The Christian Personalism Of Pope John Paul Ii

An introduction to the personalist philosophy of St. John Paul II, written by John F. Crosby, a longtime friend of the former pope, and a leading personalist philosopher.

Study on the social doctrines of John Paul II, Pope, 1920-2005.

Finding that a coherent philosophical view is present throughout much of Wojtyla's work, Schmitz also discovers that Wojtyla's sensitivity to both modern and ancient thought and culture was already vividly present in his work as a young student in Cracow. As Pope John Paul II continues to make his mark in the history of the Roman Catholic Church and of the world, this book will prove invaluable to philosophers, theologians, and the educated reader who wishes learn more about his thought.

“In the history of the Catholic Church no Pope can compete with John Paul II in the sheer number of Apostolic visits to the followers of Christ living in Diaspora among different nations and races, various cultural and religious communities. St. John’s “we believe in love” (I John 4:16) and St. Paul’s “love of Christ urges us” (II Cor 5:14) compels John Paul II to make so many pilgrimages throughout the world in order to bring contemporary man closer to Our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the ultimate foundation in creating One Family of Man in God. In response to his spiritual concern for the well-being of—not only the faithful—but all men of good will, people have expressed their gratitude to Pope John Paul II in manifold ways: from a pig offered by Papuans during his visit to New Guinea, to statues and monuments constructed in other visited places.” —From the Preface

A longtime friend and student of the late Pope John Paul II, Stanislaw Grygiel in this book reflects on the life and thought of this extraordinary pope, giving new insight into his character and his vision of beauty as the path that leads us to God. More than simply biographical information about John Paul II -- who was Bishop Karol Wojtyla before he became pope -- or a dry academic analysis of his teaching, Discovering the Human Person derives from Grygiel’s extensive firsthand interaction with Wojtyla. Grygiel reflects on the importance of Christian personalism, or communion, as the ground of John Paul II’s life, particularly in response to the communist environment that surrounded him in Poland. Grygiel also addresses the pope’s call for a new evangelization, his understanding of marriage and family, and the relationship of those to a genuine, healthy understanding of nation and state.

Moral theologian Samuel Gregg addresses issues surrounding the Pope's personal influence on developments in Catholic social teaching. He compares the treatment of industrial relations, capitalism, and relations between developed and developing countries in John Paul's three social encyclicals with the handling of these three topics in the teachings of the Council and Paul VI, arguing that John Paul's critical engagement with the modern world has contributed significantly to Catholic social teaching, particular its moral-anthropological dimensions. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Written by one of Pope John Paul II's closest friends and counselors, this intellectual biography is the standard work for all who want to understand John Paul's philosopical mind .