Desire is at the heart of what it is to be human. The power of desire, while embodied and sensuous, is God-given and the key to all human spirituality. Humanity is blessed with a deep longing that is infinite in extent and can only ultimately be satisfied in God. Befriending Our Desires portrays the intimate connection between desire and the spiritual journey. Drawing on Hebrew and Christian Scriptures, Christian spiritual classics (with some reference to Buddhist spirituality), poetry, and other literature, plus personal and pastoral experience, Philip Sheldrake explores the role of desire in relation to God, prayer, sexuality, making choices, and responding to change.
Philip Sheldrake has taught, spoken, and written extensively about Christian spirituality and spirituality more generally. Over the years he has been involved in spiritual accompaniment and in workshops for professional groups interested in spirituality as well as being a leader in the academic field of spirituality. He is senior research fellow at Westcott House Cambridge Theological Federation and director of the Institute for the Study of Contemporary Spirituality at Oblate School of Theology, San Antonio, Texas.
eISBN: 9780814647424, E4742