Loneliness and Lament: A Journey to Receptivity (Indiana Series in the Philosophy of Religion)

Patricia Joy Huntington reflects that loneliness does not only consist of the heartfelt absences of a friend, partner, spouse, or child, but rather stems from a radical breach in one's life journey. In this conceptually rigorous and warmly poetic book, Huntington develops a unique philosophy of receptivity and an original portrait of redemptive suffering. By fully exploring notions of pain, she also examines how the relation between the heart's musical attunement and meaning-filled life passages can lead one to a more spiritual philosophy and a more independent life. Huntington reveals the maternal face of God and encourages the feminine divine in her poignant narrative of overcoming. This deeply philosophical meditation offers a nuanced view of religious experience, providence, and transcendence. Contents......Page 10 Prelude: A Wayfarer’s Song......Page 12 Part 1 Life Is Song: The Quest for Music and Meaning......Page 30 1. Fitful Dreams......Page 32 2. Life and the Fight for Word......Page 34 3. Primitive Aloneness: Our True Home......Page 37 4. Receptivity and the Quest for Meaning-Filled Living......Page 64 5. Loneliness and Deliverance......Page 86 Part 2 Lamentation and Woe: The Quest for the Mother......Page 132 6. Shadows of Sorrow-Filled Lamentation......Page 134 7. Ode to the Cup of Bitterness......Page 144 8. Pain and Bearing......Page 149 9. Lamentation and Sorrow......Page 186 10. Tears for Want of Comforting Protection......Page 190 11. Loneliness Whom I Must Befriend......Page 230 12. Where Joy and Sorrow Meet......Page 232 Part 3 Intimacy and Bearing: The Quest for the Father......Page 242 13. Life’s Masculine Character......Page 244 14. For What Are We Set Up?......Page 251 15. Soft Words for Mother......Page 284 16. For What Divine Operation Are We Set Up?......Page 285 17. Journey to the Land Where Heart Grows......Page 287 18. Pain and Intimacy: The Pause in Bearing......Page 300 19. One Step... along the Way......Page 309 20. A Resonant Chorus......Page 326 Commentary on Sources......Page 328 Acknowledgments......Page 336 Index......Page 338

Patricia Joy Huntington reflects that loneliness does not only consist of the heartfelt absences of a friend, partner, spouse, or child, but rather stems from a radical breach in one's life journey. In this conceptually rigorous and warmly poetic book, Huntington develops a unique philosophy of receptivity and an original portrait of redemptive suffering. By fully exploring notions of pain, she also examines how the relation between the heart's musical attunement and meaning-filled life passages can lead one to a more spiritual philosophy and a more independent life. Huntington reveals the maternal face of God and encourages the feminine divine in her poignant narrative of overcoming. This deeply philosophical meditation offers a nuanced view of religious experience, providence, and transcendence.

Preface: A wayfarer's song Part I: Life is song : the quest for music and meaning Fitful dreams Life and the fight for word Primitive aloneness : our true home Receptivity and the quest for meaning-filled living Loneliness and deliverance Part II: Lamentation and woe : the quest for the mother Shadows of sorrow-filled lamentation Ode to the cup of bitterness Pain and bearing Lamentation and sorrow Tears for want of comforting protection Loneliness whom I must befriend Where joy and sorrow meet Part III: Intimacy and bearing : the quest for the Father Life's masculine character For what are we set up? Soft words for mother For what divine operation are we set up? Journey to the land where heart grows Pain and intimacy : the pause in bearing One step ... along the way A resonant chorus. The author poses that loneliness does not only consist of the heartfelt absences of a friend, partner, spouse, or child, but rather stems from a radical breach in one's life journey. She develops a philosophy of receptivity and a portrait of redemptive suffering. By fully exploring notions of pain, she also examines how the relation between the heart's musical attunement and meaning-filled life passages can lead one to a more spiritual philosophy and a more independent life Shows that loneliness does not only consist of the heartfelt absences of a friend, partner, spouse, or child, but rather stems from a radical breach in one's life journey. This book develops a philosophy of receptivity and an original portrait of redemptive suffering.