The Wounding and Healing of Desire: Weaving Heaven and Earth [Paperback]

Wendy Farley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 3, 2005

Using refreshingly unconventional prose, rising theologian Wendy Farley has written a theological account of the human condition that delves into the deepest dimensions of the soul. Considering human life from the perspective of the wounding and healing of desire, with desire being that within us which longs for connection, home, and beauty, Farley presents a passionate, moving account of the human condition that draws strongly upon the Christian meditative and mystical spiritual traditions. In doing so, Farley shifts the traditional images of sin and redemption into images of healing and power. The result is a theological memoir that reaches into the human depths and draws forth a response of the soul--in courage, compassion, and delight.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Wendy Farley's Weaving Heaven and Earth is a work of great beauty and compassion, a gift to the soul yearing for vitality, justice, and joy. In this brilliant work, Farley succeeds in demonstrating powerfully how it is that "attention to our interiority" may "deepen our capacity for justice." Her book is a compelling and original expression of the Christian contemplative tradition, a gift for us, and quite possibly for the ages." -Sharon D. Welch, University of Missouri, Columbia, author of 'Sweet Dreams in America: Making Ethics and Spirituality Work'."

From the Back Cover

"This is a work of great beauty and compassion, a gift to the soul yearning for vitality, justice, and joy. In this brilliant work, Farley succeeds in demonstrating powerfully how it is that ‘attention to our interiority’ may ‘deepen our capacity for justice.’ A virtuoso performance in the traditions of wisdom and compassion in light of our contemporary world. Her book is a gift for us—and quite possibly for the ages." —Sharon D. Welch, Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Religious Studies, University of Missouri, Columbia, author of Sweet Dreams in America: Making Ethics and Spirituality Work

"I could not put this book down! It has been a long time since I read a theological book that so enthralled me. Farley is quite a compelling writer, and her topic is one that speaks directly to questions that people of faith struggle with in today’s world. I am fascinated by Farley’s rhetoric and drawn to its form, wishing that there were more theologians willing to so boldly and unapologetically argue for a universal vision of Christian flourishing. Wandering through the pages of the book, you are introduced to a ‘way of thinking’ that is distinct and engaging. Like Paul Tillich’s The Courage to Be, this book goes beyond the expected terrain of scholarship and will speak to a wider audience eager for such writing." —Serene Jones, Professor of Theology, Yale Divinity School, author of Feminist Theory and Christian Theology: Cartographies of Grace

"What a movingly, persuasively first-order text. Farley has woven a wisdom-text from the wounded, open heart of Christianity: the sort of reflection on the pervasive immediacies of desire, bubbling up out of the depths and dark nights of her own, that theologians and other academics may write about, but cannot write." —Catherine Keller, Professor of Constructive Theology, Drew University, author of Face of the Deep

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Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press (October 3, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 066422976X
• ISBN-13: 978-0664229764
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #837,410 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Redemption of Desire, October 3, 2006

By 

Theologia "Rain" (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Wounding and Healing of Desire: Weaving Heaven and Earth (Paperback)

Compellingly written, book offers precious and incisive wisdom about the transformative experiences that accompany our discovery of the nature of the enduring desires that bring us into greater intimacy with our souls, selves, lives, those of others, and perhaps even the loving divine that made us thus. Offering insights from experiences all too famiiar to those willing to face the most vulnerable truths about our human existence -- Farley offers a description of reality that is neither easily dismissed or embraced. Human nature is neither despised, nor demonized; neither romanticized nor justified. But for those aching for the grace of a kairos moment, reading the wisdom (her sources spanning the spectrum from Julian of Norwich to Apalachian folk music to the mothers' of tortured children in South America, to the irritating donkey in Shrek) offered in this latest of WF's works will be akin to finding an oasis. There is something profoundly empowering, even vindicating, about learning that the very vulnerabilities that can destin us to struggle and suffer (even so unbearably) in body, mind, and soul, nevertheless also mediate for us such incredible blessedess -- known best through struggling to contemplate Holy Love. It is not possible to lay down her work without having grown tremendously aware of the beauty of being human -- and perhaps not a little weepy with gratitude.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wow..., January 17, 2009

By 

Terry Ann Dumyahn "my3girls09" (Princeton, IL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Wounding and Healing of Desire: Weaving Heaven and Earth (Paperback)

I read this book for a class I am taking and thoroughly enjoyed it. Wendy Farley does an excellant job of explaining desire, passions and how a person may navigate between the two. I found the book to be easy to read but challenging (in a very positive way) to implement. She does a wonderful job of explaining spiritual concepts in a very earthy, practical way.