Purity

Dietrich von Hildebrand

When first published, von Hildebrand's books on marriage and purity rediscovered the essence of the true Catholic understanding of sexuality, and thereby revolutionized the dominant view of sexuality, which was almost 2000 years old and which was often negative and puritan.

Today, von Hildebrand's thoughts on the spiritual meaning of sex and love are also a key to understanding Pope John Paul II's grandiose and audacious theology of the body.

This book opened the eyes of countless young people to the depths, seriousness, and beauty of human sexuality as mystery and fulfillment of spousal love - and to the horror of impurity which desecrates this mystery.

Together with the theology of the of the body of Pope John Paul II, von Hildebrand's writings on purity and sexuality may merit for the Twentieth Century the title of the greatest century in Church history with respect to the philosophy and theology of marriage.

Von Hildebrand's lively and fascinating analyses of love and sexuality will strike you by their beauty and depth, as much today as when the young von Hildebrand wrote this book, which already has made Church history.

If you are looking for an utterly positive understanding of love and sex, which throws into light the great virtue of purity and the greatness of marriages as love-community, this is the book for you.