"Christopher West’s Work is 'Completely Sound' says Dr. Janet Smith"

More on the ongoing debate I have covered here and here, from Dr. Janet Smith:

Christopher West’s interview on ABC’s Nightline has sparked some terrific discussion on the Internet. An impressive amount of the interaction is intelligent and illuminating, even some of that which is seriously wrong. One of the better responses is that by Jimmy Akin of Catholic Answers and the follow-up comments to his blog.

Here, I want to offer a brief, partial, response to Prof. David Schindler’s assessment of West’s work. The fact that Nightline got a lot wrong about West’s work is not surprising. In fact, it is surprising how much it got right. Those of us who work with the media know that potential martyrdom awaits us at the hands of an editor. West has likely been suffering a kind of crucifixion over the past week. What is puzzling is that an influential scholar chose this moment to issue a sweeping, negative critique of West in such a public forum. I have great respect for the work and thought of Schindler and realize that it must be difficult to be on the receiving end of criticisms of the work of one of their most high profile graduates. I wish, however, he had found another occasion to express his reservations about West’s work. (Catholic Exchange)

More on West: Schindler says his credibility "a problem for the Church"

Last week's post on West generated 250+ comments. Clearly this topic is on AmP readers' minds.

I was sent this a couple days ago and think it might move the debate forward:

"David L. Schindler, provost and dean of the Pontifical Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family at Catholic University of America, has written a response to what he says are fundamental errors in Christopher West's interpretation of Pope John Paul II's theology of the body."

For those who want to inform themselves about this issue thoroughly, do read the whole text.

Alice von Hildebrand takes Christopher West to task

Christopher West is going a little too far, some say (I'd tend to agree):

Renowned Catholic thinker Dr. Alice von Hildebrand has criticized Theology of the Body speaker Christopher West, saying his approach has become too self-assured. She criticized his presentations as irreverent and insensitive to the “tremendous dangers” of concupiscence.

Also cautious of West’s remarks on his recent interview with ABC television were Mary Shivanandan and Fr. José Granados, both Catholic authors and theologians.

The news segment showed him calling for Catholics to complete “what the sexual revolution began.” He also described “very profound” historical connections between Hugh Hefner and Pope John Paul II. (CNA)

Now, if you are prone to disagree with what's quoted above, please read the entire CNA article first.

I'm aware that many young people and couples have been deeply affected by Theology of the Body, but they should ask themselves if they were touched by Christopher West's presentation, or John Paul II's theological and mystical intuitions into human nature, which form the foundation of what is best in West.

There are many layers here. It's a very important teaching that the world needs to see us live clearly.

update - for more context, here is the link to Christopher West's interview on ABC.

update 2 - in more fairness to West, here is West's "The Playboy and The Pope" from his Introduction to the Theology of the Body:

But I think his using Heffner and the Pope together in the same sentence, for many critics, is simply an occasion for them to make their deeper points.

Five points about Mary in Pope Benedict's thought

Today is the Feast of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

To mark the occassion, John Allen has published a piece today entitle "The Marian Papacy of Benedict XVI."

During Pope Benedict's recent trip to Sardinia, Pope Benedict made five points which John Allen says are likely to re-surface during his upcoming trip to Lourdes:

• Mary points to Christ, above all to his incarnation.
• Mary is a symbol of the beauty and tenderness of God.
• Mary is a forerunner and a model for all disciples of Christ.
• Mary is a model for mothers, children and spouses, and thus a patron of the family.
• Mary is the “star of the new evangelization,” a patron for efforts to bring Christ to the world.

The entire article is an enlightening (and appropriate for today) read.