. and Mrs.
Reimers live in South Bend, Indiana.
|
