Who are we, and where are we going? These are no two questions of greater importance.

In Athirst for the Spirit: Biblical Wisdom for Desert Times, biblical scholar Nina Sophie Heereman approaches these questions with the eternal insight of Sacred Scripture. The seven essays included will answer what the Bible teaches about the meaning of our gender—and in particular, the Spirit-bearing mission of woman—and how we are to journey through the desert of this life.

Athirst for the Spirit reveals God’s reason for creating man and woman, as well as the Church, and how the Bible provides a path through the time of tribulation in which we have been graced to live.

Nina Sophie Heereman is associate professor and department chair of Sacred Scripture at St. Patrick’s Seminary & University in Menlo Park, California. She holds a License in Sacred Scripture from the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome and a Doctorate in Sacred Scripture from the École biblique et archéologique de Jérusalem. She is a regular contributor to Catholic media in her home-country Germany, where she is also active in youth evangelization and retreat ministry.

“Nina Heereman’s variations on the theme of God’s limitless creativity prove to us that he has and will go to great—and often unusual—lengths to win the hearts of his people. With Dr. Heereman’s insights, you will begin to recognize the ways in which God works in your own life to bring about good.”
Edward P. Sri
Professor of Theology, Augustine Institute and Author of The Art of Living

“Heereman’s book displays a rare combination of careful exegesis and profound spiritual insight. Readers will be amazed at the depth and richness of biblical revelation, especially regarding the exalted vocation of women. Every page contains new and surprising gems of insight.”
Mary Healy
Professor, Sacred Heart Major Seminary and Member, Pontifical Biblical Commission

“From Eden’s king and queen to the Lamb’s Wedding Feast, Dr. Heereman opens our hearts to the Scriptural vision of man and woman. Proposing practical counsels for the spiritual journey, she marshals biblical texts radiant with the splendor of the Church.”
Anthony Lilles
Professor of Theology, St. Patrick’s Seminary & University and Co-Founder of the Avila Institute of Spiritual Formation

“A journey through the Bible with [Heereman] is always a journey towards the person of Jesus Christ. The Catholic Church in America has much to learn from the voice of this gifted daughter and missionary of the universal Church.”
Fr. Anthony Giambrone, OP
Vice Director, École archéologique française de Jérusalem

“In this beautifully written book, Dr. Heereman demonstrates how a deeply theological reading of the Bible can be enriched by sensitive attention to its underlying literal sense. . . . Heereman gives us a much needed example of what good exegesis looks like.”
Gary A. Anderson
Hesburgh Professor of Catholic Theology, Notre Dame University

“This book does what so many fail to do—it weds incredible textual and linguistic analysis with the deepest of theology and spirituality, reaching all the way into the trinitarian heart of God himself.”
Andrew Swafford
Associate Professor of Theology, Benedictine College and Author of What We Believe: The Beauty of the Catholic Faith

“Sit at the feet of Dr. Heereman—a gracious, truth-telling woman of valor—and you will be changed for the better.”
Lisa Brenninkmeyer
Founder, Walking With Purpose