The Philosophical Foundation of John Paul II’s Notions of Marriage and Unity of Man and Woman in His Theology of The Body

Abstract

The general objective of this paper is to highlight the philosophical foundation of St. John Paul II's reflection on marriage and the unity of man and woman contained in his Theology of the Body. Specifically, the focus is on two things which are integrated into the discussion: first is the reflections of St. John Paul II on marriage and the original unity of man and woman expressed in his Theology of the Body, second the philosophical foundation of his reflections about the marital union which can be found in his pre-papacy philosophical works. This will bring us through a discussion on the important concepts or teachings which he expressed in the Theology of the Body and then a discussion on how these concepts are grounded in his philosophy-this is what is meant by philosophical foundation. While there will be some references on some Church documents and the Theology of the Body which is in itself catechetical in nature, this paper should not be read as a theological or catechetical piece. The first part will be a general discussion on the nature of marriage: as a natural institution, the biblical account and as a sacrament. The second part will be on the on the personal foundation of marriage focusing on the nature of love and the dignity of the human person. The third part will be on marriage based on the unity of man and woman discussed in the Theology of the Body. The last part is the concluding remarks. Keywords: marriage, theology of the body, unity of man and woman, conjugal love, human person *Jove Jim S. Aguas, PhD can be contacted at jovejim24@gmail.com.