Sensual Faith

The Art of Coming Home to Your Body

By: Lyvonne Briggs, Briana Boyd PhD - foreword

Narrated by: Lyvonne Briggs, Briana Boyd PhD - foreword

Length: 6 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

An invitation for women to discover a healthier approach to spirituality and sexuality that centers pleasure rather than shame, from body-and sex-positive preacher and author Lyvonne Briggs

"Home is not an address. Home is where you feel safe. And your body is aching to be your home."—Lyvonne Briggs

How you view your body and your sexuality is informed and strengthened by spiritual practices, but how many of us can say that religion has drawn us closer to our bodies? That's because worship spaces that are intended to be spiritual safe houses have not historically been welcoming to our bodies, forcing us to leave our flesh at the door. This ideological amputation is at best a disservice and at worst a sin. The remedy? Radical self-hospitality.

In Sensual Faith, Lyvonne Briggs charts a path for us to practice spiritual wellness that aligns and harmonizes our bodies with pleasure and sexuality. By centering the rich traditions of ancient West African spirituality, Sensual Faith offers a radically inclusive model of companioning one’s self. Filled with wellness rituals, journal prompts, affirmations, and practices, Sensual Faith shows us how to celebrate our bodies as our very homes.

"Pleasure is your birthright," writes Briggs, so whether it's accepting your flesh, nurturing your intuition, learning the language of consent, or sumptuous self-care, let radical self-hospitality guide you to healthy sexuality.

©2023 Lyvonne Briggs (P)2023 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Lyvonne Briggs is fearless, fabulous, and unflinchingly talking taboo. Sensual Faith is a groundbreaking work of spiritual decolonization and a powerful reclamation of the body.” —Linda Kay Klein, author of Pure: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Shamed a Generation of Young Women and How I Broke Free

An On Time Word

Lyvonne Briggs is now a revered, older sister in my head. Not only did this book affirm the liberatory theology I’ve developed in my twenties, it gave me new language to love God, myself, and others fully. Black women of faith, you need this book. Be free and full, because “that is your birthright” (paraphrasing a phrase she repeats in the book). Briggs is transparent, relatable, thoughtful, fierce, and yet still gentle with her exhortations. Do not sleep on this new gem in this womanist theological canon.

Love it!

This book was very engaging as well as enlightening. I feel I learned some things about myself through Lyvonne’s transparency and ability to articulate narratives/feelings/problems that I, too, experienced but was unable to put into words.

Liberated

I feel so liberated after this. I have been on a journey of healing and renewal and this has been what I needed to help me move along.

If you ready to do the work get into it

Great for people at any level of the journey and ex churched. A great time and made with love! ❤❤❤

Medicine

This is a book for everyone but especially for Black femmes. Truly sacred text that we have been waiting for. It’s a blessing to have access to these words. Definitely a book that you will have to return to over and over, receiving new insight each and every time.

Loved It

As a sex researcher and psychologist, this book is one of the first to offer a sex positive framework for and by a Black woman. I love the relatable diction and stories. Even though I wasn't raised in the church, this is an essential intervention for women who did.

Girl!!!!

Girl!! This book is medicine for the Black church girl's soul. Thank you for your offering Lyvonne!

Must Read

Lyvonne is vulnerable, powerful, intelligent, and full of wisdom that needs to be heard! This is a must read/listen!

Relatable, honest and light in spite of covering hard topics.

Trigger warning: sexual assault, miscarriage.

It was such a kind uplifting book even though it covered difficult and triggering topics. The author had me laughing, screaming and cheering. I said preach on it more times that I can count.

I did not grow up in the American black church but as a catholic in Jamaica and SOOO much of what she shared was relatable. How I now feel about church and how it treats and talks about women and the issues we have were so well captured. Her suggestions for addressing them were so simple but powerful.

I particularly loved her encouragement for the personal approach not just to our sensuality and faith but our overall health and self love.

This was a beautiful piece of literature to read that I think every Christian should read and ponder.

Thank you for being brave and doing the work. And for answering the call to pen this book. You are so worthy Lyvonne 🫶🏾