Such existential experience, arising from the deep longings inspired by one’s created sexual nature—whether manifested in marital sexual intimacy, or its faithful direction toward celibate singleness—might be said to orient the individual toward a longing for the beauty of the divine presence. It might provide a momentary glimpse of the teleologically perfected intimacy with Christ—and so also each other—that yet awaits.
I haven't gotten to the full chapter of the book yet (alas, graduate studies have a way of delaying unassigned reading), but this point overlaps in interesting ways with arguments I have seen elsewhere about the theological point of sexual desire—arguments that it enables us to understand the ardor of God's love.
I think it's a fair suggestion, and possibly true, but I have some reservations due to the pitfalls that may emerge if we focus narrowly on the idea that desire for *sexual* union, specifically, is an experience that enables us to understand the love of God and/or what union with Christ will be like. While many people have a strong libido, some have a very weak or non-existent one. It would be unwise, I think, to tie insight into the divine so closely to sexual desire that it may imply people with minimal sex drives are lacking some key to understanding God.
I don’t read you as making that argument, but some other Protestant resources have gone that way. Do you have thoughts on how to conceptualize the importance of “sexual ardor or attraction” in a nuanced way that avoids making sexual desire *necessary* for this sort of spiritual insight?
I haven't gotten to the full chapter of the book yet (alas, graduate studies have a way of delaying unassigned reading), but this point overlaps in interesting ways with arguments I have seen elsewhere about the theological point of sexual desire—arguments that it enables us to understand the ardor of God's love.
I think it's a fair suggestion, and possibly true, but I have some reservations due to the pitfalls that may emerge if we focus narrowly on the idea that desire for *sexual* union, specifically, is an experience that enables us to understand the love of God and/or what union with Christ will be like. While many people have a strong libido, some have a very weak or non-existent one. It would be unwise, I think, to tie insight into the divine so closely to sexual desire that it may imply people with minimal sex drives are lacking some key to understanding God.
I don’t read you as making that argument, but some other Protestant resources have gone that way. Do you have thoughts on how to conceptualize the importance of “sexual ardor or attraction” in a nuanced way that avoids making sexual desire *necessary* for this sort of spiritual insight?