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Sarah Coakley on Desire, Sexuality, and Trinitarian Theology Essay

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Coakley considers the cause of sexuality in the desires deeply and provides his logic as to why desire forms the theological locus, revealing how risky it is when people’s desires are manipulated and misdirected. A misdirected desire can contribute to destructive overindulgence both socially and theologically (McGrath, 2018). In this perspective, she said, “It is the idolatrous desire to … it is the imperious desire to dominate that inspires ‘hegemony; … desire to conquer that represses the ‘feminine’” (Coakley, 2013, 51-52). The convention of contemplative intercession experiences is employed in response to the human predicament of sexual desire and longing for God; this way, it chastens, expands, and refines the imagery and language of “acceptable Trinitarian orthodoxy” (341). It aids in responding to questions on the theological importance of sexual justice.

Moreover, it is not that physical ‘sex’ is basic and ‘God’ ephemeral; it is God who emerges to be basic, and the longing is the precious clue that reminds the human soul of its created source. She reverses the claim made by Freud that the longing for God is actually about sex, but she claims that desire is often about longing for God. She restores divine meaning to the reality that was refuted by Freud (Coakley, 2013, p. 8). It should be comprehended as truly associated with God, and concerning the deep yearning that people feel for Him.

She stressed the significance of considering people as sexual people whose deepest inspiration can only be met in their rapport with God. She presents the Trinitarian ontology of yearning, namely the goal of the nature of the Triune God as the destination and source of human inspiration (6). She focuses on Romans 8 on the correlation between intercession, sexuality, and the Trinity. To comprehend the interrelationship of the three factors, it is first necessary to emphasize the primacy and priority of the Spirit in understanding the purpose and nature of prayer. The life of it contributes to the reflection of the image of the Trinity.

References

Coakley, S. 2013. God, Sexuality, and the Self: An Essay on the Trinity’ New York: Cambridge University Press.

McGrath, A. E. (2018). Theology: The Basics (4th ed.). John Wiley & Son, Inc.

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IvyPanda. 2026. "Sarah Coakley on Desire, Sexuality, and Trinitarian Theology." May 14, 2026. https://ivypanda.com/essays/sarah-coakley-on-desire-sexuality-and-trinitarian-theology/.

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