Fill These Hearts: God, Sex and the Universal Longing
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As much as some staunch Christians might want to deny it, the topic of sex is a biggie for most people. While they might not question that God gave us a drive to reproduce, what some stumble upon is integrating this primal desire with their Christian faith. Thankfully, there are some great authors who can look at Church teachings and bring to light the theology which many of us may not even know exists. Fill These Hearts: God, Sex and the Universal Longing, his newest title, covers the subject and how we are looking to fill a void beautifully.
Note: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.
About Fill These Hearts: God, Sex and the Universal Longing
Fill These Hearts is a book about desire. Not trivial wants or superficial cravings, but the most vital powers of body and soul, sexuality and spirituality, that haunt us and compel us on our search for something. Weaving life-altering lessons together from classical and contemporary art, pop music, movies, and the Christian mystical tradition, popular theologian Christopher West explores the ancient but largely forgotten idea that the restless, erotic yearnings we feel in both our bodies and our spirits reveal the cry of our hearts for God. Along the way, West blows the lid off the idea of Christianity as a repressive, anti-sex religion by demonstrating that Christ came to stretch and inflame our desire for love and union to the point of infinity.
The hardback copy retails for $24.99 and is available in digital copy for $12.99.
Meet Christopher West,author of Fill These Hearts: God, Sex and the Universal Longing
Christopher West is a renowned educator, best-selling author, cultural commentator, and popular theologian who specializes in making the dense scholarship of the late Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body accessible to a wide audience. His extensive global lecturing, his numerous books and articles, and his multiple educational programs have sparked an international groundswell of interest in the late pope’s teaching across denominational lines.
West has been teaching graduate and undergraduate courses on the Theology of the Body and sexual ethics since the late 1990s, having served on the faculty of St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver, the Institute for Priestly Formation in Omaha, and as a visiting professor of the John Paul II Institute in Melbourne Australia. Since 2004 he has served as a research fellow and faculty member of the Theology of the Body Institute near Philadelphia. His courses there continue to draw priests, religious, and lay people form around the globe. He also serves as a visiting faculty member of the Saint Therese Institute of Faith and Mission in Bruno, Saskatchewan, Canada.
West is founder of The Cor Project, a global outreach devoted to cultural renewal through the “new evangelization.” Millions have seen him on Fox News, ABC News, MSNBC, EWTN, or heard him on national radio shows. Of all his titles and accomplishments, Christopher is most proud to call himself a devoted husband and father. He lives near Lancaster, Pennsylvania with his wife Wendy and their five children.
My Thoughts on Fill These Hearts: God, Sex and the Universal Longing
Wow!
Amazing!
Mind-Blowing!
Liberating!
Those are just a few of the descriptions I could use to describe Fill These Hearts: God, Sex and the Universal Longing.
Through the three sections of the book (Desire, Design and Destiny), you learn to recognize what God wants for us compared to what the world teaches us. You’ll find wonderful references to popular songs from years ago (think 1980s) as so often the lyrics capture that universal longing. Music is often able to better express our thoughts and feelings than just plain speech, so I’m not surprised that he would find a connection through that medium.
Beyond a nod to popular culture, he also quotes Scripture and the teachings of those who have walked before us.
I did find that while the book is under 200 pages, I couldn’t just speed read through it. There is such wealth and I wanted to ruminate and savor it all.
This is definitely a book I highly recommend for Catholics to read (or even my Protestant friends who might not realize what the Catholic Church truly teaches on these subjects!)
Check Out the Book Trailer and First Chapter of Fill These Hearts: God, Sex and the Universal Longing
As a Christian I was always taught that we don’t have sex outside of marriage, but in marriage it is for fun as well as reproducing. Just as we were a few weeks away from getting married, our Pastor at the time did this huge sermon on bringing fun into your marital bed. He was an older gentleman, and his wife was laughing so hard in the front row, and I was pretty embarrassed. But it’s an important topic, and I’ve always been taught it is something God gave couples to help them stay connected. I would like to check out this book. I think I would fine it quite interesting.
Shari,
I think sex becomes so taboo in many Christian communities as people do not realize that within marriage it is a GOOD thing. Sadly, many people seek love through sex with multiple partners and yet it never satisfies.