Christopher West’s New Book & Mega-Giveaway!
This week I'm thrilled to share with you Christopher West's newest book, Fill These Hearts: God, Sex, and the Universal Longing (Image, hardcover, 244 pages.)
This book follows At the Heart of the Gospel, Christopher's last book, which featured a chapter on "The Transformation of Desire." His aim was to show how Pope John Paul II's magnificent "theology of the body" is not just an intellectual project. It is deeply practical since it provides a "new ethos of seeing." Discovering the meaning of about our bodies and sexuality helps us glimpse the object they ultimately point to. We see that our deepest yearnings for pleasure, intimacy, connection, and beauty are signposts showing the way to God.
In Fill These Hearts, Christopher picks up the song but sings in a new language. The book still points to God as the fulfillment of our deepest desires. Yet it explores this fact through art, poetry, music, movies, and popular culture far more than philosophy and theology. It's a new approach —a new expression—and is just what the New Evangelization calls for. The book should strongly appeal even to atheists and secularists. Here's the publisher's description:
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.
Though the book doesn't release for a few days, Christopher invited me to share its official video trailer, produced by the talented folks at Spirit Juice Studios. It hasn't been posted anywhere else online so you're the first to check this out:
Christopher has also generously donated SIX of his books for my weekly giveaway—three copies of Fill These Hearts and three copies of At the Heart of the Gospel. Six winners will be randomly drawn so be sure to enter below.
I'm using Rafflecopter to help with the giveaway, which is cool because it gives you multiple entries for commenting, posting on Facebook, sharing on Twitter, etc. Click below to enter:
(If you're reading this through email or RSS and don't see the giveaway widget, click here.)
UPDATE:
The drawing is now closed. Congratulations to the winners who are listed above! Check your e-mail for instructions on receiving the items. If you don’t see an e-mail from me, check your spam box—apparently e-mails with “giveaway” in the title are prone to end up there.
In the future I'll be giving away more books and resources, sometimes multiple items per giveaway! So subscribe via feed reader or email to ensure you never miss your chance to win.
(Video) Interview with Dawn Eden – How to Find Joy and Healing in the Midst of Suffering
Tomorrow I'll be giving away two copies of "My Peace I Give You", so be sure to come back and enter!
I recently sat down with Dawn Eden, author of the compelling new book, My Peace I Give You: Healing Sexual Wounds with the Help of the Saints (Ave Maria Press, paperback, 256 pages.)
Dawn weaves in her own story of childhood abuse alongside saints who were hurt, mistreated, and abandoned. By witnessing how they found joy in their sufferings, the book helps you journey toward your own spiritual healing. Whatever wounds you have, whether they be sexual, emotional, social, or physical, this book provides much-needed hope and relief.
During our chat, we discussed several themes from her book, including the meaning of suffering, how the saints can help us, and how our wounds bring us deeper into God.
Watch, stream, or download the interview below:
Video
Audio
Download the mp3 here (16 minutes)
Topics Discussed:
1:07 - Who was St. Josephine Bakhita and what can she teach us?
2:40 - St. Josephine as a model for suffering
5:11 - How did the saints find joy in their suffering?
5:49 - Christopher Hitchens and Mother Teresa
7:32 - The meaning of Christ's suffering on the Cross
8:35 - Why would God allow pain and suffering?
10:23 - The difference between pleasure and joy
11:36 - What would you say to people who have been abused?
12:37 - "God does not will abuse"
Excerpt
Q: What is the meaning of suffering?
Pope John Paul II says that God wants to be united to every one of us, and in a particular way to those of us who suffer. As one who was abused in childhood, the teachings of the Church on evil were very important to me, because I learned in the Catechism that God does not positively will evil.
He permits it because he can bring a greater good through it. And the greater good that I believe he's brought through the evil I've suffered is the good of being able to be more closely united, through my wounds, with the wounded and Resurrected Christ.
Be sure to check out Dawn's new book, My Peace I Give You: Healing Sexual Wounds with the Help of the Saints, and follow her writings at The Dawn Patrol.
If you liked this interview, check out my other discussions with people like Fr. Robert Barron, Christopher West, Marc Barnes, and more. And be sure you don't miss future interviews by subscribing to The Thin Veil via feed reader or email.
How have you found joy during suffering?
Tomorrow I'll be giving away two copies of "My Peace I Give You", so be sure to come back and enter!
How does the ‘theology of the body’ fit in with same-sex attraction?
I wasn't planning to devote the whole week to Christopher Wests's new book, At the Heart of the Gospel, but I had to post this. After reading my book review, Richard Evans shared a moving story in the comment box. He gave me permission to post it here:
"I heard Christopher speak two times when I first returned to the Church, approximately one year apart, and I spoke to him briefly at the first event. Over a year later at the next one, which was more of an an in-depth seminar, I approached him again to ask a question during a break. His first words, before I even said anything, were "I remember you." I'm not that memorable! But he remembered me.
I asked him my real question, which had to do with SSA (same-sex attraction) and how the 'theology of the body' fits in with that--and it surely does. I mentioned that it was/is a struggle for me, but it was his reaction to me, not his answer in particular, that I wish to share: he just stretched out his arms, held me silently, and wouldn't let go--this man, with another man, in a public place, gave the most loving embrace I can ever recall receiving.
There was nothing erotic about his overt demonstration of love, obviously, and no preaching or heavy advice from him of how to "clean up my demons" or whatever. Just pure love soaking into me from a pure man of God, and making me more of a man, not less.
No hesitation, no embarrassment, no wishing me to "shut up and go away." And those are all reactions I've heard at times. The vast majoriy are very kind to me, but sometimes people act all "inspired" and then keep me at arm's length. And a person with SSA can tell when that is happening, I assure you.
It was this gesture from Christopher that convinced me, more than his books or seminars, of the truth of the 'theology of the body' and its cleansing and healing power when put into practice. Later, when the criticisms came and he was on sabbatical during those months, I managed to write a note which got to him and reminded him of this incident--and to thank him for it, something I had never really done. Weeks later, I heard back from him and he shared with me how healing my simple note had been to him during that crucial time for him. So in a very small way I was able to return the favor.
This is the kind of man he is. He will always be my hero for these and many other reasons. He loves our Lord immensely and it shows. I look forward to this book."
Be sure to check out Richard's own blog and his conversion story,which he shared at WhyImCatholic.com.
Interview with Christopher West
On Monday I reviewed Christopher West's new book, At the Heart of the Gospel: Reclaiming the Body for the New Evangelization. Today I'm featuring an interview I did with Christopher in which he covers a range of interesting topics.
Watch the video or stream the audio below (sorry for the choppy picture--still getting the hang of it):
AUDIO
Download the mp3 here (27-minute interview)
Topics Discussed:
0:42 - What is the 'theology of the body'?
3:35 - Insights from Christopher's six-month sabbatical
5:07 - Criticism surrounding the depth of 'original sin'
6:45 - Is it possible to overcome concupiscence in this life?
11:00 - Some concrete solutions to lust
12:24 - Why is Ephesians 5 so important to the 'theology of the body'?
14:11 - One Bible passage that sums up all that God wants to tell us
16:53 - The 'theology of the body' and the "New Evangelization"
19:00 - Nuptial union with God
20:51 - What role does Mary play in the 'theology of the body?
22:29 - Mary shows us the meaning of our deep longing for love
24:59 - What one thing would Christopher say to the modern world?
Check out Christopher's new book, At the Heart of the Gospel: Reclaiming the Body for the New Evangelization, and learn more about his work at ChristopherWest.com.
What do you think about the 'theology of the body'?
