An Introduction to Theology of the Body at SMOS
In the early 1980s, St. Pope John Paul II gave 129 public audiences where he preached about our creation as human beings. He explained that God created all people in his image and likeness, and were the only beings in all of creation to be made this way. Because we were created in God’s image, we have an inherent human dignity that should be protected and celebrated. This is the main theme of the Theology of the Body curriculum used in all Archdiocesan schools this year and in the years to come.
As a Catholic school, St. Margaret of Scotland will be part of the Archdiocesan initiative to bring the message of Theology of the Body to students ages K-8. All schools will use a curriculum created by the Ruah Woods Institute, which consists of 9 lessons. These lessons will supplement our existing religion curriculum. They will not replace the existing curriculum series we use to teach the Archdiocesan religion standards. Furthermore, like with any curricular material, St. Margaret of Scotland administration and teachers are discerning how to implement these lessons and connect them to our mission and charism at SMOS. If you are interested in the content of these lessons, please see the details below for the lesson themes for each grade level.
Please note that Theology of the Body is often confused as being teachings about human sexuality. Our Theology of the Body curriculum will not be used as a family life or sexual education course. The lessons presented will provide our students with teachings of Christ that are based on Holy Scripture and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This curriculum will allow all students to engage in healthy dialogue about what the Church teaches about our human dignity.
If you have any further questions about the Theology of the Body, please contact Gwen Heithaus (gheithaus@stmargaretstl.org).