Theology of the Body: The Nuptial Meaning of the Body

Adam and Eve were created as gifts to one another. Their very bodies made this truth known. It was through their masculinity and femininity that they could express this gift. This is called “the nuptial meaning of the body.” The nuptial meaning of the body is a central concept in John Paul’s theology of the body. He refers to in numerous times throughout his addresses.

To love is the essential activity of the human person. We were created to love others and receive love from others. Because our bodies make visible what is invisible in the world, it is through our bodies that we are called to love others. This is evident in the conjugal union most obviously. But we are also called to love and to serve others in numerous ways using our bodies. We cannot serve others unless we have a body to serve them. Man can only discover himself through a sincere gift of himself. This is at the heart of Christ’s teaching. It is also the heart of the theology of the body.

Before sin, Adam and Eve had a clear perception of this truth. After sin, it became cluttered and obscure. For the children of Adam and Eve it remains clouded and obscure. We struggle daily through sin to love and serve others. In the beginning love was undiluted. Love was spontaneous. Adam and Eve served each other without thinking. It was in their spiritual DNA to do this.

Now with historical man, that is man after the first sin, we do not automatically love as God loves. It is not something we do automatically any more. It takes work. It takes conscious effort. In many ways it is a struggle among our heart, our will, and our body. Again in the beginning there was no struggle.