PODCAST · religion
Ask Christopher West
by Theology of the Body Institute
Since the early 90's, author and speaker Christopher West has devoted his life to spreading John Paul II's revolutionary teaching on human life, love, and sexuality: The Theology of the Body. His beloved wife Wendy, mother of their five children, has served as his confidante, friend, and support through these long years of ministry. In this podcast, Christopher and Wendy combine their wisdom to tackle the toughest questions dealing with vocation, sexuality, marriage, and the Catholic faith.
Episodes
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I Feel Guilty My Kids Need More Affection, I’m Angry at God Over Same-Sex Attraction, I Love Being Single but Feel Called to Date | ACW406
Questions answered this episode: I have four kids, ages 10 and under. We as humans are made body and soul, and our bodies are made to express loving connections to one another. I lean towards gentle parenting—hugging my kids often and holding their hands when they fall asleep. Sometimes I feel...
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The Theology of the Sacred Heart, I Want More Children But I’m Afraid of Losing Myself, and My Boyfriend Wonders If He Can Lead a Wife Older Than Him | ACW405
Questions answered this episode: My mom is going to design the glass windows of a church dedicated to the Sacred Heart. Can you explain the theology of the Sacred Heart of Jesus? I'm in my late 20s, married with two young kids, and grew up with 10 siblings. My mom was very worn out, their…
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I’m Confused About What It Means to Be Holy, I’m Single at 35 and Losing Hope for a Family, & I’m Afraid My Love for Priests Is Becoming Disordered | ACW404
Questions answered this episode: Learning to see the world through TOB lenses has given me such clarity and rest. My question today is about holiness. Could you explain what holiness actually is? I come from a Protestant background, and growing up, the word holy was reserved for God alone. It...
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I Love My Baby So Much I Want to Eat Him, I'm Terrified Another Baby Will Destroy Our Finances, & How Can Singles Experience Marital Ecstasy? | ACW403
Questions answered this episode: I have a little girl, about 5 months old, and I was visiting a friend with a baby boy the same age. While visiting and playing with our babies, we both at one point pretended to eat our babies' feet, cheeks, and legs, and were talking about how we just wanted to…
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I want marriage but I’m scared I can’t handle motherhood, Why does the Theology of the Body logo look like that, & I’m afraid I’m lusting after my fiancée | ACW402
Questions answered this episode: I'm a single woman trying to discern if I'm called to marriage, but I'm not sure it would be responsible for me to have kids. I manage my depression, anxiety, and OCD well now because of downtime, sleep, and control over my day-to-day. However, I'm really bad at...
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Breastfeeding Changed How I Dress, God Is Calling Me to Heal Through Touch, & I’m Terrified to Face What I’ve Done | ACW401
Questions answered this episode: My question is regarding modesty for moms, particularly. Growing up and in dating and marriage, I was always careful to dress modestly. However, now that I'm a mom and breastfeeding especially, I find it a lot easier and more comfortable to wear shirts that are a...
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Did Jesus and Mary feel sexual desire without lust?, My daughter transitioned and I’m grieving the body I raised, & Why am I nervous about my wedding night? | ACW400
Questions answered this episode: I was listening to an episode in which you were asked whether Jesus and Mary had sexual desires. And you said they had natural sexual desires, but not lustful desires. The distinction between these two concepts is not obvious to me. I'm wondering if you can...
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Carried My Ex’s Heaviest Sin but He Broke My Heart, Dating a Friend from Highschool After Seminary & Does My Gray Hair Make Me Undesirable? | ACW399
Questions answered this episode: Last year, I broke up with my boyfriend of three years, whom I really believed I was going to marry. One of our struggles was his porn addiction, which sadly led him to abuse his sister. Devastated, I chose to forgive and love him, reasoning that if God forgives…
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Attracted to pregnant women, Rigorist Priest Quoting Saints on Sexual Intimacy, & How Wendy Coped with Christopher’s “Cluelessness”| ACW398
Questions answered this episode: How can you tell if you're looking at someone with lust or with proper reverence? I saw a beautiful woman during mass one day, and I just wanted to look at her and admire her beauty. But I feel like there's a fine line between awe and lust that I can't quite...
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We're Engaged but Can't Stop Crossing the Line, Why Does the Church Care About Scattered Ashes?, & Why Did God Give Me These Desires? | ACW397
Questions answered this episode: My fiancé and I recently became engaged. I was in the seminary where I wrote my master's thesis on TOB, and my fiancé has also learned about it. We've been trying to live out TOB teachings in our engagement, which has been a true blessing. However, we keep on...
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My C-Section Still Haunts Me, What Does the Church Say About Contraception After Rape?, & My OCD Makes Me Hurt Myself | ACW396
Questions answered this episode: In the Theology of the Body, you speak about how the female body reflects God's love through its capacity to receive, nurture, and bring forth life. After a traumatic first C-section, I struggle to understand how this truth applies to my story. Although I later…
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Should I Keep My Chastity Streak?, Why Does Virginity Sound Holier Than My Marriage?, and Is Sex Okay When We Feel Maxed Out? | ACW395
Questions answered this episode: I'm a young man currently discerning the priesthood and applying to enter the seminary next year. For most of my life, I've struggled with lust and masturbation. Even though I'm in control today, I know this is a cross I have to bear for the rest of my life. What…
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Deep sea diving into your spouse's heart, Theology of a newborn's first cry, and Financial help for vasectomy reversal | ACW394
Questions answered this episode: 1. You talk on your podcast about how a spouse is vast and deep interiorly, using the analogy of deep sea diving. If you commit to exploring that interior life, you'll never be bored. My husband and I have been married for 11 years. Recently, some things from our...
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Finding a spiritual director without replacing your spouse, TOB & hunting, and Panic attack during the marital | ACW393
Questions answered this episode: 1. I've been married for over 10 years. My spouse and I have a good solid faith filled relationship. Sometimes, however, the thought of having a spiritual director sounds interesting to me. I just wondered what spiritual direction looks like for a married...
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Spontaneous prayer with your boyfriend, The raw truth about fornication, and What to do when making love hurts. | ACW392
Questions answered this episode: I'm currently dating a good Catholic man. I feel we may be called to marriage, and a deepening of our prayer life together may help us better discern that call. We pray the rosary together every night, which has been a tremendous blessing. But I feel the need to...
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Were We Really Married That First Night?, My Boyfriend's Secret Lust Broke My Heart, and Should Boys Still Be Circumcised? | ACW391
Questions answered this episode: Suppose a couple marries in the Catholic Church but mutually agrees to use contraception initially, intending to have children later. On their wedding night, they engage in marital relations. After seven years, they stop using contraception and have two children.…
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Pre-wedding playfulness feels like pressure, How can a man be called bride?, and Processing my father’s suicide. | ACW390
Questions answered this episode: I’m engaged and will be married in August 2026. My fiancé and I both have sexual pasts, but we have waited and are continuing to wait to have sex for the first time in marriage. This has been very difficult. My fiancé has gotten frustrated with my response when he...
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Dark fantasies threaten marriage, Did Jesus have a body before birth?, and Vaginismus fears | ACW389
Questions answered this episode: Hi Christopher and Wendy, this is Matt. I wrote previously regarding a season of deep relational pain and sexual brokenness in our marriage. First, we have to share a miracle. The sacrifice you suggested—asking the global community to fast for our healing—brought…
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Is Latin Mass superior?, He wants me in revealing clothes, and Coming back to Church risks my marriage. | ACW388
Questions answered this episode: I just wondered about Latin Masses in the Catholic Church. I live in the United States, and no one speaks Latin here, so I wondered what the draw is to go to Latin Masses. It feels like in Catholic circles those who go to Latin Masses are considered more Catholic....
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Why is Jesus clothed on the Cross, I'm terrified my baby will see us, & I feel grossed out by intimacy | ACW387
Questions answered this episode: While meditating on the crucifixion, I wondered why our Lord is not completely nude in art portraying it. My research pointed to reverence for Christ and preserving his dignity, reading that he "voluntarily accepted humiliation, but it need not be perpetuated."...
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Eight miscarriages echo Mary's grief, Is polygyny Biblical?, and When period cramps prompt masculine wishes. | ACW386
Questions answered this episode: I hope you can help connect the dots with something stirring in my heart. In your Marian mystery course, you discussed when the Bible mentions Jerusalem, it's ultimately a reference to Mary, and how a woman opening herself to conception participates in Mary's…
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Enduring gossip of a former partner’s promiscuity, Losing physical affection after enforcing a strict kissing boundary, and Shifting from same-sex desires to fantasies. | ACW385
Questions answered this episode: In my previous relationship, we were trying to abstain from sex. I knew he was watching porn and working on that too. A week after breaking up, he started sleeping with someone else and since has been sleeping with many people. Word that I don't care to hear…
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Crying through the liturgical year, Standing firm on chastity, and Healing from a boyfriend’s hidden lust. | ACW384
Questions answered this episode: “I cry every Christmas season when I reflect on the baby Jesus. Like if I imagine myself holding him. And it's not just at Christmas, I've also cried during Advent, Lent, Holy Week, especially the Easter Vigil, Easter Sunday, and Pentecost Sunday. Sometimes I cry...
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Proving Recovery from Porn to a Partner, Re-evaluating Male Shirtlessness & The Ethics of Menstrual Cups | ACW383
Questions answered this episode: I want to fully understand Theology of the Body but struggle due to a history with porn addiction. Exposed at 13, I fell away from the Church and entered an ill-advised marriage where porn use was encouraged, ending in divorce. Now, by the grace of God, it’s been...
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Healing Sexual Performance Wounds, Wearing “Sexy” Attire in Marriage & How Find God’s Gaze | ACW382
Questions answered this episode: I have a question about Second Chronicles, chapter seven, verse fourteen, which says: 'If my people, who are called by my name, humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal...
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Finding Beauty in a Drooling Pope, the Sexual Desire of a Single Woman, and a Widow's Exhausting Loneliness. | ACW381
Questions answered this episode: As a teacher of Theology of the Body, I was presented with a picture of Pope John Paul II by a former student. Before seeing it, I hoped for an image of his younger, energetic self—skiing, hiking, or writing. However, it was a close-up of him as an elderly man,...
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Joyfully Surrender to a Crying Infant, Is God In Vulgar Art, & Trading Pornography For True Intimacy. | ACW380
Questions answered this episode: I’m a first-time mom to an almost six-month-old, and motherhood is both the most beautiful and difficult thing I’ve ever done. I struggle with knowing what it means to lay down my life as a parent. In other relationships, we’re taught to set healthy boundaries and...
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Does God Command Mutilation?, Struggling with feeling loved because of weight, & Why is Mary the Star of the Sea? | ACW379
Questions answered this episode: In Matthew 5:30, Jesus says, 'And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you...' In the spirit of the theology of the body, the idea of cutting off one's own hand seems like a gross insult to God's image in which we are made. I can...
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Overcoming Marian barriers, Reviving a "dead battery" heart, & Navigating the morality of “life-saving sterilization” | ACW378
Questions answered this episode: I came into the Church about three years ago, and my fiancé is entering this Easter. He quickly came to know Mary, but it has been taking me some time. I buy her flowers and pray the Rosary, but I don’t seem to connect with her. In John, Jesus says, 'I am the way,...
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My Mom Hates Her Body, Surprise Baby Shame, & Jesus as Bridegroom Feels Wrong | ACW377
Questions answered this episode: Growing up, my mom has always talked poorly about her body. As a kid, I remember her asking my dad if other women were attractive and making demeaning comments about women who weighed more than her. Now I’m engaged, and as she chooses a dress, she keeps saying...
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Why Do Men Have Nipples, The Beautiful Girl Never Chose Me, How Do I Share Christ Without Being That Guy | ACW376
Questions answered this episode: Is there any insight through the lens of theology of the body as to why God gave male humans and male mammals nipples? It has always baffled me. When I was 14, I watched the first person I ever loved choose my best friend instead of me, right in front of my eyes....
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Is Suffering a Type of Spiritual Intercourse?, Anxious About Mutual Climax, How Do I Hear God About Marriage? | ACW375
Questions answered this episode: You often say the cross is the marriage bed. If Jesus took on all suffering there, can embracing our own suffering be a marital act? When we accept daily sufferings—from trauma to small annoyances—does that become, bluntly, a kind of spiritual intercourse? What...
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The Man’s Seed & Pregnancy, Why the Eucharist Awakens a Desire for Marriage, When a Fiancé’s Sexual Past Breaks Your Heart | ACW374
Questions answered this episode: I understand that the only place for a man’s seed is the woman’s garden, but what about during pregnancy? Since it’s not possible for the couple to conceive another child, I’m not sure if or why it would matter. I’ve always had a special devotion to Jesus in the...
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Must he reverse the vasectomy?, Consummation of Mary’s marriage, and Loving a friend with SSA without compromise | ACW373
–This episode is sponsored by Truthly– Questions answered this episode: A man in his 50s had a vasectomy years ago and, after a conversion, is now discerning marriage with a Catholic woman of childbearing age. Must he attempt a reversal for the marriage to be valid? If it’s possible and not...
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What Is a Soul, Premature Ejactulation & Moral Qualm, Should I Risk Rejection for Love? | ACW372
–This episode is sponsored by Truthly– Questions answered this episode: How do you put into words what a soul is, especially when explaining it to a child in light of theology of the body—that our bodies and souls are both important and are meant to be together in heaven one day? I struggle with...
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Is sexual compatibility real?, Wanting more than a kiss, Exercises to stir up desire | ACW371
–This episode is sponsored by Truthly– Questions answered this episode: I am a single man in my twenties and have committed to reserving sex for marriage. People often try to dissuade me by bringing up “sexual compatibility,” telling stories of couples who waited and later divorced because they...
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When virility fades, Asking my boyfriend about porn usage, Dating someone without sexual desire | ACW370
–This episode is sponsored by Truthly– Questions answered this episode: I have been a consecrated man for 40 years. Through theology of the body, I came to understand that my masculinity was not denied by my vow of chastity, but lived in another way. I learned to integrate natural bodily…
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Asking my husband to reverse his vasectomy, When bridegroom language feels abusive, What is appropriate within dating? | ACW369
–This episode is sponsored by Truthly– Questions answered this episode: About 10 years ago, my husband and I rushed into a vasectomy after my third child in 3.5 years and intense anxiety/depression. I wasn’t in favor, but agreed thinking he’d reverse it if we wanted more kids—then I learned he...
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Why blood belongs inside, Physical abnormalities & the TOB ideal, My Husband’s Desire Feels Twisted | ACW368
–This episode is sponsored by Truthly– Questions answered this episode: Recently I had mole excision surgery that led me into some unexpected reflection through a TOB lens. I was awake with only local anesthesia and watched the doctor use a scalpel to cut into my skin. Seeing the blood flow out...
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My ‘early’ miscarriage feels unreal, Desire makes me spiral into fantasy, and Why didn’t they recognize risen Jesus? | ACW367
–This episode is sponsored by Truthly– Questions answered this episode: I’m experiencing my third very early miscarriage, and I’m having a lot of difficult feelings because the loss is so early. I never saw a doctor to confirm pregnancy—just a few days of faint positive tests that never got…
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My brother wants to be ‘Auntie’, God is letting my mom waste away, and TOB talk gets awkward in midwifery school | ACW366
–This episode is sponsored by Truthly– My wife and I have been married almost 1.5 years and we just had our first daughter 2.5 months ago. One challenge we’re struggling to discern is that my younger brother is transitioning from male to female and calling himself “Auntie” in front of my…
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Is JPII contradicting St. Paul on spousal authority?, Teaching TOB when church leaders resist, and My vasectomy haunts my marriage | ACW365
–This episode is sponsored by Truthly– Questions answered this episode: St. John Paul talks about woman being master of her own mystery—how a man must stand at the door and knock, then wait for her to open, even in marriage, respecting her right to reject his advances to the marital embrace. In...
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When my students look like the walking dead, I’m no longer interested in the marital act, and Am I Loved as a Priest or as a Man?” | ACW364
–This episode is sponsored by Truthly– Questions answered this episode: I am a theology teacher of high school students at a Catholic school. How do I joyfully proclaim Theology of the Body—or any Church teaching—when my students look like the walking dead? A coworker calls them spiritually dead....
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Getting married with same-sex attraction, His sexual past hurts me, and Am I a failure without a big Catholic family?| ACW363
–This episode is sponsored by Truthly– Questions answered this episode: There are many stories of Catholic men who experience same-sex attraction and go on to marry and have families, even though their predominant attraction remains toward men. Many encourage others not to dismiss marriage before...
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When the marriage bed becomes a burden, When preventing cancer raises moral questions, When miscarriage shakes your faith in God’s power | ACW362
Questions answered this episode: I love marriage and my wife, but we’re facing our biggest challenge: understanding sex and its rightful place. We stayed chaste before marriage; I was a virgin and she’d been abstinent for years. I desire union daily, and while she enjoys our intimacy, she doesn’t...
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Can perverted songs be redeemed?, Can an engagement survive frustrated desire?, and Can unrequited love still be God’s will? | ACW361
Questions answered this episode: I’d like your opinion on popular songs that celebrate the pleasures of sexual union, like that Marvin Gaye song. Can their meaning—or the passions they stir—be redeemed within marriage? It seems many of these songs aren’t good in most contexts, especially those…
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Foolish for not chasing marriage?, Is our intimacy a sin, Are my natural arousals sinful? | ACW360
Questions answered this episode: I’m a 24-year-old single woman who has never dated. I want to be married, but it’s a passive desire—I’m content and open if something comes my way. I don’t ache for marriage the way others do, and I don’t feel called to chase it. People tell me I’m wasting my...
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Male fertility & TOB, Should I read things that trigger my sexual wounds?, and Exposure therapy for modesty? | ACW359
Questions answered this episode: Right now, I'm learning about cycles and fertility using the Creighton method. One main point is that the man is always fertile while the woman is infertile most of the time. I’m wondering if there’s a theology behind that—especially since the man typically...
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When you can’t receive your parents’ advice, Male climax outside question, & Christ the Bridegroom for non-consecrated Christians | ACW358
Questions answered this episode: I admire my Catholic family, but I struggle to receive advice from my parents. I’m academically gifted and study philosophy, theology, and psychology of relationships, while they don’t share my passion for ideas. When they give advice, I often think, “I’ve already...
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Loving my husband after verbally abusive relationship, Friendship after bodily mutilation surgery, & Venerating icons with the body | ACW357
Questions answered this episode: I’ve been married for almost 25 years. My husband has been verbally abusive and sexually misused me, though we’re now on a path of healing and reconciliation. Because of the deep wounds, I haven’t been able to have sex with him since our separation a year and a…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Since the early 90's, author and speaker Christopher West has devoted his life to spreading John Paul II's revolutionary teaching on human life, love, and sexuality: The Theology of the Body. His beloved wife Wendy, mother of their five children, has served as his confidante, friend, and support through these long years of ministry. In this podcast, Christopher and Wendy combine their wisdom to tackle the toughest questions dealing with vocation, sexuality, marriage, and the Catholic faith.
HOSTED BY
Theology of the Body Institute
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How many episodes does Ask Christopher West have?
Ask Christopher West currently has 407 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Ask Christopher West about?
Since the early 90's, author and speaker Christopher West has devoted his life to spreading John Paul II's revolutionary teaching on human life, love, and sexuality: The Theology of the Body. His beloved wife Wendy, mother of their five children, has served as his confidante, friend, and support...
How often does Ask Christopher West release new episodes?
Ask Christopher West publishes regularly with 407 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
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You can listen to Ask Christopher West on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Ask Christopher West?
Ask Christopher West is created and hosted by Theology of the Body Institute.
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