What might our deepest longings reveal about our spiritual life?
In an age of endless distraction and instant gratification, desire is often treated as a problem to control, satisfy, or escape. Yet the Christian tradition has long understood desire differently: not as a weakness, but as a signpost pointing beyond ourselves.
What are we truly searching for? Why do love, longing, and the pursuit of meaning remain so central to human experience? And could our deepest desires open us to the possibility of God?
Join Professor Fiona Ellis for a thought-provoking Tablet webinar exploring the spiritual and philosophical significance of desire. Drawing on theology, philosophy, and the great thinkers of the modern tradition, Professor Ellis will consider how longing shapes our understanding of meaning, transcendence, and the human condition.
Professor Ellis is Head of the Department of Philosophy at the University of Nottingham and Deputy Chair for the Theology and Religious Studies sub-panel for REF2029. Her work explores the intersection of philosophy and theology, with particular expertise in the theology of desire, spirituality, nature, and the question of life’s meaning. She has written extensively on thinkers including Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, Hegel, Heidegger, and Spinoza.
Tuesday 7 July | 6.00–7.00pm BST