The Love That Satisfies
by Christopher West
List Price:
Our Price: $12.11
You Save: $7.84 (39%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Christopher WestBrand: Catholic Word
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-07-31
ISBN: 1934217131
Number of pages: 176
Publisher: Ascension Press
Book Reviews of The Love That Satisfies
Book Review: Wonderful book mixing the Theology of the Body and Pope Benedict's first encyclical
Summary: 5 Stars
I found this to be a wonderful book. I have never read any of Christopher West's books before, but was aware of his work as one of the foremost teachers and populizer of John Paul II's Theology of the Body. His latest book takes Pope Benedict XVI first encyclical Deus Caritas Est for use as a guiding template on the topics of Eros and Agape. He selected 63 key quotes from the first part of Deus Caritas Est which mainly deals with the relationship of Eros and Agape and unpacks them in easily understandable language.
Reading Deus Caritas Est before I never realized how it matches up so closely to John Paul II's Theology of the Body. Though this is not surprising and any way and Pope John Paul II's understanding is quite useful in understanding and getting the most out of Pope Benedict's first encyclical. While Deus Caritas Est is not that difficult to read, it is nice to take a more leisurely stroll through some of the key ideas in the first part and to explore them more closely in the context of our society today. The book's nine chapters prominently deal with Eros and Agape, what they are, their proper relationship, and their common misunderstandings. Like just about everything in the Catholic faith once again it is a case of both/and and not the divisive separation the so-called sexual revolution has give them. It is not Eros that was poisoned by Christians, but Agape that was poisoned and a wedge driven between Agape and Eros by our culture.
Throughout the book Christopher West looks at the fruits of the "sexual revolution" which he says should be called the "pornographic revolution." Like many revolutions they often end up with a dictator in control, and this case it was the dictatorship of libido. He uses the examples of people like St. Augustine, Hugh Hefner, Bono, Truman Burbank (from the movie The Truman Show), and others to illustrate his points. The book though does not take a confrontational view in the culture wars, but gives us a proper understanding and the hope that goes with it. He also describes the tendencies to either Angelism (spirit against the body) or animalism (body to the neglect of the spirit) and the damage these unbalanced views cause. As with all heresies and errors it is the exaggeration of one truth and the diminishing of another that provides the most potent damage. It is only when we start to realize God's love for us that we can learn to respond in a fully human manner where Eros and Agape our properly balanced.
Christopher West as produced a quite magnificent book that takes serious theological ideas down to a level easily absorbed. I truly got a lot out of this book and it has given me much to think about and makes me want to read the Pope's encyclical once again to get even more out of it.
Summary of The Love That Satisfies
Building on the legacy of Pope John Paul II, it is significant that the first encyclical letter of Pope Benedict XVI is dedicated to the topic God is Love. The Holy Father demonstrates that it is agape, the self-sacrificial love of God that empowers romantic love, eros, with life-giving and meaningful existence. In The Love That Satisfies, Christopher West draws from the Pope s letter a series of insightful and inspiring reflections on the nature of eros, agape, and the relationship between the two. He shows that it is through recognizing and embracing the beauty of God s self-sacrificial love that a person is able to truly be satisfied. In uniting the love of God to the love of spouse, the nuptial bond is fulfilled. Perhaps even more profound is the reality that God and the Bridegroom of the Church has a personal love for his Bride that may certainly be called eros (Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est, n. 9).Christian Living Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Christian Living Books
A Survey of the Old Testamentby Andrew E. Hill, John H. Walton
Zondervan; Published: 2009-02-10; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $22.01
Price in other shops:
Steps to Christby Ellen Gould Harmon White
General Books LLC; Published: 2012-01-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $14.14
The 1928 Book of Common PrayerOxford University Press, USA; Published: 1993-11-18; Leather Bound; Book
Price in other shops:
A People's History of Christianity: The Other Side of the Storyby Diana Butler Bass
HarperOne; Published: 2010-03-23; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.50
Price in other shops:
Works of Loveby Soren Kierkegaard
Harper Perennial; Published: 1964-10-27; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.99
Price in other shops:
America by Heart : Reflections on Family, Faith, and Flagby Sarah Palin
Harper Collins Publishers; Harper; Published: 2010-11-23; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $0.01
Price in other shops:
The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In Godby Dallas Willard
HarperOne; Published: 1998-03-24; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $9.99
Price in other shops:
God for Us: The Trinity and Christian Lifeby Catherine Mowry Lacugna
Harpercollins College Div; Published: 1992-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $78.36
Ruthless Trustby Brennan Manning
HarperAudio; Published: 2004-01-06; Audio Cassette; Book
Best price: $3.13
Price in other shops:
The Screwtape Lettersby C. S. Lewis
Macmillan; Published: 1982; Paperback; Book
Similar Books and other products
Theology Of The Body For Beginnersby Christopher West
Ascension Press; Ascension Press; Published: 2004-06; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.76
Price in other shops:
At the Heart of the Gospel: Reclaiming the Body for the New Evangelizationby Christopher West
Image; Published: 2012-01-31; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.04
Price in other shops:
The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earthby Scott Hahn
Random House; Doubleday Religion; Published: 1999-11-09; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $9.59
Price in other shops:
Be a Man!: Becoming the Man God Created You to Beby Fr. Larry Richards
Ignatius Press; Ignatius Press; Published: 2009-10-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.50
Price in other shops:
Theology of His Body / Theology of Her Bodyby Jason Evert
Catholic Word; Ascension Press; Published: 2009-01-12; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.93
Price in other shops:
Love and Responsibilityby Karol Wojtyla
Ignatius Press; Ignatius Press; Published: 1993-04-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $11.61
Price in other shops:
Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology Of The Bodyby John Paul II
Pauline Books and Media; Pauline Books & Media; Published: 2006-10; Paperback; Book
Best price: $19.00
Price in other shops:
Theology of the Body for Beginners: A Basic Introduction to Pope John Paul II's Sexual Revolution, Revised Editionby Christopher West
Catholic Word; Ascension Press; Published: 2009-09-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.70
Price in other shops:
Good News About Sex and Marriage: Answers to Your Honest Questions About Catholic Teachingby Christopher West
St. Anthony Messenger Press; Servant Books; Published: 2004-06-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.32
Price in other shops:
Heaven's Song: Sexual Love as It Was Meant to Beby Christopher West
Catholic Word; Ascension Press; Published: 2008-09-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.11
Price in other shops: