Why Theology Needs the Heart

This week, Jake and Bob welcome Dr. Shane Owens to explore how desire, the heart, and theology work together for our good, through the lens of St. Augustine's Confessions. Dr. Owens breaks down St. Augustine's healing journey and how by understanding the desires motivating our actions, we are led into deeper communion with God. They also discuss how memories shape our view of reality, why we distrust a good God, and what the Scriptures teach us about our identity.

Key Points:

• Our desires ultimately point us towards God
• Sin is a result of misdirecting our desires towards something that is not God. It is an attempt to counterfeit the beautiful
• Memory is dynamic, not static, and returning to our heart to examine our memories plays an important role in forming our identity and facilitating healing.
• St. Augustine's willingness to be vulnerable in his "Confessions" is a model for vulnerability and understanding our desires.
• Scripture helps us recognize true beauty and reveals our true identity
• There will always be a tension between our desires and satisfying those desires. Healing and maturation occurs when we listen to our desires but wait for true fulfillment in God rather than settling for counterfeits.

Resources:

• Return to the Heart: The Biblical Spirituality of St. Augustine's Confessions by Dr. Shane Owens
• Dr. Owen's Instagram
• Bible Across America
• "Vice As Counterfeit Beauty" chart from Dr. Owens' book (see our website here)
• Dr. Owens on the Abiding Together Podcast

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• Twitter: @RestoreGloryPod
• Facebook: Restore the Glory Podcast

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Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

02:56 St. Augustine's Healing Journey

13:52 Connecting Desire, the Heart, and Theology

26:02 Every Sin is Counterfeit Beauty

35:05 Why We Distrust A Good God

43:06 Allowing Desire to Guide Even When We Aren't Satisfied

48:05 Memory Shapes How We Perceive Reality

58:05 Restoring the Glory Through Childlike Trust