Woman in John Paul II's "Theology of Body"

Sławomir Kunka

Abstract

The purpose of the present article is to present the theme ofwoman in John Paul II's "theology ofbody". The sign of our times is an attempt to relativize the importance of human's nature in the name of equality between man and woman. It seems that the most satisfying answer to this approach may be given by explaining the true meaning of the human nature embodied in male and female. After having described the foundations of the Christian anthropology, which were exposed by John Paul II in his Wednesday catecheses on the theology ofbody, the artide envisages the specificity of the human nature bound to the idea of the divine image in man. Subsequently, the autbor depicts the primary human experiences: loneliness, unity and nakedness. Each of them reveals the depths of the human nature's mystery which is the same formale and female, even if it is expressed in two different ways. Woman participating together with man in the same nature has nevertheless her proper speciticity bound to her "genie" which she shares by living ber life as a gift and offering herself to others.

Keywords:

Theology of the Body, adequate anthropology, human nature, woman, image of God, "original solitude", "original unity", "original nakedness", shame, women's genius