Theology of Home III: The Sea

Written by Carrie Gress, Ph.D. and Noelle Mering

Narrated by Melissa Elson

In this third installment of the Theology of Home series, Carrie Gress, Ph.D. and Noelle Mering turn their attention to the role of the sea in our memories and imaginations. Drawing from literature, mythology, and scripture, At the Sea pulls out the rich connections between the sea and mystery, recreation, yearning, and joyful reunions. With themes of home and womanhood woven throughout, it is a voyage that explores:

• Why we often associate maritime language with the feminine

• The rich symbolism of the Church as an ark

• The sea’s mysterious balance between power and peace

• Christ’s many encounters with water in the Gospels

• The sea’s ability to draw our souls out to God

• Why we try to bring pieces of the coast and oceans into our homes

• Our Lady’s role as Stella Maris

With reflections from other writers who join Gress and Mering, At the Sea serves as a love letter to the time we spend on the beach with our families, romping in the waves, toes in the sand, eyes lingering on the pink sunsets beyond the horizon. All are invited to bring the salty balm of the sea into their home—indeed, into their souls—with this title that enkindles in us a new awareness and appreciation for the majesty and splendor of God and his creation. This edition of Theology of Home includes the characteristically beautiful photography readers have come to know and appreciate from the series that captures home life, nature, family, and of course, the sea.

• Language: English
• Publisher: TAN Books
• Release date: Jul 12, 2022
• ISBN: 9781505127690

Reviews for Theology of Home III

[G A McKee · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The autobiographical stories in this book are quite interesting and unusual. They appear to be testimonies of different mothers of large families who have a strong Catholic faith. The essays are written in a stream-of-consciousness style. I listened to this book mainly because it was written by the same author/a who wrote “Awake, not Woke” and “The End of Woman”. Of particular note is the apparent devotion of the women writers to Mary, the Mother of God in the Catholic tradition. I could relate to this because my own mother, who had 6 children and several miscarriages In the baby boom post World War Two, was in the same category. She got by through her strong faith in “Mary the Mother of God.”She would make all us children kneel down and say the Rosary. She said “a family that prays together, stays together”. To this day the words are remembered: “Hail Mary, Full of grace, Blessed be thy name, The Lord is with thee, Blessed art though among women, Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus etc”. The phenomenon of humans praying to spiritual entities seems universal. In Vietnam, where family bonds seem much stronger than in the West, every home has a little alter to honor and welcome the ancestral spirits. The stories in this book appear like expressionist poems by mature mothers or grandmothers reflecting on their past through the prism of their Catholic faith and using metaphors inspired by awe at God’s creation, especially of the ocean. Happy childhood memories of seaside family outings come to mind. This book would not be everybody’s cup of tea, but I found it trigerred my own childhood memories of growing up in a large family by modern day standards. We now live in a secular world of woke anti-culture possibly exacerbated by the internet and the “death of God” as written about by that troubled 19th century anti-Christian philosopher Nietzsche.