Nudity and the Church
Return to DiscussionsKarol Cardinal Wojtyla (Blessed Pope John Paul II) onnakedness: "The human body can remain naked and uncovered and preserve
intact its splendor and its beauty... Nakedness as such is not to be equatedwith physical shamelessness... Immodesty is present only when nakedness plays anegative role with regard to the value of the person...The human body is not init self shameful... Shamelessness (just like shame and modesty) is a functionof the interior of a person." Love and Responsibility, 1981
In some of the Church's frescoes, statues and paintings,nudity is depicted. The Sistine Chapel is perhaps the best known of these.
Painted mostly by Michelangelo, it originally had more nudity than Mezo beachon a hot summer day. Commissioned by Pope Julius II, he apparently did notobject to the nudity; but he was perhaps more known for warfare than a championof the arts. Subsequent Popes had various pieces of cloth painted over most ofthe original nude depictions. During the most recent restoration of Sistine Chapelin the 1980's/1990's, some of the originally nudity was restored.
It is well know the Bible contains references to nudity. Themost known is perhaps the account in Genesis after Adam and Eve ate of theforbidden fruit. If Adam and Eve were made in the image and likeness of God,then one might assume God is nude. There is no reference in Genesis that Adamand Eve saw themselves naked and God clothed.Genesis 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and.behold,it wasvery good. And the evening and themorning were the sixth day.
There are different interpretations as to why Adam and Evediscovered they were naked, became shamed and covered themselves with figleaves. One interpretation is they were shameful because they sinned againstGod. They sewed fig leaves to hide from God, not necessarily they becameshameful of their nakedness. The various interpretations might be due totranslations from the original Hebrew text and then retranslated into otherlanguages. Similar words have different meanings.
In the early Church, those being baptized were nude--men,women and children, although some have questioned the historicaccuracyof this. Jesus presumably was nude when baptized by John theBaptist. Jesus was nude while washing the apostles feet at the last supper(John 13: 4-5) and after his resurrection (John 20: 5-7). There are accountsPeter was nude (John: 21-7). The blind Bartimaeus came before Jesus nude without hisobjection (Mark 10: 45-50). I am by no means pretend to be a Biblical expert. Itseems when nudity is condemned in the Bible, sensuality or lust is alsoinvolved. That begs the question: there is no sensuality/lust when people areclothed? I am writing this while watching a football game. There is nocoincidence there is always a (fully clothed) voluptuous women involved inpre/post game shows. I would be interested in other opinions.