West is a fantastic guide to understanding contemporary Catholic thought. In the past, he has shed light on Pope John Paul's "theology of the body." In this book, he expounds on Pope Benedict's first encyclical, "God is Love."
"Our world is saturated with sex but remains starved for love" (2). We have commodified eros by detaching it from agape. "Two thousand years ago, Christianity produced a "revolution of love" in the social order, not because it rejected eros in favor of agape, but because it purified and infused eros with agape" (5).
The favored image of God's love used by saints and mystics is that of a bridegroom's love for his bride. West convincingly proves that the message of the Bible is about God's desire to love us, and have us love God in return.
This truth is impressed in the "one flesh" union of husband and wife. "Our bodies... are not only biological; they are also theological (13). They communicate a great mystery about God's love. Marriage is a visible sign of the eternal divine mystery.
In Christ, God's love takes human form. Christianity does not demonize but divinizes the human body. Therefore, "we do not need to shed our skin (as some world religions believe) to reach for the transcendent God. God took on our 'skin'--he became flesh--to meet us where we are" (23).
This is a fantastic introduction to the idea of divine love expressed in and through human relationships. It offers great insights on marriage, dating, chastity, and fidelity. Highly recommended!
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