Ask Christopher West

Theology of the Body Institute
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Jul 21, 2025 • 50min

Can violent men change, Can I grieve my boyfriend’s past, Does marriage distract us from God? | ACW342

Questions answered this episode:I’m a prosecutor working with men who’ve abused women. I speak to them about porn, objectification, and Love and Responsibility. What else should I say to reach hearts already hardened by violence?My boyfriend isn’t a virgin, but I am. He’s repented, but I still feel sad and conflicted. Am I allowed to grieve what we’ll never share?If marriage helps us grow in holiness, why does Scripture say the unmarried are more focused on God? Did Jesus contradict marriage by calling Peter away from his wife?Resources:⁠Event in Rome Link⁠⁠COURSE SCHEDULE⁠⁠⁠⁠Join us on one of our pilgrimages!⁠⁠TOBI Event Calendar---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 you 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
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Jul 14, 2025 • 52min

What if your scars are part of heaven, when your wife never loves you back, does your sexual past ruin your future? | ACW341

Questions answered this episode:I've been reflecting on how God uses our wounds to reveal His glory. Could our scars remain in our glorified bodies, like Christ's, as signs of His redemptive love?I feel emotionally and spiritually neglected in my marriage. How can I love my wife like Christ when she won't respond?I converted to Catholicism after a painful sexual past and porn addiction. How do I heal and trust God's plan for my future?Resources:Event in Rome Link---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 you 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
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Jul 7, 2025 • 56min

Choosing Continence, Healing a Wife’s Wounded Heart, the Theology of Jeremiah’s Loincloth | ACW340

• Continence in Marriage – Why would some spouses adopt lifelong continence—living as “brother and sister”—instead of periodic abstinence, must both freely agree, and how does it square with openness to children and the call to holiness?• Infatuation & Healing – After 15 years and five kids, my wife confessed an intense infatuation with a friend. I fear my own lust and past contraceptive choices played a role. How can we heal our marriage and what prayers or litanies can re‑align our desires with God?• Jeremiah’s Girdle – In Jeremiah 13:11 God likens Israel to a waistband clinging to loins. Is there a deeper Theology‑of‑the‑Body meaning hidden in this striking image beyond the literal prophecy?Resources: ⁠JPII Legacy Foundation Website⁠⁠Referenced ACW Episode⁠ ⁠John Paul II Healing Center⁠⁠John Paul II Healing Center Events⁠⁠Desert Stream Ministries⁠ ⁠Restore the Glory Podcast⁠ ⁠⁠List of trusted counselors & psychologists⁠⁠---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
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Jun 30, 2025 • 1h 16min

He only has eyes for me, My body reacts and I feel guilty, I feel used and unseen in marriage | ACW339

I want a husband who only has eyes for me. Am I wrong for feeling hurt and insecure when men—especially married ones—speak lustfully about other women?I love my fiancée, but I feel guilty when my body reacts sexually during affection. Am I letting things go too far, or is this out of my control?My marriage feels one-sided and painful. I feel used in sex and emotionally unseen. Despite trying everything, I’m losing hope—what should I do?Resources:COURSE SCHEDULE---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
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Jun 23, 2025 • 56min

Is Physical Beauty a Distraction or a Gift?, Should I Refuse a Bridesmaid Dress That Violates My Modesty?, Is Trying to Conceive Killing Our Intimacy? | ACW338

If spiritual beauty is deeper and more important, does aesthetic beauty still have value? And why do we emphasize it with fashion or makeup?After embracing modesty through TOB, I feel convicted not to wear a revealing bridesmaid dress for a Catholic wedding. How do I honor my conscience without offending my cousin?Sex feels clinical and disconnected while trying to conceive. Am I wrong to want emotional connection even when we’re being practical?Resources:TOBI Event CalendarLove & 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 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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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

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