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The formulation of therapeutic objectives and beauty of the human body:
goals of integration might beneficially be con- And you, God, “saw all that you had made, and
sidered in terms of the transcendentals of clas- it was very good” (Gen. 1:31)….This truth is
sical and perennial philosophy: first, being, as also declared by the beauty of bodies. A body
an organizing principle of the unity of the hu- composed of its constituent parts, all of which
man person (related to “integration” above), are beautiful, is far more beautiful as a whole
and then, beauty, truth, and goodness, respec- than those parts taken separately; the whole is
tively (discussed below). In manifesting these made of their well-ordered harmony, though
qualities, humanity reflects the image of God: individually the constituent parts are also beau-
“All creatures bear a certain resemblance to tiful. (Confessions, XIII.xxviii.43)
God, most especially man, created in the image It is possible, however, for our vision to be clear
and likeness of God. The manifold perfections or clouded: “The eye is the lamp of the body. So,
of creatures—their truth, their goodness, their if your eye is sound, your whole body will be
beauty—all reflect the infinite perfection of full of light; but if your eye is not sound, your
God.” (CCC, n. 41). John Paul II (1993) further whole body will be full of darkness” (Matthew
described the criteria for human perfection: 6:22-23, RSV). John Paul II (1984/2006) de-
In order to perfect himself in his specific order, scribed an important distinction between por-
the person must do good and avoid evil, be con- nography, which reduces the person to a mere
cerned for the transmission and preservation of object of pleasure, and works of art, which al-
life, refine and develop the riches of the material low the contemplation of the whole truth, di-
world, cultivate social life, seek truth, practice gnity, and beauty of the human person (63:5).
good and contemplate beauty. (n. 51) Previously, in a discussion on chastity, Wojtyła
An interesting parallel may be drawn between (1960/1981) suggested an attitude of reverential
the philosophical transcendentals of beauty, awe before the body of another in his indication
truth, and goodness, on the one hand, and the that “the human body must be ‘humble’ in face
neuroscientific brain functions of sensation, co- of the greatness represented by the person” (p.
gnition, and action, on the other. 172). The Christian therapist seeks to inspire in
the client wonder and awe before the beauty of
Beauty creation and the human person.

Contemplate beauty. Given our nature as sen- Reverence life. Along the lines of reverence for
tient beings, we have been created with the ca- the body, despite the vulnerability to disease
pacity to contemplate beauty, both of the natu- and death brought about by human fallenness,
ral world in general, and of the human form, we are made to respect the life we are given
in particular. Awakening in the garden, we and to care for the body. It is inherent for us
are made to open our eyes to sense the reality to seek to preserve our life; it is a healthy part
around us. It is proper to human beings to cul- of the design. We recognize the importance of
tivate this sense of wonder and awe before the physical health, of taking care of one’s form.
beauty of creation. Aquinas (1274/2012) reco- As embodied beings, it is natural to us to seek
gnized that “the beautiful is something pleasant pleasure and avoid pain, that is, to seek that
to apprehend” (Summa Theologiae I-II, 27.1 ad which is good for the body and to avoid that
3), and he identified three conditions of beauty: which is harmful. However, as human beings,
For beauty includes three conditions, integrity it is given for us to do so in the way of a human
or perfection, since those things which are im- and not merely that of an animal. Within the
paired are by the very fact ugly; due proporti- context of the Christian understanding that the
on or harmony; and lastly, brightness or clarity, profound unity of body and soul forms a sin-
whence things are called beautiful which have a gle human nature (CCC 365), John Paul II, in
bright color (ST I, 39.8 resp.). his Theology of the Body (1984/2006), sugge-
Contrary to a Manichaean (or later Puritani- sted that “the body expresses that the person”
cal) view, Augustine (398/1991) recognized the (7:2), and further that “the body enters into the

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