question on Theology of the Body

[annie]

I have been studying TOTB and listening also to
Christopher West's tapes (cds). Remember when Paul writes about 'we are no longer Jew or Greek, slave or free, MALE OR FEMALE...." ---but I thought the gist of TOTB was that God didn't just create humans, he created MALE AND FEMALEs. Like it IS significant that we are Male and Female. Any comments?

[Brother Adam]

[quote name='annie' date='Nov 14 2005, 10:33 AM']I have been studying TOTB and listening also to
Christopher West's tapes (cds). Remember when Paul writes about 'we are no longer Jew or Greek, slave or free, MALE OR FEMALE...."  ---but I thought the gist of TOTB was that God didn't just create humans, he created MALE AND FEMALEs.  Like it IS significant that we are Male and Female.  Any comments?
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The point to the passage, as I see it, is not to specifically talk about the unique aspects to man and woman, but to say that when it comes to our salvation specifically, it is available to all men. Jews were the covenantal people, the family of God, and now Gentiles are included in the new covenant. Slaves have the same responsibility as their masters in having faith, it is a personal decision, same holds true for man and woman.

[Era Might]

St. Paul's point is not that our differences have been truly abolished, but that they no longer divide us in Christ. In the Old Testament, Jew and Gentile were enemies. Male and female, to a certain extent, were enemies. Slave and free were enemies. With Christ, this is no more. All are one, as he says in, in Christ Jesus.

In the Book of Revelation, St. John speaks of "every nation, RACE, language, people, etc". He still recognized people's differences. But they were all united in Christ.

[Guest JeffCR07]

It is exactly as Bro. Adam and Era Might have said - Christ does not abolish our distinctions, but rather, He gives us a defining aspect that leads to universality. Our faith in Christ is to define us as human beings in a way that goes beyond and transcends our particular differences. In this way, it does not matter whether one is male or female, slave or free, jew or gentile, insofar as salvation is concerned, for we are all one in Christ.

[annie]

Thanks. I was just so deep into this whole male-female complimentarity thing that coming up on that passage threw me for a loop. I see now why it was added to the list of folks' differences.

Ok, so maybe I should push it with this question:

In Heaven, we will still be male or female?

A mom or a dad?

Will I still know I am Amy or Lizzie or Jesse's mom?
Or will I just 'know' them as I would know everyone?

Can this even be answered?

Will I still be Italian? Will that even mean anything?

Will I still love birds? Will I still like the color yellow? Or do all these likes shadow the true joy of being in the presence of God? Are they mere images of the joy that is to come?

[Laudate_Dominum]

[quote name='annie' date='Nov 14 2005, 07:10 PM']Thanks.  I was just so deep into this whole male-female complimentarity thing that coming up on that passage threw me for a loop.  I see now why it was added to the list of folks' differences.

Ok, so maybe I should push it with this question:

In Heaven, we will still be male or female?

A mom or a dad?

Will I still know I am Amy or Lizzie or Jesse's mom?
Or will I just 'know' them as I would know everyone?

Can this even be answered?

Will I still be Italian?  Will that even mean anything?

Will I still love birds?  Will I still like the color yellow?  Or do all these likes shadow the true joy of being in the presence of God?  Are they mere images of the joy that is to come?
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Our sexuality is not abolished in heaven, but is fulfilled in the ultimate sense. A short "proof" would be the fact that Mary is still woman and mother in heaven, and Christ is still true man in His glorified body. Certainly though, the glorified state is something quite different from what we currently experience.

[Qoheleth]

"The sons of this age marry and remarry, but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. They can no longer die, for they are like angels; and they are the children of God because they are the ones who will rise."
from Luke 20:34-36

In this passage Christ seems to imply that marriage is in a way transcended in Heaven. I would guess that this is because the dual unity of marriage is replaced by the perfect unity of all souls with God that exists in Paradise. But this is speculation...