Philosophical Anthropology and Biblical Interpretation in John Paul II’s Theology of the Body

In the Theology of the Body, through a series of Wednesday Catecheses, John Paul II presents a magisterial understanding of the sacrament of marriage and of marriage and family ethics. At the same time, John Paul II presents a theological anthropology, which forms a basis for the magisterial teaching. His theological anthropology is developed through an exegesis of selected biblical texts, especially Genesis 1-3 and Ephesians 5, and through an application of a philosophical anthropology articulated by Karol Wojtyła. This dissertation draws the connection between the philosophical anthropology of Wojtyła, especially as it is articulated in his major works, Love and Responsibility and Person and Act, and the theological anthropology presented in the Man and Woman He Created Them. Ultimately, the roles of poet, professor, and pastor influenced the philosophical and theological writings of Wojtyła. His key insight is that the integration of the person in human acts is the foundation of a philosophical anthropology and ethics. Understanding the human person as created in the image of God and called to a communion of persons is at the foundation of John Paul II’s theological anthropology