On the Body: A Contemporary Theology of the Human Person

This book tries to cover too much in too few pages. There are only 120 pages (actually the book starts at about page 10), and the print is quite large. Many people could finish it in a day. The topics covered include health of the body, sexuality, the sacraments, and the resurrection of the body. Martini keeps his comments necessarily short on each subject. Almost like it was a diary: he jotted down a few notes on a certain topic before he went to bed. "On the Body" is nice if you've read all of the Theology of the Body books and are looking for more; it isn't in-depth at all, but gives a fresh perspective. One note of caution to orthodox Catholics buying this book because it's by a cardinal: Martini is the darling of the liberal media and has put forth progressive proposals, so read this book with a skeptical eye. I couldn't find much in here that is unorthodox, but the book doesn't go into much detail, like I said.

Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini has a very powerful way with words. I believe this book can provide insight whether Christian or of another faith.On the section 'Who am I?' he writes, "In general, a body is any object that the eye and the touch can perceive. Obviously, when we talk about the human body this definition is insufficient, unless we are talking about a lifeless body." He goes on and I suddenly had a strong impression of the delineation between my body and my soul. I could not help but believe that a living body must have a soul, and that it is the soul that is most important regardless of what our secular world convinces us of. Other faiths would use a different term for soul.It's a slow read because speed reading it would completely miss the points made in such few words. One paragraph, one sentence, is sometimes enough to make one stop and review one's thoughts.This is not a large book but, for an absolutely amazing price of one or two meals (please forgive the assumptions), the spiritual rewards are great. Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, a man who has certainly pondered humanity and life, brings to mind perspectives that we are often too busy or too blinded to consider.This is a book that should be on the same shelf with the Bible; a wonderful uplifting book for peaceful reading just before restful sleep or to invigorate for fullness of life.