Divine Communion: A Eucharistic Theology of Sexual Intimacy

by Jay Emerson Johnson

Food, sex, and God– these intertwine at the heart of Christian faith and practice. This book invites Christian communities to reflect theologically and spiritually on the desire for God and the desire for sexual intimacy as the same fundamental desire for communion. This is likewise God’s own desire to be in communion with us, which Christians celebrate whenever we share a simple meal of bread and wine at the Eucharistic table. The longing for intimacy and its disruptions echo throughout our political contestations, economic systems, racial and ethnic conflicts, and ecological crises. In no small measure, the vitality of Christian witness to the Gospel in the twenty-first century depends on exploring the depths of desire itself in the ancient hope for Divine Communion made new.

Genres: Nonfiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2013

Reviews

[Conor Warren]

An excellent addition to anyone's collection on religion and the erotic.

[Harry Allagree]

Short as it was, I found my self struggling throughout the entirety of the book to really "get" what Jay Johnson's, was trying to say. I think I caught a few pharases. In general, I think I got his description of the "One Story" & its connection, for Christians, with the Eucharistic Table/meal, & God's promise ultimately to bring all creation, not just humans, into what we ultimately long for: intimacy & communion, and the choice of our offering that to all the creation, again, not just humans, wherever each of us lives our lives.

There were a lot of Scriptures quotes, and I appreciated his fascinating interpretation of them, but the rest of the 182 pages sort of whizzed past my brain! -- Except for...pp. 100-109 & 162-164...those pages transfixed me. I don't know why, or if I fully understood , but those pages grabbed me hard!

[L. Countryman]

This is an important contribution to the ongoing conversation seeking to construct a Christian understanding of sexuality that is true to the Gospel and to human experience. For further comments see my Goodreads author blog