The Theology of the Body by Pope John Paul II. The Polish pope unfolds a new and unique panorama in the 133 biblical catecheses presented here on the meaning of the human body, with significant consequences for theology and for the practice of Christian spouses. The biblical texts from Genesis through the Song of Songs and other books of Scripture to the letters of Paul serve as a textbook on the dignity of man, which can and should be realized precisely through his corporeality. In small steps, the pope takes his readers on a fascinating journey of understanding, not shying away from provocative questions. The Bible guides us to understand God's plan with the creation of man as male and female and with their calling to personal unity in the body. The sometimes bold thematization and unreserved affirmation of the divine plan in these catecheses, which can be considered the heart of a "theology of the body," will, according to the pope's biographer George Weigel, produce unforeseen effects in the Church and the world and will one day be regarded as a decisive moment in the history of modern thought. The editors are Prof. Dr. Norbert and Renate Martin, members of the Pontifical Council for the Family since 1981. Norbert Martin taught sociology at the University of Koblenz and at the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family at the Lateran University in Rome. Renate Martin, a philologist and mother of four, works with her husband in Germany and internationally in the field of marriage education and family pastoral care.