Ask Christopher West

Is the Church Anti-Woman? | ACW235

July 3rd, 2023  |  53 mins 37 secs

catholic, catholic answers, catholic podcast, catholic questions, christian, christopher west, faith formation, faith questions, john paul ii, jpii, theology of the body, theology of the body institute

• My wife and I practice Natural Family Planning. She thinks it’s unfair that the only time she has any interest in sex is during times of fertility. She also thinks that the Church’s stance is anti-woman. How can I respond to her?
• I’ve struggled with loving my body and feeling feminine. Do you have any insights?
• I’m a husband discerning diaconate. What does the TOB has to say about marriage and holy orders as a deacon.

Chastity is for EVERY BODY | ACW234

June 26th, 2023  |  45 mins 24 secs

catholic, catholic answers, catholic podcast, catholic questions, christian, christopher west, faith formation, faith questions, john paul ii, jpii, theology of the body, theology of the body institute

• I’ve heard that couples should have a short engagement so as to not fall into sexual sin. What are your thoughts?
• Would artificial conception be permissible in the case of illness?
• Both vocations to marriage and celibacy are a call to sacrifice. How can I discern properly if I have a profound desire to give my life completely to God?

Feminine Beauty Is a Grace | ACW233

June 19th, 2023  |  27 mins 47 secs

catholic, catholic answers, catholic podcast, catholic questions, christian, christopher west, faith formation, faith questions, john paul ii, jpii, theology of the body, theology of the body institute

• Is finding out the sex of your child in the womb wrong?
• I belong to a protestant group ministry and several of our members have been hurt by one of the ministry leaders who constantly objectifies men and women. Do you have any advice?
• I’m a young adult that studied business and worked in a top tier firm. The demands of the work made it very hard to take care of my personal life so I decided to leave after knowing it was the right thing to do. I’m currently facing criticism from those close to me. How can I look at this with TOB eyes?

Poop Jokes | ACW 232

June 12th, 2023  |  52 mins 19 secs

catholic, catholic answers, catholic podcast, catholic questions, christian, christopher west, faith formation, faith questions, john paul ii, jpii, theology of the body, theology of the body institute

• I feel profoundly lonely and I’m desperate. How can I address this longing without turning it into an idol?
• I’m trying to teach my daughter to be prudent regarding poop jokes. Do you have any advice?
• My husband and I are trying to integrate NFP in our family life. Is it okay to use ovulation predictor kits?

Where to Draw the Line | ACW231

June 5th, 2023  |  56 mins 35 secs

catholic, catholic answers, catholic podcast, catholic questions, christian, christopher west, faith formation, faith questions, john paul ii, jpii, theology of the body, theology of the body institute

• The bodies of some saints and holy men and women have been found incorrupt. Can you explain the miracle of incorrupt bodies and how it relates to the Theology of the Body?
• I struggle with gaping at women. How do I overcome the desire to look at women?
• How did you live your marriage with openness to the number of children God wanted to give you?

Annihilation or Sublimation? | ACW230

May 29th, 2023  |  48 mins 59 secs

catholic, catholic answers, catholic podcast, catholic questions, christian, christopher west, faith formation, faith questions, john paul ii, jpii, theology of the body, theology of the body institute

• I have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and have been unable to conceive. I've been suggested to take a drug that induces ovulation, but this drug may cause cancer. Am I morally bound to use this medical treatment?
• How do you deal with the far right movement in the Church?
• I have feelings for a man and I can't think of him without getting aroused, which makes me feel bad. How can I learn to think of him without these sensual affections?

Untwisting the Twisted | ACW229

May 22nd, 2023  |  44 mins 13 secs

catholic, catholic answers, catholic podcast, catholic questions, christian, christopher west, faith formation, faith questions, john paul ii, jpii, theology of the body, theology of the body institute

At Breast of Mary | ACW228

May 15th, 2023  |  49 mins 20 secs

catholic, catholic answers, catholic podcast, catholic questions, christian, christopher west, faith formation, faith questions, john paul ii, jpii, theology of the body, theology of the body institute

I’m a young adult that struggles with same sex attraction. I was deeply wounded by my parents’ reaction when I shared my struggle. Do you have any advice?
I want to continue loving my husband but I sometimes worry that I’m using him in the marital embrace. What helps you keep the spiritual reality of the marital embrace at the forefront?
Secular art, when seen through the lens of our relationship with Christ, awakens in our heart a holy erotic longing. Could you share a playlist of the songs that move you?

Redeeming the Wounds of Pornography | ACW227

May 8th, 2023  |  43 mins 27 secs

catholic, catholic answers, catholic podcast, catholic questions, christian, christopher west, faith formation, faith questions, john paul ii, jpii, theology of the body, theology of the body institute

• I'm struggling with sloth and the burdens of motherhood, does the Theology of the Body have any advice?
• I was exposed to pornography and I'm afraid I'll bring the wounds into my marriage. Is there any way to forget these memories?
• I struggled with self hate and whenever men approach me I close down. I'm also drawn to religious life, how can I work through this?

Did Jesus and Mary have Sexual Desires?

May 1st, 2023  |  48 mins 3 secs

catholic, catholic answers, catholic podcast, catholic questions, christian, christopher west, faith formation, faith questions, john paul ii, jpii, theology of the body, theology of the body institute

How is it that God met Moses "face-to-face" before the incarnation? I have some fears about NFP as a soon-to-be-engaged woman and I am sometimes tempted to just use contraception. Do you have any advice? Did Jesus and Mary have sexual desires? Were they able to have sex? How did their sexuality differ from ours?

Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute President Christopher West and his beloved wife Wendy share their humor and wisdom, answering questions about marriage, relationships, life, and the Catholic faith, all in light of John Paul II’s beautiful teachings on the Theology of the Body.

What to Do with Sexual Dreams | ACW224

April 24th, 2023  |  41 mins 8 secs

catholic, catholic answers, catholic podcast, catholic questions, christian, christopher west, faith formation, faith questions, john paul ii, jpii, theology of the body, theology of the body institute

Is it normal that women desire to be mothers more than men desire to be fathers? Why does God allow sexually explicit dreams? If you were to choose a set of Theology of the Body mass readings what would they be?

Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute President Christopher West and his beloved wife Wendy share their humor and wisdom, answering questions about marriage, relationships, life, and the Catholic faith, all in light of John Paul II’s beautiful teachings on the Theology of the Body.

Marriage after "Detransitioning" | ACW225

April 24th, 2023  |  40 mins 16 secs

catholic, catholic answers, catholic podcast, catholic questions, christian, christopher west, faith formation, faith questions, john paul ii, jpii, theology of the body, theology of the body institute

How important do you think physical fitness is in light of Theology of the Body? If Satan has no body, how can he have offspring? (In Genesis it says that God will put emnity between his offspring and Eve's.) As someone who fell for the gender ideology and got a double mastectomy, what does TOB have to offer me as I am now embracing my femininity and discerning marriage with a man?

Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute President Christopher West and his beloved wife Wendy share their humor and wisdom, answering questions about marriage, relationships, life, and the Catholic faith, all in light of John Paul II’s beautiful teachings on the Theology of the Body.