WASHINGTON—“What does it mean to be human?” A new book by the priest who
spearheads the evangelization and catechetical efforts of the U.S. bishops
explores this question by drawing on the teachings of Pope John Paul II in his
theology of the body. In The Human Person: According to John Paul II,
published by Pauline Books and Media, Father J. Brian Bransfield examines the
vision of humanity expressed by Pope John Paul II and uses it as the basis for a
moral theology that offers practical guidance and support in living the
Christian life.
Father Bransfield writes about the challenges
raised by three social revolutions of the 20th Century – the industrial, sexual
and technological revolutions – and how Pope John Paul’s theology of the body
responded to the resulting societal shifts. These shifts, Father Bransfield
observes, have led to a disregard for women, the spread of cohabitation, the
rise in divorce and the growing trend of fatherlessness. John Paul II challenged
all of these trends. Father Bransfield shows how Christians today can overcome
the negative consequences of these shifts through living the teaching of the
theology of the body as an essential element of the new evangelization
proclaimed by Pope John Paul II.
Father J. Brian Bransfield
is a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. He currently serves as the
Assistant General Secretary and Executive Director of the Secretariat of
Evangelization and Catechesis at the United States Conference of Catholic
Bishops. Father Bransfield holds a doctorate in moral theology from the
Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family in
Washington.
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Keywords: Father J. Brian Bransfield, The Human
Person: According to John Paul II, theology of the body, sexual revolution,
industrial revolution, technological revolution, Pauline Books and
Media
