Desire (Part 2) w/ Dr. Shane Owens

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Oct 29, 2025

Dr. Shane Owens, a theology professor at Franciscan University and author, joins for a deep dive into the nature of desire through St. Augustine’s insights. He discusses how desires can lead us closer to God or misdirect us toward sin. Shane emphasizes the importance of memory in shaping identity and healing, suggesting vulnerability as key to understanding ourselves. He highlights Scripture's role in revealing true beauty and reminds us that genuine fulfillment in God requires patience and trust.

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INSIGHT

Memory As Prayerful Re-Narration

Augustine's Confessions is an act of prayerful memory where he rereads his life to let God be the protagonist.
Re-narrating memories under the Spirit's light turns shame into healing and reveals God's work in sin.

ANECDOTE

Pride-Led Move Became Providence

Augustine moved to Italy seeking richer students but God used that pride-filled choice to bring him to St. Ambrose.
He reinterprets his ambition as part of God's orchestration toward conversion.

INSIGHT

Counterfeit Desires Point Back To God

Disordered desires often lead us toward God by exposing counterfeits and disappointments.
Augustine sees wandering desires like the prodigal son's path that ultimately point back to the Father's house.

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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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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