*I was checking the database for this author who I am again reading and noticed that The Awakened Heart, here reviewed, is listed now. I deleted the review from the wrong category and have reposted it in its right place.*

From what I can tell, after reading this book by prolific author and psychiatrist-with-Godward-leanings (yes, that is his word used many times throughout his book) Gerald G. May, M.D., the reason for all of those priests you hear of caught with pornographic material and having sex with children is that they love God so much they desire God erotically and that leaves them sexually unfulfilled, so they turn to those other activities. Some excuse, huh? Is that really love for God...or simply the need for sex, I wonder?

Let’s, however, leave my cynicism out of this for now, though. According to the author, love has everything to do with it. Yes, his main squeeze—and for those who read him—is not the conventional human being, but rather the male and female aspect of the universe or God in all His or Her holy mystery. Ah, you sigh, aren’t the religious supposed to be sexless? That’s what I thought, too, but if you think this has to be a boring book with nothing for you, you would only be half-right. The first half was absorbing and not boring at all.

The book in a nutshell

The Awakened Heart: Living Beyond Addiction in the first half asks us to look at the ways in which we are addicted, whether it’s in relationship, work, hobbies, feelings, thoughts, possessions, whatever. Add your own (the author should add religion, hehe). Dr. May says that we are a society driven by the need for efficiency, which is incompatible with love and leads to our fear-induced addictions. All you have to do is notice the plethora of self-help books in the stores tempting you to take their advice for improving your love life, sex life, marriage, life after marriage, your financial growth, prayer life, social skills, chances of success and so on.

He goes on to say that our need for love will never be satisfied and we’ll keep wanting more, but instead of trying to fill our emptiness with things that temporarily distract us, we should “befriend our yearning instead of avoiding it, to live into our longing rather than trying to resolve it, to enter the spaciousness of our emptiness instead of trying to fill it up.” Pp 104

(Bad priests are nodding their heads, filled with silent gratitude.)

Indeed the author was inspired so much by a three hundred year old book, The Practice of the Presence of God, by Brother Lawrence that he writes four chapters on the four methods the monk suggests for living in the love of God. These are the little interior glance, the prayer of the heart, loving the source of love (even romantically, not just as a companion!) and contemplative presence. I actually own this monk’s book, having read it many years ago, but there’s no reason to reread it since May incorporates all of his thought here.

What I liked and didn’t like

In all of the questions he poses throughout the book, he kept me thinking about my relationship with God, how its changed over the last few years and why. I thought it interesting how May accepted the frustration of God’s silence so well, explaining that it was better that way in order to love God more. Funny. What else could he say, though, as a practicing Christian?

While May did encourage me to be more free and trusting with my love, I have a human, adult target in mind rather than God. Not that I hate God, but I am only erotically attracted to a male adult human, which I think is natural and healthy. May, on the other hand, explained that he believed it is a sin when one makes mistakes. No doubt he counsels these priests. I’m sure of it when later on he added that we sometimes love best in our brokenness rather than psychological health. I, though, wouldn’t call anyone’s brokenness sinful.

My Advice

If you are a contemplative Christian or a priest who loves God so much it’s sexual, you will love this. I did at first, but then I became impatient with it, wondering why I was reading it (for a review only). Throughout the book, but especially the second half where Brother Lawrence and so many contemplatives monks or nuns of yesteryear are featured, plus The Cloud of Unknowing by an anonymous monk, I had the feeling that religion was as addictive to the author as it was to those he quoted or talked about.

For any of you who read my (last) book review, you might find it interesting that Augustine of Hippo, here more mature in his faith than in Confessions, was one of the saints quoted.

What it all comes down to is this. May, in eleven, flowing chapters of Godward counseling, would have us all be aware of God’s loving presence every moment of the day, which is good, of course, but being in constant prayer? Maybe if you believe you’re sinning, I guess. So, in conclusion then, if you check this out, I think you’ll be more comfortable reading it over a longer period of time instead of in a few sessions like I did. Maybe by taking his advice to heart something will come out of it for you.

:-)

P.S.--Rereading this review makes me wonder if May will become as boring in Will And Spirit: A Contemplative Psychology that I'm reading now. I'll let you know!









Recommended: Yes