The Givenness of Desire: Concrete Subjectivity and the Natural Desire to See God

‘This volume is a valuable resource for any scholar interested in the desire for self-transcendence and the natural desire for God.’

J.M. Meinert, Choice Magazine vol 55:05:2018

"Rosenberg has achieved something rare: a genuine and sympathetic conversation among neo-Scholastics, Lonergan, Girard, and la nouvelle théologie. The result is a valuable and immensely stimulating book, funded by terrific insight, for a theologically sophisticated readership."

Jeremy D. Wilkins, Horizons: The Journal of the College of Theological Society June 2018

"The Givenness of Desire creatively charts a path that mediates between the entrenched positions within the fraught debate about the supernatural. Appealing to Bernard Lonergan, Rosenberg looks for common ground by taking seriously the concrete subjectivity of religious experience and being-in-love as the way to arrive at a new relationship with God. The result is a daring proposal that suggests we move beyond the usual focus on intellectual desire to a mimesis of the living texts of the saints."

Hans Boersma, J.I. Packer Professor of Theology, Regent College

"In the last decade and a half, the old debate over the natural desire for God in Catholic thought has been renewed with a vigor unseen since the days of Blondel and de Lubac. Rosenberg’s treatment of the topic is remarkable for its acuity and breadth, and is infused with a deep intelligence and a penetrating attention to everything most essential. 　Moreover, his account of Lonergan’s contribution is an extraordinary feat of conceptual clarification without any loss of profundity."

David Hart, Fellow of the Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study

"The Givenness of Desire is a major and significant piece of work. Professor Rosenberg argues that the philosophical and theological insights of Lonergan can provide important correctives and new insights into the perennial theological issue of grace-nature. In his handling of his various sources Rosenberg is a sympathetic and generous interpreter, always looking for common ground and presenting his interlocutors in the best light. The work is scholarly, clearly written, and makes a welcome contribution to the current literature on grace-nature, bringing out the distinctive contribution of Lonergan’s work to resolving centuries-old disputes."

Neil Ormerod, Professor of Theology, Australian Catholic University