Corporeality, the hindrance to Last Ends?

[levinas12]

Not so if the faithful sexual union of a man and his wife is a beautiful expression of creative spiritual love but devalued and debased in our sexploited secular society…

All life is an image of divine life because it is purposeful and creative.

That the body (and particularly the gendered body) is theological is mindboggling to many in our current gnostic culture.

 

[levinas12]

Which raises the question Dr. Kreeft raised, sex in heaven (or the resurrected body)? Probably a touchy subject, but the insistence that we are our body, no debate here since I am a Thomist, puts to question if all bodily functions will be exercised in the glorified state. If some functions will no longer be used, where does it end? All functions, some, most? What of locomotion, what purpose will that serve? There seems to be very little the body can do, save receiving our Lord at the Holy Mass, in experience and worship in extent that the mind cannot.

There is some sort of equation between our current body and the resurrected body.

For example, Jesus retained his wounds; he ate breakfast.

If there were no equation, the resurrected Jesus would not have been the historical Jesus.

Personal identity is inseparable from the body.

The resurrected body might engage in bodily activities, e.g., perception, digestion.

But it might also have also some unusual abilities, e.g. it might be able to pass through material barriers (like Jesus after the Resurrection).

As for sex in heaven. Procreative sex is out. It wouldn’t be necessary because there will be no possibility of death.

Kreeft argues that there will be bodily “union” in heaven. It will far surpass the unitive dimension of the sexual union we experience in this life. Persons will be totally transparent to each other.

 

[tonyrey]

Not so if the faithful sexual union of a man and his wife is a beautiful expression of creative

Our secular society fosters extremism: all or nothing!