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Shared Joy

Peter J. Leithart

John Paul also ( Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology Of The Body , p. 161 ) notes that Adam reacts to the appearance of Eve with the first expression of joy: “For the first time, the man (male) shows joy and even exultation, for which he had no reason before, due to the lack of a being similar to himself. Joy for the other human being, for the second ‘I,’ dominates in the words the man (male) speaks on seeing the woman (female).”

Adam has no joy in isolation. Joy occurs in and with another. Joy happens in the between because joy is a gift of the Spirit who is the divine Between.

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Peter J. Leithart

Peter J. Leithart is president of the Theopolis Institute, Birmingham, Alabama. He posts regularly at his Substack, Notes from Beth-Elim.

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