A Personal Invitation from Christopher West

It is with great pleasure that I welcome Dr. Michael Waldstein to the Theology of the Body Institute faculty to teach the newest certification course with us this summer. He has been a professional colleague of mine and a tireless supporter of the Institute's mission to spread the message of the Theology of the Body. He is a professor of theology at Ave Maria University and holds prestigious degrees from Thomas Aquinas College in California, the University of Dallas, the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome and the Harvard Divinity School. He is also a devoted husband and father of eight children.

Although I had long known of his work, I first met Michael Waldstein in 2005 when he contacted me to assist him with the new translation of John Paul II's catechesis. The Theology of the Body world is deeply indebted to Dr. Waldstein for his superb English translation of Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body and for uncovering the previously unknown and undelivered sections of the catechesis.

This summer Dr. Waldstein will unpack for our students the great riches of John Paul II's documents (other than TOB) dealing with issues of gender, marriage, and the family. These include On the Christian Family in the Modern World, On the Dignity and Vocation of Women, Letter to Women and Letter to Families. I will be present throughout the week and will offer some guest lectures on integrating John Paul II's TOB into one's own prayer life (as Pope Benedict XVI put it, he who prays "seeks to enter into nuptial union" with the Lord).

This course is filling up quickly. Don't miss out on this wonderful opportunity to tap into the wisdom of Dr. Michael Waldstein, truly one of the finest TOB scholars in the world. I look forward to seeing you.