If we locate our humanity entirely in our ability to be rational, then this raises troubling questions about the humanity of people who cannot exercise reason. If, however, we locate humanity in being made in the image of God then all human beings, whatever their capacity, are fully human and they remain fully human for the entirety of their life.

we cannot just substitute body for flesh and soul for spirit as though they are completely interchangeable.

Bodies per se are not evil, imprisoning or corrupting, they are the gift of God to be cherished and nurtured.

Taking time to take care of our bodies is a spiritual discipline and needs to be placed alongside prayer and worship in our thoughts about spirituality: sleep, exercise, pampering in a spa, having a well-cooked meal with friends are all part of spirituality and we should take care to ensure we do them regularly. They are not an indulgence, they are

Who we really are can only be understood in its biggest sense, not its smallest sense. It is our bodies, our actions and thoughts, our relationship together in and with Christ, our lives in the Spirit that all make up the real ‘me’ – or more accurately the real ‘us’.

Someone cannot declare themselves to be unimportant to the body (12.15–16) nor can they declare another part of the body unnecessary (12.21).

The more we become bound by the things of this world that call seductively to us, the harder it will be for us to experience the transformation of the life-giving Spirit.

disunity and conflict can be very damaging to the mission of the Church. Who would want to join a body that seems intent on chewing its own leg off?

the body we have now fits the old creation; our resurrection bodies will fit the new creation.