Nudity & Christianity
Table
of Contents
Page i:
Contact
Info, Acknowledgments, Dedication
Page ii:
Table
of Contents
Page xv:
In Memoriam, Pope John Paul II
Page xvi:
Foreword
Jim C. Cunningham
Explanation
of the mechanics & idiosyncrasies of the book
Page xxi:
Introduction
Jim C. Cunningham
The
editor contextualizes the truths of the book within the framework of the
theology of the body
Page 1:
"Nakedness
Is not Immodest"
Pope John Paul II
This
whole book could be summed up in this one amazing excerpt written while he was
a Polish Cardinal
Page 2:
Let
It Shine!
Jim C. Cunningham
Most
Christians are as far from God's mind on the body's goodness as they are on the
blessedness of poverty because they listen to the world rather than the Word
Page 15:
On
Modesty
Kahlil Gibran
In
his inimitable style, Gibran comes in on the side of the natural purity and
modesty of nakedness
Page 15:
Nudity
not Immodest
Giovanni Agnesti, Archbishop of Lucca
This
brief quotation from an Italian Catholic archbishop sums it all up in a
nutshell
Page 16:
Born
again in Bethlehem
Jim C. Cunningham
Two
years after his rebirth to spiritual things, he is born again with respect to
the body on a pilgrimage to Bethlehem
Page 25:
De Nuditate Habituque
Jim C. Cunningham
After
seven years of prayer and study, he published this first article on nudity in
1983
Page 32:
Look
Mom, No Clothes!
Linda S. Cunningham
Actual
letter to her parents explaining newfound truth of the body's integral goodness
Page 35:
Don’t
Be a Ham—Respect Nudity!
Joan Turner
The
sin was Ham's disrespect—not Noah's nakedness
Page 36:
Correspondence
with Bishop John A. Marshall
Most Rev. John A Marshall & Jim C.
Cunningham
In
1983, when his pastor warned him not to approach the Communion rail, Jim
appealed to the Bishop of Burlington, Vermont, who said nudism is no sin
Page 51:
Catholicism
and Nudism
Fr. David Alton, Ph.D.
Priest
attempts to enlighten many Catholics who presume that social nudity is sinful
Page 55:
Naked
Truth
Jim C. Cunningham
Poem
on the honesty of nudity vs. the dishonesty of dress
Page 57:
Tolerant
Pluralism
Paul Redkovich II
Love
of God is expressed variously, requiring tolerance
Page 57:
Occasions
of Sin
Fred J. Gerty, Jr.
We
should use loving discretion in the presence of those for whom nudity may be an
occasion of sin
Page 59:
Establishing
Nude Customs
Jim C. Cunningham
We
need to reestablish occasions for chaste nudity
Page 64:
Hiding
the Evidence
Jim C. Cunningham
As
criminals hide the implements of their crimes, so Adam & Eve did likewise,
covering their loins with fig leaves
Page 66:
Nakedness:
God’s Plan
Wayne C. Olson
Since
Adam was not naked when he said he was afraid because he was naked, he was
hiding his sin, not his body
Page 69:
Different
Kinds of Naked
Le Roy E. Pickard
Naked
is not naked, as different Hebrew words are used in Genesis 2:25 (positive
naked) & 3:7 (negative naked)
Page 70:
Clothes
Divide
Joan Turner
If
the first symbol of division was clothes, then the best symbol of Christian
unity is nudity
Page 71:
The
Body’s Place in Christian Spirituality
Jim C. Cunningham
Authentic
spirituality involves the body no less than the soul, and love of God and
neighbor requires our bodies
Page 76:
Pope
Entertained by Topless Dancers
Jim C. Cunningham
Perfectly modest in traditional
costume, Papuan women dance with breasts
bared to welcome John Paul II
Page 77:
A
Priest Discovers the Christian Value of Nudism
Fr. Jonathan Mueller
When
doctor orders Fr. Jon to sunbathe nude, his German priest friends bring him to
their nudist camp
Page 79:
The
Lustful Dead
Joan Turner
The
cause of lust is not the exterior body, but the interior, lustful intention of
the heart
Page 81:
Praise
God in your Sunday Best
Jim C. Cunningham
Original,
amusing lyrics to the melody of the Easter hymn, "O filii et
filiae" ("Ye sons and
daughters")
Page 82:
Baring
the Bible
Harold Whitington
Biblical
overview shows many examples of godly nudity with no hint of any sexual
immodesty
Page 87:
Nudity
In Church
A Roman Catholic Priest
Citing
ancient sources, he shows how men, women and children were customarily baptized
together in the nude
Page 95:
The
Apostolic Tradition
St. Hippolytus of Rome
The
actual, ancient, eye-opening, third century text clearly enjoining group nudity
for baptisms
Page 99:
Circumcision:
A Theological View
Jim C. Cunningham
God's
choice of this peculiar, visible, covenantal sign shows He is anything but
puritanical
Page 102:
Nudity
in Art
Pope John Paul II
The
contemplation of nude art helps show the whole truth, dignity, beauty and
supra-sensuality of man
Page 103:
Jesus:
After the Resurrection
Harold Whitington
Jesus'
clothing was stolen on Calvary, and He rose from the dead nude, leaving His
burial wraps behind in the tomb
Page 103:
The
Bible & Nudism
Rev. La Rue C. Watson
In
both Old and New Testament times, nudity was commonplace and without
implications of any immorality
Page 113:
Streakers
& Prophets
Jim C. Cunningham
Streakers,
like Old Testament prophets, enjoy "prophetic license" to experience
and teach truths
Page 114:
The
Nudification of Culture
Jim C. Cunningham
Body
acceptance will not affect culture if chaste nudity is merely ghettoized in
restricted places
Page 117:
A
“Scandalized” Catholic
Carol L., M.D.
Moral
admonition after seeing the Cunningham family nude in Newsweek and reading about their proposed academy
Page 124:
Reply
Linda S. Cunningham
Linda
responds, explaining her renewal of mind about nudity and the goodness and
purity of the body
Page 126:
Vatican
II on the Body
From Gaudium et Spes
Man
may not despise his bodily life and is obliged to regard his body as good and
honorable since God created it
Page 127:
Spirituality
vs. Sensuality? Our Senses Are for Union!
Jim C. Cunningham
Contrary
to puritanical belief, both sensuality and sexuality are holy, leading to union
with others and God
Page 132:
Christian
Nudist Manifesto
Jim C. Cunningham
Exhortation
to Christians to live the truth of the redemption of the whole man — soul and body
Page 135:
The
Naked Fishermen: 7 Reflections (on John 21:4-13)
Steve Devore, Paul M. Bowman, Rev.
Jeffrey Hitt, Don Haroldsson, Linda S. Cunningham, Rev. Dr. William Caple &
Fr. Jim Byrnes
Laymen,
ministers and priests reflect on the nakedness of St. Peter while fishing after
the resurrection
Page 141:
Temple
of the Spirit
John R. Kane
An
article about a nudist priest shocked this Australian to think, and soon he,
too, became a Christian naturist
Page 144:
Ashamed—of
the Way God Made Me?
Author Unknown
This
poem expresses the incompatibility of Christianity and the shame of nudity
Page 145:
Some
Interpretations
Larry Hamilton
An
Episcopalian shares insights into Leviticus 18:6-20; Luke 8:27-35; I Timothy
2:9 & Romans 14:14
Page 147:
On Offense & Discretion
Gene Caywood
While we should be sensitive to those offended by
nudity, it is not a question of scandal
Page 152:
Dialog
of Conscience: Nudism & Scandal
Jim C. Cunningham
Applying "The Principle of Double
Effect" sheds profound light on the question of nudity and scandal
Page 157:
Dialog
of Conscience: The Cannes Principle
Jim C. Cunningham
Why
those who initiated fashion customs no longer deemed immodest were not immodest
back then either
Page 166:
Open
Letter to Evangelicals
Paul M. Bowman
Actual
letter to pastor & parishioners lucidly defends the naturist lifestyle from
the Bible
Page 170:
Naked,
I Follow Naked Jesus
Greg Cook
As
drunk driving does not impugn driving itself, neither should pornography impugn
wholesome nudity
Page 174:
Jewish
Men Had No “Privates”
Jim C. Cunningham
Jews
did not worship the phallus like the pagans, but they highly honored the
exposed glans as a covenantal symbol
Page 194:
The
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Jim C. Cunningham
Man,
soul & body, is the highest perfection of creation & he must regard his
body as good and hold it in honor
Page 202:
As
Little Children…
Jim C. Cunningham
Social
nudity both requires many child-like qualities such as honesty, and also helps
us acquire them
Page 212:
Commentary:
Revelation 3:15-18
Jim C. Cunningham
Scripture
itself says the only truly negative kind of nakedness is being bereft of good
deeds and virtues
Page 216:
The
Bible & Nakedness
Fig Leaf Forum
A
clear, succinct overview on the theme included in each issue of the fig Leaf Forum
newsletter
Page 217:
Commentary:
Leviticus 18:6-23
Jim C. Cunningham
The
law against "uncovering the nakedness" of close kin concerned sexual
intercourse—not nudity
Page 220:
The
Original Sin & the Fig Leaf
Jim C. Cunningham
To
understand man's first invention—clothes—we must first understand the nature of
the sin that occasioned them
Page 242:
All Things to All Men
Bishop
Alejandro Labaca
Capuchin Franciscan missionary bishop's missiology
includes adopting native dress (or, rather, lack thereof!)
Page 245:
On
Modesty
C. S. Lewis
Chastity is absolute and universal, but
definitions of modesty are culturally relative
Page 246:
Noah
& the Gerasene
Fr. Pat, OFM Cap.
Capuchin
priest interprets two Bible stories involving nudity, concluding that not all
nudity is appropriate
Page 248:
Commentary:
I Timothy 2:9f
Gary Pence
True
Christian modesty means clothing oneself with good works, not fabrics
Page 249:
To
the Pure…
Rev. Jeffrey Allen Mackey
Purified
by Christ, unlike fallen Adam, Christians again perceive the purity of their
bodies
Page 251:
YITZ
Joel S. Heller
An
amusing fiction vignette based on the non-fiction of Isaiah's three years of
total nudity
Page 253:
The
“Less Honorable” Parts
Jim C. Cunningham
The
Christian mind demands a very different attitude toward body parts disdained by
the world
Page 266:
Benedict
XVI's Encyclical
Pope Benedict XVI
In
his first encyclical, the pope admits that, in the past, Christian tradition
has sometimes opposed the body
Page 267:
Nudism
& Christianity: A Dialog
Jim C. Cunningham
Fictional
skit teaches truths about social nudity as one Christian couple explains
naturism to another
Page 279:
Nudity:
Humble & Modest
Fr. James G. Dodge, OCSO
When
nudity is a realization of our essential nothingness, it is a serious way to a
real union with God
Page 284:
A
Rational Choice
Drew Corrigan
This
Australian fundamentalist relates his family's very interesting odyssey towards
social nudity
Page 293:
Spiritual
Blindness
Michelangelo Buonarotti
The
naked Human body is far more noble & beautiful than the garments with which
it is clothed
Page 294:
Jesus
vs. Naturism
Jim C. Cunningham
If
authentic faith informs our naturism, there can be no dichotomy such as
"Christian first, naturist second"
Page 298:
Before
Hearts Were Hard: The Way We Were
Rick Means
It
is valid to appeal to how we were before the fall, as this was how Christ
restored permanent monogamy
Page 301:
Man
Created “Modesty”
Mark Twain
A
Christian mother’s first duty is to soil her child’s mind, imposing body shame,
and she does not neglect it
Page 302:
Brain-Picking
Catholic
Bob Contreras & Jim C. Cunningham
Actual
correspondence where Cunningham replies to several concerns of a serious
Catholic
Page 311:
Debates…
Debates!
Jim C. Cunningham
Cunningham
tells the story of his televised debate, "Is Nudity God's Will?" on
PBS TV in 1997
Page 314:
From
Pilgrim’s Progress
John Bunyan
You'll
be surprised to see how non-puritanical this Puritan Christian classic actually
is!
Page 315:
Nude
Baptism in the Early Church
Larry Amyett, Jr.
This
knowledgeable Protestant reveals many historical truths in ecclesiastical
history
Page 323:
Curiosity
Jim C. Cunningham
Everyday
culture should allow for the fulfillment of natural, physical curiosity which
is not evil, but a gift from God
Page 332:
The
Naked Pilgrim
Jim C. Cunningham
This
autobiographical Fiction teaches many truths about our bodies and their
relation to the Body of Christ
Page 343:
On
the Creation of Man
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Popular
Lutheran theologian teaches that man's body is no mere shell, but is him; he is of earth as well as of God
Page 346:
What
Would People Think?
Jim C. Cunningham
Amusing
instances of nudity, authored by God or His Church, that "common
sense" would roundly condemn
Page 349:
Naked
on the Cross
Michael A. Kowalewski
Theological,
spiritual and moral ramifications of the naked crucifixion, based on the
Fathers of the Church
Page 359:
Body
No Big Deal?
Jim C. Cunningham
Response
to correspondent who downplays the importance of the physical body in the
scheme of things
Page 363:
Belloc
No "Angelist"
Hilaire Belloc
Catholic
intellectual cannot relate to any spirituality without sensuality, nor vice
versa
Page 364:
Woman
to Woman
Pat Brindamour & Linda S.
Cunningham
Pat
seeks advice after her Protestant pastor told her that naturism is harmful for
her two sons
Page 365:
Nakedness:
next to Godliness
Jim C. Cunningham
We
image God more fundamentally by the very fact of our physical existence and its exposure than by other qualities
Page 381:
Tolkien’s
Naked Fellowship
Linda S. Cunningham
She
rejoices that young readers can encounter wholesome nude scenes in this popular
Catholic fiction writer
Page 383:
Commentary:
I Thessalonians 5:22
Bill Asseln
Exegesis
on avoiding even the appearance of evil
Page 384:
More
on Nude Baptism
Fig Leaf Forum
Additional
patristic sources confirm the historical truth that mixed nudity was regarded
as the baptismal norm
Page 385:
The
Philokalia: On Spiritual Nakedness
St. Neilos the Ascetic
This
orthodox classic matter-of-factly uses cultural nudity as metaphor of necessary,
spiritual nakedness
Page 388:
For
Your Eyes Only?
Jim Thurman & Jim C. Cunningham
Cunningham
responds to Thurman's wife's belief that her naked body is for his eyes only
Page 394:
Nude
Wrestling
St. Clement of Alexandria
This
eminent, early Father of the Church commends nude wrestling as the ideal
Christian sport
Page 396:
Topless
Penitence
Jim C. Cunningham
Isaiah
was not only a nude preacher, but he commanded women to go topless as a form of
penitence
Page 396:
Commentary:
I Corinthians 10:25-31
Jim C. Cunningham
Whether
you eat or drink, dress or undress, do all to the greater glory of God
Page 399:
Designed
for Nakedness
Leigh Orton
Nudity
should be the norm for society as that is how we were designed by God
Page 403:
Nothing
Shall I Want
Jim C. Cunningham
Fiction
applying good Shepherd Psalm to naturist situation
Page 417:
The
Baptism of the Lord
Orthodox Liturgy
Orthodox
ritual insists Christ was naked in the Jordan and this has profound
significance
Page 418:
The
Scandal of Neglect
Jim C. Cunningham
The
chronic neglect by churchmen to teach truth regarding the body and sexuality is
grave scandal
Page 426:
The
Naked Baptism of Christ
Michael A. Kowalewski
Sacramental
nakedness makes available a stream of divine grace which flows from the paschal
mystery of Christ
Page 440:
St.
Ambrose: The Virtue of Nakedness
Michael A. Kowalewski
Interpretations
of the nakedness of two Old Testament giants of faith—Joseph and Isaiah
Page 445:
Commentary
on Job: The Naked Poor
Jim C. Cunningham
None
of the many mentions of nudity in Job have anything at all to do with immodesty
Page 450:
Behold: It Is Very Good!
Jim C. Cunningham
Clear,
simple, traditional morality applied to naturism, including the application of
the "principle of double effect"
Page 464:
Theology
of the Body
Pope John Paul II
Choice,
deep excerpts on sexuality and the body from his early weekly Wednesday Angelus
audiences
Page 464:
The
Oldest Excuse
Funny
Christian joke
Page 465:
Naked
Crucifixion
Winston & Jim C. Cunningham
The
loincloth on almost all crucifixes is unscriptural, unhistorical, and an
attempt to clothe God in our own hang-ups
Page 468:
Commentary:
James 1:13-16
Jim C. Cunningham
God
did not, and cannot, create evil, but created all things, including the human
body, for holiness
Page 484:
Blessed Are the Persecuted
Jim C.
Cunningham
The
prospect of persecution should not deter us from living truth—including the
truth of the body
Page 494:
St.
Paul and the Body
Jim C.
Cunningham
When
St. Paul sometimes seems to be negative on the body, he is referring to
carnality—self-gratifying desires
Page 497:
Leap
of Faith
(Rev.) Charles A. Waugaman
Poem
by retired Baptist minister on spring, Easter and nakedness as freedom from sin
Page 498:
Bodies
Wonderful!
Jim C. Cunningham
Uplifting
exhortation to live the truth of the body
Page 509:
Scriptural
Index
Page 532:
Topical
Index