Good News About Sex

In 1979, newly-elected Pope John Paul II was beginning his Wednesday general audience talks on human sexuality that would later become known as the Theology of the Body. In this same year, Father David Knight published "The Good News About Sex," which covers the same general subject matter as the Theology of the Body. This book is a great foreshadowing of the Pope's ideas. I appreciated Knight's differentiating between "what" you are (smart, funny, good-looking, etc.) as opposed to "who" you are (values and ideals you hold to be true, how you respond to situations, etc.). According to Knight, we need to try to be our whole selves, both "what" and "who", for others in our relationships instead of just putting forward the "what" part of ourselves. Unfortunately, these days, there's an emphasis on the "what" part of people when trying to find an suitable partner. I also enjoyed his comparison of wearing immodest clothing to a mild version of reverse rape because the wearer arouses an unsolicited sexual desire in another person who may not want to be aroused. The author also provide some general suggestions on what types of behavior are acceptable while you're dating and what types aren't. While some will find these to be too strict, I think they're pretty logical. This book is sure to be a good addition to any study of the Theology of the Body.