Theology of the Body for Upper Grades

In Upper School Theology of the Body, we will lay the groundwork for understanding John Paul II’s catecheses through learning about who St. John Paul II (Karol Wojtyla) was before he became pope. We will then see how the insights shared through these catecheses were complemented and developed further in the teachings of his successor, Pope Benedict XVI who through the first encyclical of his pontificate, Deus Caritas Est, “wanted to reveal the humanity of faith, of which eros is a part; the ‘yes’ of man to his bodiliness created by God, a ‘yes’ that in an indissoluble matrimony between man and woman finds its form rooted in creation” (Address at the Meeting Promoted by the Pontifical Council ‘Cor Unum,’” 23 January 2006).

Together, we will discover the great affirmation of the “flesh” (caro) which Tertullian called “the hinge of salvation” (caro salutis est cardo). The human person exists as the unity of body and soul (corpore et anima unus) and it is in and through the body that the human person is raised with Christ to glory. Theological considerations on embodied human existence have been formative in the Church and will be increasingly necessary so as to have eyes open to see truth, beauty, and goodness in our everyday lives. Through studying the Church’s perennial teaching on the human person and our relations with God and each other, we will learn more about the giftedness of our God given identities. This can help us find our true place and purpose in the world and lead us to the God who loved us into existence.

“‘The flesh is the hinge of salvation’ (Tertullian, De res. 8, 2: PL 2, 852). We believe in God who is creator of the flesh; we believe in the Word made flesh in order to redeem the flesh; we believe in the resurrection of the flesh, the fulfillment of both the creation and the redemption of the flesh.” – The Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1015

“The human body includes right from the beginning…the capacity of expressing love, that love in which the person becomes a gift – and by means of this gift – fulfills the meaning of his being and existence.” – Pope St. John Paul II, Wednesday General Audience, 16 January 1980

“If our body is called to be spiritual, should not its history be that of the covenant between body and spirit? Indeed, far from being opposed to the spirit, the body is the place where the spirit can dwell. In this light it is possible to understand that our bodies are not inert, heavy matter but, if we know how to listen, they speak the language of true love.” – Pope Benedict XVI, Address to Members of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family, 13 May 2011

• Computer: You will need a stable, reliable computer, running with a processor with a speed of 1 GHz or better on one of the following operating systems: Mac OS X with Mac OS 10.7 or later; Windows 8, 7, Vista (with SP1 or later), or XP (with SP3 or later). We do not recommend using an iPad or other tablet for joining classes. An inexpensive laptop or netbook would be much better solutions, as they enable you to plug an Ethernet cable directly into your computer. Please note that Chromebooks are allowed but not preferred, as they do not support certain features of the Zoom video conference software such as breakout sessions and annotation, which may be used by our teachers for class activities.
• High-Speed Internet Connection: You will also need access to high-speed Internet, preferably accessible via Ethernet cable right into your computer. Using Wi-Fi may work, but will not guarantee you the optimal use of your bandwidth. The faster your Internet, the better. We recommend using a connection with a download/upload speed of 5/1 Mbps or better. You can test your Internet connection here.
• Webcam: You may use an external webcam or one that is built in to the computer. Webcam Recommendations: Good (PC only) | Best (Mac and PC)
• Headset: We recommend using a headset rather than a built-in microphone and speakers. Using a headset reduces the level of background noise heard by the entire class. Headset Recommendations: USB | 3.5mm
• Zoom: We use a web conferencing software called Zoom for our classes, which enables students and teachers to gather from around the globe face to face in real time. Zoom is free to download and easy to use. To download Zoom:
  1. Visit zoom.us/download.
  2. Click to download the first option listed, Zoom Client for Meetings.
  3. Open and run the installer on your computer.
  4. In August, students will be provided with instructions and a link for joining their particular class.
• Scanner: In this class, students frequently submit homework assignments by scanning pages from their workbooks. Students and/or their parents should have easy access to a scanner and the ability to use it.