Pope John Paul II's first major teaching was on the theology of the body, presented in a series of lectures by the same name. Over the course of five years he elucidated a vision of sex that was not only positive and affirming but was about redemption, not condemnation. He taught that by understanding God's plan for physical love we could understand "the meaning of the whole of existence, the meaning of life." He taught that human beings were created by a loving God for a purpose: to be loving persons who freely choose to love, to give themselves as persons who express their self-giving through their bodies. Thus, sexual intercourse between husband and wife is a symbol of their total mutual self-donation.
pope john paul ii's first major teaching was on the theology of the body presented in a series of lectures by the same name over the course of five years he elucidated a vision of sex that was not only positive and affirming but was about redemption not condemnation he taught that by understanding god's plan for physical love we could understand "the meaning of the whole of existence the meaning of life" he taught that human beings were created by a loving god for a purpose to be loving persons who freely choose to love to give themselves as persons who express their self-giving through their bodies thus sexual intercourse between husband and wife is a symbol of their total mutual self-donation