CV NEWS FEED // In an exclusive interview with CatholicVote, Executive Director Courtney Brown of Ruah Woods Institute explained why Pope St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body is a necessary antidote for the “major anthropological error” of our time.
Ruah Woods is a nonprofit formation institute dedicated to providing Theology of the Body curriculum and resources to help “bring people into an encounter with Christ to understand their unrepeatable dignity, their identity as a son and daughter of God, and their Call to love according to God’s plan.”
According to its website, Ruah Woods provides Theology of the Body curriculum for grades K-12; training and support for teachers, catechists, and homeschooling parents; as well as online courses for adults.
The Institute also offers psychological services in Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio, that “(integrate) the best of psychological science and the truths of the Catholic faith.”
“What sets us apart is that we use beauty to teach Christian Anthropology through our educational outreach and our psychological services,” Brown said, adding, “We aim to help the students internalize the teaching in a way that helps them see the truth in the message in the world around them, not just in religion class.”
The interview, which has been edited for brevity and clarity, is as follows:
CatholicVote: Why is St. John Paul II’s TOB necessary?
Brown: In a 1968 letter of Cardinal Karol Wojtyla to Jesuit theologian Henri de Lubac, John Paul II said (as cited in George Weigel, “John Paul II and the Crisis of Humanism,” First Things, December 1999, pp. 31-36), “The evil of our times consists in the first place in a kind of degradation, indeed in a pulverization, of the fundamental uniqueness of each human person.
This is the crux of the problem. The fundamental uniqueness of each human person—and even more specifically, the human body—has been degraded and pulverized. Our culture separates the body and soul which, therefore, relegates the body as meaningless in its eyes. This major anthropological error has caused the cultural misunderstanding of the human person to spiral out of control leading to the major problems we face today including abortion, transgenderism, sex trafficking, and even the crisis of fatherhood, drug, alcohol, and sex addiction.
CV: Can you briefly introduce some of the fundamental ideas proposed by JPII regarding the Theology of the Body that inspired the mission of Ruah Woods?
Brown: We are our bodies, and our bodies teach us who God is.
Each person was created in the image and likeness of God to be a gift. (You could also say we are created to love, by love, for love.)
Each of us needs to first accept all of creation as a gift, including our own bodies, and then acknowledge that every other person we encounter is also a gift.
We are a body-soul composite. The body and soul were never meant to be separated. When we separate them, death follows. However, what our culture is teaching is the opposite of this truth. That is the primary reason we find ourselves today living in a culture of death.
As humans, we are the pinnacle of creation because we image God.
CV: How receptive have educators and young people been to the program?
Brown: We have varied levels of receptivity. Some dioceses, schools, and parishes wholeheartedly embrace our curriculum, saying things like, “This is absolutely beautiful and exactly what we need.” or “This is exactly what we have been looking for.”
Some have concerns about implementing our curriculum due to a misunderstanding of what the Theology of the Body truly is and a fear that we teach children concepts that are inappropriate for their grade level. In most cases, once they realize the beauty of our curriculum, understand the body’s theology, and see the grade level appropriateness, the fears are reduced, and these individuals come to realize the absolute necessity of this message.
CV: What kinds of changes have you seen in students and faculty who engage with this curriculum?
Brown: We have seen incredible change depending on the diocese, school, teacher, and children. For some, the curriculum introduces major changes to their school culture and Catholic identity. For others, it is more of a shoring up, adding to programs they already have in place. For all, our curriculum introduces some shift in their school culture centering on the person as Gift, created in the image and likeness of God. This changes every aspect of the school or parish life, not just the religion classroom. It affects how they look at historical events i.e., how was the human person viewed in WWII? It affects the counselor’s office i.e., are you viewing your classmates as gifts? It affects specials like art, PE, and music. Theology of the Body affects every aspect of our lives, and our curriculum aims to demonstrate this in a way that can be understood by every grade level.
We have MANY testimonials on our website from bishops, priests, administrators, teachers and students. Here are a few:
“Many students in our circle of influence are struggling with identity — who they are — what is their purpose. If we can start with this language early with these kids — how much angst and heartache can we save them? It will also bring us as teachers back to the core of who we are — it’s easy for us to forget too sometimes. If you have ever felt any kind of ache or longing in your heart — this curriculum will help you to internalize God’s ultimate plan for you…” – 4th grade teacher
“I learned the deeper meaning of vocation & vows. What stood out to me is that we will never be fully satisfied until we find God’s calling for us.” – Grade 8 student
“I learned I am not a mistake” – elementary student
CV: What has this work meant to you personally?
Brown: Besides being a spouse and parent, this is the most important work I will ever do. Looking at the brokenness of this world all around me every single day and knowing that THIS message, the Gospel message, that I get to share through the lens of TOB, is THE message that can bring people to Christ, the only one who will heal their wounds is an absolutely humbling, beautiful, and motivating feeling.
