Introduction

Man has held to three views of the body, wrote c s. Lewis in his book 'The four loves' ascetic pagans called it a sack of dung and others said it was food for worms. Then there are neo pagans, nudists and sufferers from dark gods who see bodies as glorious - naive positivity. And thirdly, we have the view which saint francis expressed by calling his body brother ass; all three may be defensible, but give me saint francis for my money. Ass is exquisitely right, because no one in his senses can either revere or hate a donkey. It is a useful, sturdy, lazy, obstinate,