Dear Mr Eggen,
How are you doing? Hopefully the new year is treating you well.
I don't know if you have ever heard much about it, but Pope John Paul II taught a lot on what we refer to as "Theology of the Body". His dense teachings have become more and more accessible in recent years thanks to the work of Christopher West and Sister Helena Burns, among others. Sister Helena, a.k.a the media nun, has a knack for explaining theology with clarity and humour.
I recently listened to a few of her talks and I am so glad I did. She lays the foundation for basic (and complex) Christian beliefs about sexuality and gender. You won't find and hate or fear here, just solid philosophy and theology that lead to a profound respect for the human person.
A key point that she discusses is our wholeness, or unity, as human persons. We aren't souls that inhabit bodies. Neither are we just bodies that are connected to a soul. Our bodies and souls make up our person and neither can be separated from our identity. When someone feels that even though his body is showing masculinity, his spirit or soul is feminine, then we have a crisis that is not resolved through surgery. To counsel against a sex-change surgery is not lacking in compassion. This counsel is based in a big-picture understanding. Wholistic thinking helps us understand that since body and soul make up the person we need to proceed with sensitivity and caution. If we believe that there is not unity between body and soul then we subscribe to an ancient idea, believed to be false by most, called dualism.
What do you think about this, Mr Eggen? I propose ideas here, big ideas that can lay a foundation for wholeness. We can find our identity as children of a Creator; loved and supported in every struggle.
If you might like to hear more from Sister Helena Burns you can find a talk here: http://stanastasia.libsyn.com/sr-helena-burns-gender-lgbqt-issues-part-1
Have a great week! Here's to better understanding of diverse opinions.
God bless you,
Your pen pal,
Catherine van Kampen
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