A Review of "Called to Love: Approaching John Paul II's Theology of the Body"

Called to Love: Approaching John Paul II's Theology of the Body by Carl Anderson and Jose Granados (Doubleday, 2009) takes a unique approach to John Paul II's Theology of the Body by using John Paul's poetry and plays as a way of illustrating the major themes of the Theology of the Body. Anyone familiar with the outline of Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body will recognize that the book follows the outline of John Paul's work without directly quoting from it extensively. Instead there is constant reference to his poetry, especially Roman Triptych, and the major plays, especially The Jeweler's Shop and Radiation of Fatherhood.

This book is readable and even lyrical in its beauty at times. It does not presuppose knowledge of John Paul's other writings, but introduces the main themes in an accessible and enticing manner. Thus, it functions as a fine introduction to the Theology of the Body.

But there is something here also for the reader who is already familiar with the Theology of the Body. The authors are to be commended for demonstrating how deeply rooted are John Paul's ethical, philosophical and theological writings in his early literary thought. One result of reading this book is the gaining of an appreciation for the integration in John Paul's thought between his literary and his more abstract, scholarly thought.

Highly recommended.