Nudity & Christianity [Paperback]

Jim Cunningham (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 29, 2006

Jim C. Cunningham considers his latest 588-page work, Nudity & Christianity, to be his "magnum opus." It represents the fruit of thirty years of research, meditation, discussion and many personal experiences. Though much of the material is new, Jim has included the best of his twenty-three years of naturist publishing. Although all of his previous publications (see naturistlife.com) were highly photographic, this latest is 100% textual, in hopes of reaching those who might be intimidated even by tasteful graphics. The insightful ideas of dozens of authors from various denominations are represented here, from Pope John Paul II to Dietrich Bonhoeffer, C.S. Lewis to Kahlil Gibran and even Mark Twain. The purpose of this book is to encourage readers to probe the reasons for wearing clothes. Today, Western convention tends to assume that "nude is lewd," but it was not always that way. For half the Church's history, catechumens--men, women, boys and girls, were routinely baptized together, nude, by full immersion. Today, we recoil at learning this, but how have cultural attitudes toward the body changed to effect this reaction? Jim asks those hard questions about the body and the meaning of true modesty, and exhorts Christians to lead the way in asserting God's definition of the body, rather than Playboy's. Instead of allowing pornographers to define the body for us, and then create a virtue of modesty to fit that false definition, Christians should assert God's definition as found in Scripture and Church Tradition. When we view the body as Jesus did, our definition of modesty becomes radically different from what is conventionally presumed. Two highly detailed indices (Scriptural and Topical) make this an excellent reference book. Readers are exhorted to live what they learn. Jim proposes attending "Theology of the Body Retreats." For more information go to JIMCCUNNINGHAM.COM.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jim was born in Lynn, Massachusetts, in 1953. Despite ten years of Catholic education, by his late teens he had lost his faith. Extensive foreign travel and studying the great books at the University of Massachusetts, led to a dramatic "reversion" to Catholicism in 1973. Disillusioned by conventional Christianity because it was more conventional than Christian, Jim seriously reexamined all of his assumed values, striving to conform them to Christ. While studying the Fathers of the Church and their routine custom of mixed, group, nude baptism, he asked what was considered unaskable: "Why wear clothes?" Jim discovered that convention required always covering the body because it regarded the body as negative, if not intrinsically evil. Seeing that this was not the mind of Christ, he quit his educational professions (theology teacher, guidance counselor, headmaster) and devoted himself full-time to naturist publishing, producing dozens of periodicals and books (see naturistlife.com), sharing his insights, developing a mailing list of over 6,000 people world-wide. In 1979 Jim married Linda. They homebirthed five children, raising them close to nature (e.g. no TV!) in the Green Mountains of Vermont. Jim has also studied at Catholic University in Washington, DC, and at the Angelicum in Rome, and holds a BA in Patristics from U. Mass. Since Jim's conversion, daily Mass has been the heart of his spirituality and the Liturgy of the Hours has been its lifeblood. Jim strongly emphasizes the necessity of meditating on the Word of God and having the courage to conform one's whole life to it.

Product Details

• Paperback: 596 pages
• Publisher: AuthorHouse (December 29, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1425975089
• ISBN-13: 978-1425975081
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #682,020 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Uncover the Facts on Nudity & Christianity, March 22, 2007

By 

T. H. Pine "The WordWorker" (Edison, New Jersey) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nudity & Christianity (Paperback)

Nudity & Christianity is Jim. C. Cunningham's magnum opus. At a time when philosophers pride themselves on being iconoclasts--gleefully taking pot shots at Christianity--Jim starts with the Bible as his base and argues from there. That he does this as an avowed Catholic makes it even more remarkable.

Jim is not some freethinking, pseudo-Christian, who takes snippets from Christianity, mixes it with a bit of eastern mysticism, and throws in some New Age thought for good measure. He makes no bones about his strong, Catholic faith and clearly writes how and why he came to view his Christian-based ideas regarding nudity as eminently logical. This dovetails with the Theology of the Body, introduced by Pope John Paul II. It's a shame Catholics in general don't give their faith the same honest and forthright examination--we'd all be better off for it.

Just as the title implies, Nudity & Christianity is a handbook on nudity ALL Christians can use, regardless of persuasion. Nudity & Christianity is a compendium of Christian thinking on the subject of nudity, gleaned from Jim's writings, and the writings of others. The table of contents alone is the size of a small pamphlet. In the back of the book, Jim has provided a Scriptural Index and a Topical Index--great tools in using a book of this size as a handy reference. The text is fully annotated throughout.

The sheer scope of its many treatises is amazing. Each article, whether long or short, is a concise distillation of Christian thought bent to the task of showing that simple, human nudity is not the odd, or sinful thing, most Christians think. Jim's sources are eclectic, ranging from lay friends, to the Pope himself (John Paul II).

In a book of this size and scope, it's hard to pick any particular piece (or pieces) as an example but two in particular do it for me--"Dialog of Conscience: Nudism & Scandal" and "Dialog of Conscience: The Cannes Principle" (pgs. 152-165). They discuss the issues of an innocent practice (i. e. offering wine at a family gathering) leading to someone else's sinning. In the second piece, they discuss the issue of a social practice that was once considered wrong becoming common practice through a change in social mores (i. e. swimsuit size). The principle of double effect and its four conditions is invoked. Good stuff--whether you're talking about nudity, or moral living in general. While the irreverent might think it just so much moral nit-picking, these dialogs are illustrations of how any moral person can come to grips with his or her faith, and mode of living, and not tie himself or herself into moral knots.

Another piece of must-read reading is Paul M. Bowman's "Open Letter to Evangelicals" (pgs. 166-169). It's essentially a letter to a pastor who decried Paul's view of nudity and it pulls no punches. Every Christian should have this piece copied and inserted under the front cover of his or her Bible.

If you call yourself a Christian and have an open mind, this book is a MUST in your library. Keep it on your reference shelf. It's as indispensable as the dictionary. It will remain one of my essential reference guides, right next to Strong's Concordance and Unger's Bible Handbook.

Note to all pastors (and laypersons), of all denominations: Get a copy of Nudity & Christianity and read it cover to cover. By performing this simple act, you will educate yourself on the theology of the human body, nudity, and how the body is integral to a complete faith. You will also insulate yourself from the urge to grab a picket sign and harass the naturists at the local clothing-optional beach.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very exhaustive Commentary, August 7, 2009

By 

Photo Tane (So. Cal) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nudity & Christianity (Paperback)

This book answers the lies we have been taught by society and the church over the last 1500 years. Jim does a good job of compiling writings from sources within both history and the church. The documentation at the back of the book will help an pastor or lay person with both study and sermon notes. What is the difference between pornography and the world view of prudery? This book answers this question and the anwer may surprise you.