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Man and Woman: Love & the Meaning of Intimacy
Drawing heavily on Scripture, these pages show that sex is neither an end in itself nor shameful, as some think. Steering the true course between the extremes of prudery and prurience, they explain how intimacy and sexuality bring to perfection the love between spouses.
105 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 1983
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About the author
Dietrich von Hildebrand
77 books210 followersDietrich von Hildebrand was a German Catholic philosopher and theologian who was called (informally) by Pope Pius XII "the 20th Century Doctor of the Church."
Pope John Paul II greatly admired the work of von Hildebrand, remarking once to von Hildebrand's widow, Alice von Hildebrand, "Your husband is one of the great ethicists of the twentieth century." Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has a particular admiration and regard for Dietrich von Hildebrand, whom he already knew as a young priest in Munich. In fact, as young Fr. Ratzinger, he even served as an assistant pastor in the church of St. Georg in Munich, which von Hildebrand frequented in the 1950s and 1960s. It was also in St. Georg that Dietrich and Alice von Hildebrand were married.
The degree of Pope Benedict's esteem is expressed in one of his statements about von Hildebrand, "When the intellectual history of the Catholic Church in the twentieth century is written, the name of Dietrich von Hildebrand will be most prominent among the figures of our time." Von Hildebrand was a vocal critic of the changes in the church brought by the Second Vatican Council. He especially resented the new liturgy. Of it he said "Truly, if one of the devils in C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters had been entrusted with the ruin of the liturgy, he could not have done it better."
Von Hildebrand died in New Rochelle, New York, in 1977.
Pope John Paul II greatly admired the work of von Hildebrand, remarking once to von Hildebrand's widow, Alice von Hildebrand, "Your husband is one of the great ethicists of the twentieth century." Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has a particular admiration and regard for Dietrich von Hildebrand, whom he already knew as a young priest in Munich. In fact, as young Fr. Ratzinger, he even served as an assistant pastor in the church of St. Georg in Munich, which von Hildebrand frequented in the 1950s and 1960s. It was also in St. Georg that Dietrich and Alice von Hildebrand were married.
The degree of Pope Benedict's esteem is expressed in one of his statements about von Hildebrand, "When the intellectual history of the Catholic Church in the twentieth century is written, the name of Dietrich von Hildebrand will be most prominent among the figures of our time." Von Hildebrand was a vocal critic of the changes in the church brought by the Second Vatican Council. He especially resented the new liturgy. Of it he said "Truly, if one of the devils in C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters had been entrusted with the ruin of the liturgy, he could not have done it better."
Von Hildebrand died in New Rochelle, New York, in 1977.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 29, 2025
Hildebrand does a very important job in defending the true grandeur of spousal love. He makes his case against reductionist view of sexuality and abuse of great value of human person. I found it deep in insight but sometimes the book lacks argumentative clarity. It is rather a spiritual book than philosophical tractate as it is intended.
“Love is responsiveness to value we find in beloved. Not in any means we are using those valuable qualities as means, rather we enjoy them for their sake.”
“Love is responsiveness to value we find in beloved. Not in any means we are using those valuable qualities as means, rather we enjoy them for their sake.”
October 2, 2010
Incredibly rich.
August 29, 2022
A worthy, and down-to-earth but insightful summary of the Church's teaching on the beauty of marriage, and more generally, of the meaning of what it is to be a human person as man or as woman. A highly recommended book, brief and an enjoyable read, suitable for anyone, especially couples preparing for marriage, young adults, and those wanting to deepen their theological and philosophical appreciation of the complementarity of the sexes. The moral issues of sexuality are raised in the context of a positive affirmation of human sexuality, a guide for a pastoral approach to these issues today.
Von Hildebrand adopts a personalist anthropology, informed by Thomist-Aristotelian metaphysics, but he is by no means proficient in this respect, adept rather in his penchant for phenomenology. I appreciated his intent to challenge certain classical anthropological understandings (e.g., of the faculties of the soul, what affectivity means spiritually), but feel he is wanting in this area. Introducing new categories and distinctions (e.g., between, instrumental finality, and superabundant finality) is certainly helpful for elucidating his point, but not exactly metaphysically precise. In other words, this is a worthy read, rich with insight, but a fair bit of distilling and refining its philosophy would be needed to incorporate his insights into a cohesive philosophical anthropology.
Von Hildebrand adopts a personalist anthropology, informed by Thomist-Aristotelian metaphysics, but he is by no means proficient in this respect, adept rather in his penchant for phenomenology. I appreciated his intent to challenge certain classical anthropological understandings (e.g., of the faculties of the soul, what affectivity means spiritually), but feel he is wanting in this area. Introducing new categories and distinctions (e.g., between, instrumental finality, and superabundant finality) is certainly helpful for elucidating his point, but not exactly metaphysically precise. In other words, this is a worthy read, rich with insight, but a fair bit of distilling and refining its philosophy would be needed to incorporate his insights into a cohesive philosophical anthropology.
June 26, 2016
Simply beautiful. Theology of the Body-esque with concepts to ponder over well after all's said and done.
April 23, 2025
Insightful and experientially true, but like most books of its type, lots of unsubstantiated claims. Still, I think it's very worth reading!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews