Christopher West

American writer
the Catholic author

Christopher West (born 1969) is a Catholic author and speaker on gender and sexuality, best known for his work on Pope John Paul II’s series of audience addresses entitled Theology of the Body.

West graduated from Lancaster Catholic High School in 1988. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology in 1992 from the University of Maryland. In 1996 he was certified as an Instructor of Marriage Preparation from the Archdiocese of Washington, D. C. In 1997, he obtained a Master of Theological Studies at the John Paul II Institute at the Catholic University of America and became a Certified Catechist by the Archdiocese of Denver Catechetical School. West opposes homosexual sex and the use of contraception because West—in line with Catholic teaching—says that sex without the possibility of pregnancy is a sin.

He and his wife, Wendy, reside in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and have five children together.

West's work has attracted support from many Catholics, including both members of the laity and several bishops. Cecilia LeChevallier of the Diocese of Camden commented that "Christopher West is able to synthesize the Theology of the Body in an understandable and exciting way that gets people excited about it and excited about living it." Charles J. Chaput, O. F. M. Cap. Archbishop of Philadelphia says that "Christopher West’s keen grasp of John Paul II’s Theology of the Body and his ability to make it accessible to others is changing lives, strengthening marriages, and renewing people’s faith in the Church across the country and internationally." Moral theologian Dr. Janet Smith has defended West against his critics, saying his work is "completely sound." Justin Cardinal Rigali, Archbishop Emeritus of Philadelphia, and Kevin Rhoades, Bishop of Fort Wayne South Bend, issued a joint statement in support of West's work. Bishop Ronald Gainer of West's hometown Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg wrote a letter of good standing supporting West. Dr. Alice von Hildebrand, widow of Catholic theologian Dietrich von Hildebrand, has said West's approach has become too self assured. She criticized his presentations as irreverent and insensitive to the "tremendous dangers" of concupiscence.

West also responded to many of the critiques, acknowledging that "so long as we are on earth, we will always have to battle with concupiscence" and conceding "In some of my earliest lectures and tapes, I confess that I did not emphasize this important point clearly enough." However, he continues with the rhetorical question, taken from Veritatis Splendor 103, "Of which man are we speaking?" that "[Christ] has given us the possibility of realizing the entire truth of our being; he has set our freedom free from the domination of concupiscence."