Ask Christopher West
Since the early 90's, author and speaker Christopher West has devoted his life to spreading John Paul II's revolutionary teaching on human life, love, and sexuality: The Theology of the Body. His beloved wife Wendy, mother of their five children, has served as his confidante, friend, and support through these long years of ministry. In this podcast, Christopher and Wendy combine their wisdom to tackle the toughest questions dealing with vocation, sexuality, marriage, and the Catholic faith.
Latest episodes
Jun 16, 2025 • 53min
Wendy’s Testimony, Rejected in the Bedroom, Haunted by Our Wedding Photos| ACW337
I missed the 2020 online conference and Wendy’s talk that deeply interests me. Also, I couldn’t attend the Mary course you personally recommended—will there be another chance?I long for intimacy, but my husband rejects my advances. It revives deep insecurities and leaves me lonely and ashamed. How do I carry this cross with love?Seeing our wedding photos reminds us of how broken we were. How can we reclaim joy and see beauty in our beginning again?Resources:TOB Course Package DealJPII Legacy Foundation WebsiteJoin our Patron Community!COURSE SCHEDULEJohn Paul II Healing CenterJohn Paul II Healing Center EventsThe Heart of God SculptureLOVE IS PATIENT, BUT I’M NOT: CONFESSIONS OF A RECOVERING PERFECTIONIST---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.---🔥 Get 3 FREE sessions of our flagship course on Theology of the Body📕 Get a copy of Christopher's Eating the Sunrise: Meditations on the Liturgy & Our Hunger for Beauty⚡️ Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute and have a better chance of us answering your question? Join our Patron Community!---Submit your question here!---🎥 Check out our YouTube Channel📚 View our COURSE SCHEDULE to register for a course, ONLINE or IN-PERSON!📘 GOOD NEWS ABOUT SEX & MARRIAGE by Christopher West. Use discount code MARRIAGE during checkout for 20% off one or multiple copies.🏔️ Join us on one of our pilgrimages!If you are in financial need and honestly cannot afford a book or resource recommended on this podcast, contact: michele@tobinstitute.orgList of trusted counselors & psychologists
Jun 9, 2025 • 1h 7min
Why do our bodies suffer, can abstinence protect our marriage, and is hell the heartbreak of losing our Divine Spouse? | ACW336
I've faced physical suffering that leaves me asking why God created us so weak. My pain has taught me compassion, but I still struggle to understand its purpose. I've read Salvifici Doloris, but I need help connecting Theology of the Body to my suffering. Why does God allow this? What meaning is there in our bodily weakness?After our fourth child, my husband wants to space the next pregnancy and avoid contraception—but he's unsure about relying solely on NFP. He suggests abstinence for a while, but I’m worried about the impact on our relationship. How can we honor Church teaching, respect my need for rest, and stay close as husband and wife?I struggled with the idea of hell after college. How could a loving God allow eternal punishment? Then Theology of the Body opened my eyes: what if hell is the eternal ache of separation from the One who made us for love? Could the torment of hell be like the anguish of losing our truest beloved?Resources:Click here if you’d like to make a gift to the St. John Paul II Legacy FoundationGOOD NEWS ABOUT SEX & MARRIAGEFamily of the AmericasCouple to Couple League---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.Questions answered this episode:---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.---🔥 Get 3 FREE sessions of our flagship course on Theology of the Body📕 Get a copy of Christopher's Eating the Sunrise: Meditations on the Liturgy & Our Hunger for Beauty⚡️ Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute and have a better chance of us answering your question? Join our Patron Community!---Submit your question here!---🎥 Check out our YouTube Channel📚 View our COURSE SCHEDULE to register for a course, ONLINE or IN-PERSON!📘 GOOD NEWS ABOUT SEX & MARRIAGE by Christopher West. Use discount code MARRIAGE during checkout for 20% off one or multiple copies.🏔️ Join us on one of our pilgrimages!If you are in financial need and honestly cannot afford a book or resource recommended on this podcast, contact: michele@tobinstitute.orgList of trusted counselors & psychologists
Jun 2, 2025 • 57min
When My Heart Shuts Down in the Bedroom, Losing Friends After Leaving a Toxic Relationship, My Toddler Thinks Confession Is a Wedding | ACW335
How can I open my heart emotionally to my wife during sex after a history of porn and brokenness?How do I heal and forgive after losing friends and community following a controlling relationship and new engagement?Is there a Theology of the Body insight in my toddler mistaking confession for a wedding?Resources:COURSE SCHEDULETOB Course Package DealCatechism Quote 2843---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.Questions answered this episode:---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.---🔥 Get 3 FREE sessions of our flagship course on Theology of the Body📕 Get a copy of Christopher's Eating the Sunrise: Meditations on the Liturgy & Our Hunger for Beauty⚡️ Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute and have a better chance of us answering your question? Join our Patron Community!---Submit your question here!---🎥 Check out our YouTube Channel📚 View our COURSE SCHEDULE to register for a course, ONLINE or IN-PERSON!📘 GOOD NEWS ABOUT SEX & MARRIAGE by Christopher West. Use discount code MARRIAGE during checkout for 20% off one or multiple copies.🏔️ Join us on one of our pilgrimages!If you are in financial need and honestly cannot afford a book or resource recommended on this podcast, contact: michele@tobinstitute.orgList of trusted counselors & psychologists
May 26, 2025 • 1h 12min
Haunted by a Past Relationship, Wrestling with the Meaning of Death, Bringing God’s Beauty into the Psychology Classroom | ACW334
Why can’t I let go of a toxic past relationship and fully embrace attraction and presence in my marriage?What does it mean to die with dignity, and is it right to see death as something good or redeemed?How can I teach psychology through a Catholic lens and reveal God’s beauty in the human mind?Resources:COURSE SCHEDULEJPII Legacy Foundation WebsiteEating the SunriseAsk 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.Questions answered this episode:---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.---🔥 Get 3 FREE sessions of our flagship course on Theology of the Body📕 Get a copy of Christopher's Eating the Sunrise: Meditations on the Liturgy & Our Hunger for Beauty⚡️ Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute and have a better chance of us answering your question? Join our Patron Community!---Submit your question here!---🎥 Check out our YouTube Channel📚 View our COURSE SCHEDULE to register for a course, ONLINE or IN-PERSON!📘 GOOD NEWS ABOUT SEX & MARRIAGE by Christopher West. Use discount code MARRIAGE during checkout for 20% off one or multiple copies.🏔️ Join us on one of our pilgrimages!If you are in financial need and honestly cannot afford a book or resource recommended on this podcast, contact: michele@tobinstitute.orgList of trusted counselors & psychologists
May 19, 2025 • 1h 9min
Is God a Mother?, Can Modesty and Muscle Coexist?, Facing Marriage Without Fear | ACW333
Questions answered this episode:Can we call God “Mother” without being heretical?Is my friend’s bodybuilding lifestyle and public modesty truly compatible with Christian witness?How do I prepare for marriage without becoming anxious about its challenges?Resources:JPII Legacy Foundation WebsiteJoin our Patron Community!---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.Questions answered this episode:---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.---🔥 Get 3 FREE sessions of our flagship course on Theology of the Body📕 Get a copy of Christopher's Eating the Sunrise: Meditations on the Liturgy & Our Hunger for Beauty⚡️ Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute and have a better chance of us answering your question? Join our Patron Community!---Submit your question here!---🎥 Check out our YouTube Channel📚 View our COURSE SCHEDULE to register for a course, ONLINE or IN-PERSON!📘 GOOD NEWS ABOUT SEX & MARRIAGE by Christopher West. Use discount code MARRIAGE during checkout for 20% off one or multiple copies.🏔️ Join us on one of our pilgrimages!If you are in financial need and honestly cannot afford a book or resource recommended on this podcast, contact: michele@tobinstitute.orgList of trusted counselors & psychologists
May 12, 2025 • 57min
What’s the deal with indulgences and scapulars, How do I live celibacy after divorce, Are beauty exercises vain? | ACW332
Questions answered this episode:Can indulgences and scapulars make sense through the lens of Theology of the Body?How can I embrace lifelong celibacy after my wife left me?Are appearance-focused exercises inherently vain or can they be good?ResourcesCOURSE SCHEDULEEating the SunriseFill These HeartsSexual Needs Into Prayer YouTube VideoChastity: Reconciliation of the SensesGod Is Beauty Book---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.---🔥 Get 3 FREE sessions of our flagship course on Theology of the Body📕 Get a copy of Christopher's Eating the Sunrise: Meditations on the Liturgy & Our Hunger for Beauty⚡️ Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute and have a better chance of us answering your question? Join our Patron Community!---Submit your question here!---🎥 Check out our YouTube Channel📚 View our COURSE SCHEDULE to register for a course, ONLINE or IN-PERSON!📘 GOOD NEWS ABOUT SEX & MARRIAGE by Christopher West. Use discount code MARRIAGE during checkout for 20% off one or multiple copies.🏔️ Join us on one of our pilgrimages!If you are in financial need and honestly cannot afford a book or resource recommended on this podcast, contact: michele@tobinstitute.orgList of trusted counselors & psychologists
May 5, 2025 • 54min
Worried I’ll disappoint him on our wedding night, Still loving her after goodbye, Does heaven erase male and female? | ACW331
Questions answered this episode:How do I overcome fear and insecurity about sex before marriage, especially since I’m a virgin and my fiancé isn’t?How can I love someone well when she ended our relationship but I still care deeply for her?How do I reconcile Galatians 3:28 with TOB’s teaching that we remain male and female in eternity?ResourcesCOURSE SCHEDULELove & Responsibility YouTube Series---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.---🔥 Get 3 FREE sessions of our flagship course on Theology of the Body📕 Get a copy of Christopher's Eating the Sunrise: Meditations on the Liturgy & Our Hunger for Beauty⚡️ Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute and have a better chance of us answering your question? Join our Patron Community!---Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com.---Resources mentioned this week: View our COURSE SCHEDULE---🎥 Check out our YouTube Channel📚 View our COURSE SCHEDULE to register for a course, ONLINE or IN-PERSON!📘 GOOD NEWS ABOUT SEX & MARRIAGE by Christopher West. Use discount code MARRIAGE during checkout for 20% off one or multiple copies.🏔️ Join us on one of our pilgrimages!If you are in financial need and honestly cannot afford a book or resource recommended on this podcast, contact: michele@tobinstitute.orgList of trusted counselors & psychologists
Apr 28, 2025 • 51min
Preparing to Teach TOB to Protestants, Healing a Marriage After Hidden Porn Use, Can Couples Have Sex During a Woman’s Period | ACW330
Questions answered this episode:I work for a small Christian university... how can I prepare to teach Theology of the Body to a Protestant audience when JP2's writings feel dense and I'm limited in time and resources?After discovering my husband’s hidden struggles with pornography and masturbation, how can I walk with him toward a true relationship with Christ while dealing with my own feelings of betrayal?I’m about to get married and just found out I’ll have my period on my honeymoon. Is it OK for Catholic couples to have sex during menstruation?ResourcesCOURSE SCHEDULEOur Bodies Tells God's Story BookJohn Paul II’s Letter to ArtistsGod Is Beauty Book---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.---🔥 Get 3 FREE sessions of our flagship course on Theology of the Body📕 Get a copy of Christopher's Eating the Sunrise: Meditations on the Liturgy & Our Hunger for Beauty⚡️ Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute and have a better chance of us answering your question? Join our Patron Community!---Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com.---Resources mentioned this week: View our COURSE SCHEDULE---🎥 Check out our YouTube Channel📚 View our COURSE SCHEDULE to register for a course, ONLINE or IN-PERSON!📘 GOOD NEWS ABOUT SEX & MARRIAGE by Christopher West. Use discount code MARRIAGE during checkout for 20% off one or multiple copies.🏔️ Join us on one of our pilgrimages!If you are in financial need and honestly cannot afford a book or resource recommended on this podcast, contact: michele@tobinstitute.orgList of trusted counselors & psychologists
Apr 21, 2025 • 51min
Death & God's Permissive Will, Church’s Teaching on Masturbation, and Is NFP Truly Open to Life? | ACW329
Questions answered this episode:At a recent funeral, people spoke about God's perfect timing in death, but I wondered, isn't death, the separation of body and soul, a result of the fall? Doesn't God's will have both a perfect and permissive side, given our fallen world and freedom to choose? Wouldn’t God prefer us to live forever, body and soul, rather than just our souls going to heaven? Can you help me understand all of this in the context of Theology of the Body?I was discussing sexuality with my atheist friend when she asked why the Church says masturbation is wrong. She then compared her body to a Ferrari, claiming she worked hard to take care of it and should be able to enjoy it alone. I was left speechless. What does the Church and Theology of the Body say about this?I’ve been practicing NFP with my husband since our marriage, but I’m struggling with my conscience. He wants to wait a year before trying to conceive, while I feel ready to start our family. I worry that NFP is being treated like contraception. I’m also feeling lonely and disconnected, especially since it’s easy to abstain for weeks. How do I talk to my husband about this, and am I wrong to think NFP isn't right for us right now?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.---🔥 Get 3 FREE sessions of our flagship course on Theology of the Body📕 Get a copy of Christopher's Eating the Sunrise: Meditations on the Liturgy & Our Hunger for Beauty⚡️ Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute and have a better chance of us answering your question? Join our Patron Community!---Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com.---Resources mentioned this week: View our COURSE SCHEDULE---🎥 Check out our YouTube Channel📚 View our COURSE SCHEDULE to register for a course, ONLINE or IN-PERSON!📘 GOOD NEWS ABOUT SEX & MARRIAGE by Christopher West. Use discount code MARRIAGE during checkout for 20% off one or multiple copies.🏔️ Join us on one of our pilgrimages!If you are in financial need and honestly cannot afford a book or resource recommended on this podcast, contact: michele@tobinstitute.org
Apr 14, 2025 • 55min
"Is the single life part of God’s plan too?, How can I love my husband when I don’t desire him?, Should I tell my kids about my sexual past?" | ACW328
Questions answered this episode:How can I affirm the single life as a valid and holy vocation, especially for those who feel overlooked in typical vocation stories?As a wife with low sexual desire due to hormones (e.g., postpartum), is it okay to engage in intimacy for my husband's sake even if it's uncomfortable—and is it wrong to show enthusiasm I don’t truly feel?When teaching my kids about sexuality, should I share my own past sexual sins—or could that send the wrong message, even though I’ve been forgiven?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.---🔥 Get 3 FREE sessions of our flagship course on Theology of the Body📕 Get a copy of Christopher's Eating the Sunrise: Meditations on the Liturgy & Our Hunger for Beauty⚡️ Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute and have a better chance of us answering your question? Join our Patron Community!---Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com.---Resources mentioned this week:View our COURSE SCHEDULE ---🎥 Check out our YouTube Channel📚 View our COURSE SCHEDULE to register for a course, ONLINE or IN-PERSON!📘 GOOD NEWS ABOUT SEX & MARRIAGE by Christopher West. Use discount code MARRIAGE during checkout for 20% off one or multiple copies.🏔️ Join us on one of our pilgrimages!If you are in financial need and honestly cannot afford a book or resource recommended on this podcast, contact: michele@tobinstitute.org
