Theology of Home III At the Sea / Carrie Gress and Noelle Mering

 In this third installment of the Theology of Home series, Carrie Gress 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 

• . . . and more . . . 

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. 

CARRIE GRESS is a Fellow at The Ethics and Public Policy Center and a Scholar at The Institute for Human Ecology at Catholic University of America. She is a prolific writer and author of several books, including The Marian Option, The Anti-Mary Exposed, and Theology of Home. She and her husband, and five children, live in Virginia. She is also the editor of the online Catholic women’s magazine, TheologyofHome.com. 

NOELLE MERING is a Fellow at the Washington DC-based think tank the Ethics and Public Policy Center. She is the author of Awake, Not Woke and Theology of Home and editor for TheologyofHome.com. She lives with her husband and six children in Southern California.