God, Sexuality, and the Self: An Essay 'On the Trinity'

Sarah Coakley's God, Sexuality, and the Self presents a groundbreaking systematic theology that places contemplative prayer at the center of trinitarian reflection. This ambitious work challenges conventional approaches to the doctrine of the Trinity by arguing that the practice of prayer, rather than abstract speculation, provides the primary epistemic access to trinitarian reality. Coakley develops what she terms "theologie totale," a method that integrates systematic theology with spiritual practice, patristic exegesis, iconographic analysis, and fieldwork in contemporary charismatic communities.

The monograph's central thesis contends that contemplative prayer reveals the Holy Spirit as the primary mode of human participation in divine life, thereby necessitating a reconceptualization of traditional trinitarian formulations. Coakley argues that Western theology's tendency to subordinate pneumatology to christology has obscured the Spirit's role in drawing humanity into the divine perichoresis. Through sustained engagement with patristic sources, particularly Gregory of Nyssa and the Cappadocians, she demonstrates how early Christian contemplative traditions understood prayer as transformative encounter with the triune God.

Coakley's most provocative contribution lies in her exploration of the relationship between divine desire and human sexuality. She argues that contemplative prayer purifies and redirects erotic desire toward its proper telos in God, challenging both secular reductionism and conservative Christian anxiety about sexuality. This analysis directly confronts contemporary debates about gender and sexuality in religious contexts, proposing that authentic theological reflection on these matters requires grounding in contemplative practice.

The work engages critically with major twentieth-century trinitarian theologians, including Karl Barth, Karl Rahner, and Hans Urs von Balthasar, while also incorporating insights from feminist theory and philosophy of religion. Coakley critiques both social trinitarianism's anthropomorphic tendencies and classical theism's abstract speculation, advocating instead for an approach rooted in transformative spiritual practice.

This monograph's significance extends beyond technical trinitarian theology to address fundamental questions about theological method, religious epistemology, and the relationship between spirituality and doctrine. By insisting that knowledge of God emerges primarily through contemplative practice rather than philosophical argumentation, Coakley challenges prevailing assumptions about how theological claims can be justified and verified. Her work represents a major intervention in contemporary systematic theology, demonstrating how ancient contemplative traditions might reinvigorate modern theological discourse while addressing pressing questions about human identity, desire, and the possibility of divine encounter.