Note: This article is part of an ongoing series on Pope St. John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body.”

In his analysis of Ephesians 5:21-33, Pope St. John Paul II highlighted St. Paul’s use of analogy. This passage of Ephesians compares the relationship of Christian spouses with the relationship between Christ and the Church. To understand these comparisons rightly, we must understand the theological principle of analogy. According to St. Anselm’s ancient definition, theology “is faith seeking understanding.” It is man’s attempt to use human reason to understand God and the things pertaining to Him. In theology, we use human language to describe divine realities, often employing images and experiences drawn from earthly life. The question arises, “Can our earthly notions adequately describe divine realities?”

In 1215, the Fourth Lateran Council provided a “yes and no” answer. The council fathers affirmed that it is appropriate to make analogies between earthly concepts and divine realities because there is a real similarity between God and His creatures. However, there is always a greater dissimilarity—being infinite, eternal, and perfect in every way, God is always far greater and more different from human beings and earthly life than He is similar. Similarly, in his Modern Catholic Dictionary, Fr. John Hardon succinctly defined analogy as “similarity without identity, or any imperfect likeness between two or more beings or things that are compared” (p. 23). Thus, the Church affirms the principle of analogy by which we can compare human experiences with divine realities to grow in understanding, as long as we remember that there is a greater difference than likeness between the two.

Returning to Ephesians 5:21-33, when St. Paul compares the relationship of spouses with that of Christ and the Church, he is making use of analogy. He is saying that there are genuine similarities between these relationships upon which we would do well to meditate. However, we must remember that there are also vast differences. For example, Christ created the Church and sustains her in being whereas Christian spouses clearly do not create each other or hold each other in existence. Nonetheless, St. Paul saw it fitting to compare analogically Christian marriage with the relationship of Christ and the Church. In his analysis, Pope St. John Paul II argued that this analogy works in both directions. In other words, comparing marriage with Christ and the Church, can help us develop a deeper understanding of both. He taught that the relationship between husband and wife “should be understood by Christians according to the image of the relationship between Christ and the Church” (TOB 89.8). He went on to explain that “spousal love” is a central feature of Christ’s relationship with the Church (90.1). “The spousal relationship that unites … husband and wife, must … help us to understand the love that unites Christ with the Church” (90.2).

In other words, St. Paul’s analogy between human marriage and Christ’s relationship with the Church enlightens our understanding of both. Looking at the relationship between Christ and the Church through the lens of spousal love helps deepen our understanding of God’s love for humanity and the proper response of Christians (i.e., members of the Church) to His love. In addition, meditating on the reciprocal love of Christ and the Church can enlighten our understanding of the vocation of marriage. Indeed, Pope St. John Paul II, taught that “the essential truth about marriage” is that it “corresponds to the vocation of Christians only when it mirrors the love that Christ, the Bridegroom, gives to the Church, his Bride, and which the Church … seeks to give back to Christ in return” (90.2). Thus, Christian spouses are called to model their love for each other on the love that moved Christ to give up His life for the Church through a total gift of self, as well as that same love by which the Church labors to grow continuously in honor, fidelity, and fruitfulness for Christ. Let us continue to explore this great analogy of spousal love. ✣

Dr. Andrew Sodergren is a Catholic psychologist and director of psychological services for Ruah Woods. He speaks on the integration of psychology and the Catholic faith. He and his wife, Ellie, have five children.

This article appeared in the December 2025 edition of The Catholic Telegraph Magazine. For your complimentary subscription, click here.