nunblog: ACYC Roster of Resources

Regular NunBlog readers, this post is support material from my talks to the participants in this year's ACYC, a gathering of Catholic young adults from the Persian Gulf region. You've seen my posts through the years on Theology of the Body, and followed the several projects I've worked on in that regard. Well, that was the theme I was asked to speak on. It's just way too big for 45 minute sessions, so I am providing these links as a way of continuing the conversation.

For ongoing spiritual formation with the Daughters of St Paul, join MY SISTERS, an online community with a variety of spiritual resources and twice-weekly video sessions by a rotating team of, well, my sisters! (This service is hosted on Facebook, so you have to be on Facebook to participate--but you don't have to actively "participate" in Facebook to be on MY SISTERS.)

T H E O L O G Y O F T H E B O D Y

General resources on Theology of the Body:
Lots and lots of Theology of the Body articles can be found on the TOB Google+ Community page. You will need to request membership. Most of the sources I refer to are linked here. (Be sure to go to Sr Helena's blog for info on the newest films related to the sexual revolution and its profound and varied influences in our times.)

You can find all of Pope John Paul's TOB talks in the original (somewhat haphazard) translation online. (The talks were translated week by week by different staffers at L'Osservatore Romano, so there are many inconsistencies. Nobody knew, after all, that he was delivering a 400-page book with its own internal unity! They thought it was just six or so themes he was covering in sequence.)

The Big Book: A critical translation by Michael Waldstein was prepared that made use not only of the official Italian text of the talks as given in St Peter's Square, but also Pope John Paul's original Polish manuscript, tracked down with Sherlock-Holmesian devotion!

Organizations
Theology of the Body Institute
Ruah Woods
Theology of the Body Evangelization Team (TOBET)
TheologyoftheBody.net

Theology of the Body writers, thinkers, and presenters

Christopher West @cwestofficial
Bill Donaghy @BillDonaghy
Sister Helena Burns @SrHelenaBurns (with her recommended Theology of the Body resources)
Angela Franks @theologianmom
Sister Miriam James @onegroovynun
Jason Evert @jasonevert
Damon Clarke Owens @damonowens
Timmerie Millington @timmerie
Jonathan Doyle @beingcatholic1
Matt Fradd @mattfradd
Michael Grasinski @MichaelGras
Debbie Staresinic @tobrosary

Intellectual approaches to questions related to Theology of the Body and its themes:
Discover Theology of the Body (10-part video lecture series; introduction and overview to the full set of Pope John Paul's talks). Use discount code ACYC2018. I wrote the study guide; download it here.

Books for general readership (there's a comprehensive list on Sr Helena's blog)
Men, Women, and the Mystery of Love: Practical Insights from Pope John Paul's Love and Responsibility (by Edward Sri)
Theology of the Body Explained (by Christopher West)
Theology of the Body made Simple (by Anthony Percy)

Scholarly books
Love and Responsibility (new critical translation by Grzegorz Ignatik): ebook available
Understanding Love and Responsibility (by Richard Spinello)
Theology of the Body in Context (by William May)
Called to Love: Approaching John Paul II's Theology of the Body (by Carl Anderson and Jose Granados)
Divine Likeness: Toward a Trinitarian Anthropology of the Family (by Marc Cardinal Ouellet)
Mystery and Sacrament of Love: A Theology of Marriage and the Family for the New Evangelization (by Marc Cardinal Ouellet)
Crossing the Threshold of Love: a New Vision of Marriage (by Mary Shivanandan)

Humanum Review, Volume 2. Identity and Difference: the Gender Debate

Contraception and Natural Family Planning
There are too many resources and recommendations to list here. Join the TOB Google+ group. But for a summary about why Pope John Paul called these "two irreconcilable approaches" to family planning, read Sr Helena Burns' article.

For a helpful website on women's health with articles and links in the areas of natural family planning and fertility awareness, see naturalwomanhood.org This is not a "Theology of the Body" resource per se, but it reflects a view of the person that is consistent with TOB principles.

Issues around homosexuality
Two short films with personal testimonies
Desire of the Everlasting Hills (also offers a study guide)
The Third Way: Homosexuality and the Catholic Church

Organizations that are in full communion with Catholic Church teachings and pastoral principles:
Courage International: Catholic organization for persons looking for support, fellowship and communion in striving for holiness through chaste living.
EnCourage: a ministry within Courage dedicated to the spiritual needs of parents, siblings, children, and other relatives and friends of persons who have same-sex attractions.

Gender and Transgender Questions
Sr Helena Burns has posted two videos by Dr Michelle Cretella on gender dysphoria in children. The videos are followed by a long list of related links.

Here are two talks on "Gender and LGBTQ" by Sr Helena:

Porn Addiction Recovery Resources, Programs and Information

RECLAIM Sexual HealthCombines brain science and insights from Theology of the Body in a process of confidential, online, anonymous professional help for unwanted sexual behaviors. A service of the Diocese of Green Bay, WI. (RECLAIM also offers bulk quantities of business card sized "confession cards.")
Integrity Restored: Restoring the Integrity of Those Affected by Pornography
Novo: Free 30-day video program for overcoming porn addiction with the help of Theology of the Body (includes free code for 30-days of Covenant Eyes; see below) and/or the Victory App (below).
Fortify Program: a pornography addiction "detox" program that includes instructional videos, in-depth personal inventory to get at the root causes of the addictive behavior, personalized "battle strategy" and a way to track the trends in one's online behavior. One-time fee (ages 21+)available; free for ages 13-20
CovenantEyes Internet accountability and filtering. Monthly fee (also provides free downloadable e-books on the brain science of porn addiction and on church-based action).
x3Watch.comprograms for accountability partners; mobile-compatible. Annual fee. Basic and Premium level services.
The Victory App developed by LifeTeen; includes daily check-in, journaling and password protection. iOS or Android.
Fight the New Drug Created by and for young adults
Truth About Porn New site featuring academic research about the harmful effects of pornography.
The Porn Effect
Chastity.com Catholic Answers website covers issues with a special focus on teens' and parents' needs. Link leads to a short starter list of articles related to porn use.