Theology of the Body: Original Nakedness

"Original Nakedness" is a concept John Paul II discusses in his Theology of the Body. In the beginning, Adam and Eve were naked and yet not ashamed. Their lack of shame emanates from the fact they did not view each other as sexual objects to be used for their own sexual gratification. Instead, they viewed each other with all the peace of the interior gaze. But what exactly does this mean?

When a man and a woman fall in love with each other "looks" might initially have drawn them together. Over time, as the relationship grows and deepens, this invariably changes. They fall in love with the other's personality, their kindness, their goodness, their spirituality, their very souls. It is therefore possible for couples who have spent a life time together to be more in love than the day they were married. Loving the "whole person" is the key here not just a person's looks.

We might pose the question this way; The problem with pornography isn't that it shows too much. The problem with pornography is that it doesn't show enough. By focusing exclusively on the physical/sexual, we ignore the psychological, the emotional, the spiritual aspects of the human person. In short, by focusing on the body we ignore and ultimately dishonor the personhood of the other.

The experience of shame helps us guard against the exploitation of our bodies. The fact that Adam and Eve felt no shame was one indication that in the beginning, before sin, there was no need to guard against the exploitation of their bodies. Seeing each other "with all the peace of the interior gaze," meant seeing the beauty of and loving the "whole person" in all his or her unrepeatable uniqueness. Original nakedness without shame was being able to relate to an other without fear of being used or exploited.