The Center for Cultural and Pastoral Research was pleased to hold this conference on John Paul II’s “theology of the body.” The conference brought together an exciting group of speakers from around the country, all deeply engaged in scholarship or pastoral service, to lead an extended reflection and conversation on themes of direct relevance to marriage preparation and youth ministry, with broader application in all forms of Christian service. Topics included Christian identity and vocation, gender and sexuality, the meaning of self-gift and “saying forever,” motherhood and fatherhood, the education of children, and the relationship between the Christian family and a post-Christian culture.

As the title indicates, this event was shaped by the insights of the recently published bookCalled to Love: Approaching John Paul II’s Theology of the Body (Doubleday, 2009) by Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, and Fr. José Granados, professor at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family in Rome and Washington, D.C. This book offers an unparalleled introduction to the “theology of the body” on account of its depth and fidelity to its source, as well as its pastoral character, which sheds light on the deepest human questions in an engaging manner.

Mr. Anderson and Fr. Granados opened the conference, which also featured the theater troupe Theophany in their rendition of John Paul II’s thought, presented in The Jeweler’s Shop, the pope’s play about marital love. The seminar afforded those in attendance a fruitful period of meditation and conversation about the mysteries at the root of our common work to build a “culture of life” and a “civilization of love” (Evangelium vitae, 21, 27).

Conference talks:

• J. Widhalm – Child as Gift
• M. Woltering – Education & the Human Person
• J. Schindler – Does the Future of Humanity Pass by Way of the Family?