Here is a book that confronts the fun-

damentals of Christian history, not

only movingly capturing the power-

ful interplay between culture and

religion, but dealing fully and frankly with the

most challenging of all issues -- the permissible

limits of sexuality within the Roman Catholic

priesthood and sisterhood. For the first time,

the question of whether celibacy is compatible

with human intimacy and sexual fulfillment is

faced honestly and without embarrassment. Is

celibacy rooted in an antisexual asceticism that

can be emotionally repressive? How far can Pope

John Paul II justifiably claim that celibacy repre-

sents the highest form of Christian perfection?

Above all, is the dichotomy between sexuality

and spirituality not only wrong but destructive?

Desire andDenial is a compassionate

account of the mystical forces that draw men

and women to religious life and of the equally

powerful human forces that make them ulti-

mately doubt their calling. Here, through the

lives of Father Breslin, Father Philippe, and Andrew, the seminarian, we penetrate the semi-

nary walls to be caught up in rituals rooted in

medieval lore and moments of profound spiritu-

ality that are not of this world. Through the eyes

of Sister Victoria and Sister Clare the fears,

dreams, and troubled longings of convent life

assume a mesmeric power.

Desire and Denial is a story of choice, the

product of three full years of methodical re-

search. Gordon Thomas presents the feelings

and thoughts of his nuns and priests with imme-

diacy, emotional depth, and a true understanding

of their sensitivity that is shattering in its impact.

Through their intimately portrayed lives comes

a vivid portrait of a church battling to preserve

its past yet trying to guarantee its future.

While its social significance will provoke

wide controversy, Desire and Denial is at the

same time an unforgettable and deeply affecting

love story.