Christian Spirituality Research Articles

Ontological aspect of familiarizing with the creative work of J.S. Bach and to the symbolism of spiritual christian music

Goal – to identify the spiritual and moral guidelines of a great musician according to the notions about the spiritual values of modern Ukraine in the presentation of the theme Creativity of J. S. in a music school at the level of V class. The methodology - cultural, interdisciplinary approach, as well as musicological hermeneutics in the interpretation of semantic fillings of creativity J.S. Bach. The scientific novelty - for the first time in the practice of studying the theme Creativity of J.S. emphasis is placed on the denominational peculiarities of Pietism-Lutheranism, which differ, due to objective historical circumstances, by parallels to the religious-orthodox principles that are understood to a large extent by those who study. Conclusions - nomination of ritually organizing the stimulus of expression, justified by the deep religiosity of the composer and direct support of him in the adopted Lutheran life melodies of hymns in the analysis of works of Bach recommended for study in the musical school (in this case it is Cantata No. 21 and Prelude and Fugue C-dur from the first and second The Well-Tempered Clavier). The latter capture in the artistic whole the moral and behavioral complex, which is indicative for the Lutheran-Pietist, and which has a collision with the Orthodox ethics of the joy of perception of the world as the basis for moral orientation in the world. Special meaning is emphasizing in the text and in the music recommended for showing in the lesson of Cantata No. 21 of the aspect of rejection of disbelief , that is, the departure from negative emotions as incompatible with church affection , in the execution of the highlight of the presentation, and in the perception – of sensitivity to it. This same attention to the temptation and to the emotional positive expression is important in the hearing-perception of the Invention (two-voiced C-dur and F-dur) and the Prelude and Fugue C-dur (I v. of The Well-Tempered Clavier). Thus, the educational and cognitive complex is connected with the moral-educators, as it is laid by the music of J.S. Bach.

Spirituality and belief: Implications for study and practice of Christian spirituality

The aim of this article is to show the inherent connection between spirituality and belief and the significance of this for the study and practice of Christian spirituality. John Hick, a scholar of religion, argues that religions arose in human culture in order to offer beliefs and practices that respond to the human quest for meaning and transcendence. Assuming spirituality refers to consciously living life in terms of such beliefs and rituals, then religion’s function in culture is to provide a spirituality. Based on the latter theory, I argue for the importance of theological or confessional reflection regarding contemporary belief, given that theology reflects on the beliefs of a religion and at its best helps persons understand and integrate their beliefs into the living of life at a particular historical-cultural moment. In our contemporary globalised, pluralistic culture the influence on spiritual practice of multiple sources of wisdom is common, as shown by sociological studies discussed in this study. This cultural context calls for identification, understanding and interpretation of the beliefs of Christians, as well as study regarding how these beliefs fulfil the purpose of religion in human culture, namely offering ways of living with suffering, evil and questions about the meaning of life. I argue such study fulfils both practical and theoretical function

Spirituele vorming om ’n missionale karakter in gemeentes in die praktyk te bewerkstellig

Spiritual formation to bring about a missional character in congregations in practice. This study applied literature review to focus on missional ecclesiology and, more specifically, on the important role and impact of spirituality in supporting a missional church. Although the research originated in reformed churches in South Africa, the reflection on the relation between the concept of missional church and a Christian spirituality, and the practical examples that illustrate such a missional spirituality, transcend the context and is applicable to most contexts. The conclusion of the research affirmed a Trinitarian approach to spirituality and the indispensable place of a missional spirituality for Christian congregations. A life in the Trinity forms and informs everyday life. It encourages disciples of Christ to participate in God’s mission. There is no difference between Christian spirituality and missional spirituality. One of the key findings was the important role of habits: believers should change their habits in their everyday life in order to change their thoughts, and not the other way around. Practical examples of habits are as follows: systematic reading of God’s Word; to see what God sees; kenosis shown through hospitality; faith discernment with other believers; associating the everyday normalities as spiritual; finding rest in God; and eating together.Intradisciplinary and/or Interdisciplinary implications: This article was written from the perspective of mission studies. The contextual challenge was to emphasise the importance of habits in Christian spirituality, and the reciprocal relationship between spirituality and being a missional church. This article has challenged the culture of church-organised mission projects.

An Analysis of John Steinbeck’s Humanistic Concern in Of Mice and Men

Mostly read and admired as a Depression writer, John Steinbeck enjoyed a high prestige in the world for his grand theme of humanity and ingenious craftsmanship. Different from other Depression writers, Steinbeck succeeds in making people keep a refreshing faith in humanity through devastation and desolation. This paper aims at analyzing Steinbeck’s humanistic concern in Of Mice and Men, through two main aspects, the desire for land and the hunger for intimacy. In the conclusion part, it is pointed out that beyond the gloom and despair, the dream for the paradise future and the quest for genuine human relations is always the noble ideal to seek; equality, benevolence and fraternity is forever the sublime Christian spirit calling people to return, though they’re lost in their direction for the time being, to their holy native land.

4차 산업혁명시대와 기독교 영성의 발전 방안 연구

본 논문은 4차 산업혁명시대를 맞아 기독교 영성이 지속적인 연구대상으로서 효용가치가 있는지 여부를 신학적으로 규명하는 과정을 다루었다. 이를 위해 4차 산업혁명의 특성을 규정하고 그 내용들이 지닌 신학적 의미를 정리한 후 최종적으로 영성 차원에서 4차 산업혁명시대를 다루어야 할 이유를 논리적으로 제시하였다. 이와 같은 과정을 통해 물질문명에 기반을 둔 4차 산업혁명은 기독교 영성의 핵심과제로 취급될 개연성을 지님을 확인했고, 앞으로 구체적인 훈련방안으로 확장될 수 있음 역시 분명하게 알 수 있었다. 영성 자체의 속성이 이분법적 세계관을 극복하고 하나님의 현존을 삶의 모든 부분에서 공히 발견한 후 그것을 삶에 적용하는 내용임을 기억하며, 급격한 문화의 변혁으로 추정되는 4차 산업혁명시대의 도래 역시 그와 같은 영성의 정의가 직접 연관성을 지닐 것으로 전망되며 이는 또한 실천신학의 과제로 다룰 수 있다는 확신으로 연결된다.

The Sanctifying Work of the Holy Spirit: Revisiting Alston’s Interpersonal Model

Of the various loci of systematic theology that call for sustained philosophical investigation, the doctrine of sanctification stands out as a prime candidate. In response to that call, William Alston developed three models of the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit: the fiat model, the interpersonal model, and the sharing model. In response to Alston’s argument for the sharing model, this paper offers grounds for a reconsideration of the interpersonal model. We close with a discussion of some of the implications of one’s understanding of the transforming work of the Holy Spirit for practical Christian spirituality.

Making All Things New

AbstractThe relationship between the civil rights movement and the World Council of Churches was personified in the links between Martin Luther King Jr and Eugene Carson Blake, both of whom were known for heightening the spirit of prophetic Christianity through their involvements in the ecumenical movement and the mounting struggles against global poverty and the Vietnam War. As 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the Uppsala assembly and King's assassination, this article focuses on the contributions of King and Blake to the kind of ecumenical movement that united peoples of faith in cooperative, concrete efforts to eliminate racism, poverty, and war. The central argument is that these joint efforts were still unfolding at the time of King's untimely death.

Niezbędność duchowości dla stawienia czoła kryzysowi ekologicznemu: przesłanie encykliki Laudato si’

Opracowanie prezentuje związki między kryzysem ekologicznym a duchowością chrześcijańską w ujęciu encykliki Laudato si’ papieża Franciszka. Zwrócono uwagę na przedstawioną w tym dokumencie koncepcję Boga jako Stwórcy oraz zarazem troskliwego Gospodarza i Opiekuna doczesnego świata. Podjęto kwestię zidentyfikowanych w Laudato si’ przyczyn obecnego kryzysu ekologicznego. Dane te stanowią podstawę dla prezentacji przesłania o pozytywnym potencjale właściwym duchowości chrześcijańskiej, wręcz o jej niezbędności, by skutecznie stawić czoło kryzysowi ekologicznemu.

The Spirit Moving over the Great Deep

My reflection is about the Holy Spirit, about that Spirit of gentleness and restlessness who moves over the waters of the Great Deep, stirring up the thirsts of the world, and calling us to join her, as Christians and religious, to slake those thirsts. A first part will reflect on the Spirit who stirs up those thirsts. A second part will outline several of those thirsts. A third part will reflect on how the Spirit calls Christians to join her mission of slaking those thirsts, and a fourth and final part will suggest that we as religious women and men can play a particular part in that thirst-slaking mission of the Spirit. Keywords: Holy Spirit, Christian Spirituality, Mission of the Church, Mission of the Spirit, Missiology

Miejsce i znaczenie wyznania wiary w liturgii

Artykuł zwraca uwagę na motywy i dzieje włączenia wyznania wiary do liturgii Kościoła. Celem pracy jest pokazanie ścisłej zależności zachodzącej między liturgią i życiem chrześcijańskim. Zarówno liturgia, jak i życie chrześcijańskie są oparte na wyznaniu wiary, dlatego też zauważenie tego związku może mieć duże znaczenie dla pogłębienia ścisłego związku życia chrześcijańskiego z liturgią, która nie jest czymś jakby z zewnątrz dodanym do życia chrześcijańskiego, ale określa jego wewnętrzną treść i stanowi w pewnym sensie środowisko naturalne jego autentycznego rozwoju. Wyznanie wiary stanowi pierwszą szkołę wiary i pozostaje podstawowym narzędziem formacyjnym. Ten fakt domaga się więc, aby wyznanie wiary było realnie zgłębianym i trwałym elementem przepowiadania chrześcijańskiego oraz punktem odniesienia dla kształtowania autentycznego ducha chrześcijańskiego.

Before Nature: A Christian Spirituality, by H. Paul Santmire

Before Nature: A Christian Spirituality, by H. Paul Santmire

Karl Marx and Liberation Theology: Dialectical Materialism and Christian Spirituality in, against, and beyond Contemporary Capitalism

This paper explores convergences and discrepancies between liberation theology and the works of Karl Marx through the dialogue between one of the key contemporary proponents of liberation theology, Peter McLaren, and the agnostic scholar in critical pedagogy, Petar Jandrić. The paper briefly outlines liberation theology and its main convergences with the works of Karl Marx. Exposing striking similarities between the two traditions in denouncing the false God of money, it explores differences in their views towards individualism and collectivism. It rejects shallow rhetorical homologies between Marx and the Bible often found in liberation theology, and suggests a change of focus from seeking a formal or Cartesian logical consistency between Marxism and Christianity to exploring their dialectical consistency. Looking at Marxist and Christian approaches to morality, it outlines close links between historical materialism and questions of value. It concludes that the shared eschaton of Marxism and the Christianity gives meaning to human history and an opportunity to change it.

Book Review: A Guide to Christian Spiritual Formation: How Scripture, Spirit, Community, and Mission Shape Our Souls

Book Review: A Guide to Christian Spiritual Formation: How Scripture, Spirit, Community, and Mission Shape Our Souls

Undermining Moral Self-deception with the Help of Puritan Pastoral Theology

Modernist philosophy and psychology have pursued a variety of methods and models for understanding the universal inclination of human persons toward moral self-deception. We tend, as the Scriptures reveal and as recent empirical studies have confirmed, to think more highly of ourselves and our personal moral caliber than we ought. Whereas, Freud, Sartre, and others have offered solutions to the “paradox” of self-deception—that is, how one can be both deceiver and deceived—their solutions ultimately fall short in terms of both coherence and explanatory power. From a Christian perspective, secular frameworks are bound to falter because they do not account for humanity’s status as fallen and sinful before a holy God. The gospel of Jesus Christ, on the other hand, offers means not only of understanding, but overcoming, moral self-deception. Historically, no movement of Christian spirituality has been more rigorously skeptical of the human ability to “know thyself” truly than the Puritans. This analysis of Puritan pastoral theology provides a helpful lens through which to view, and undermine, the deceitfulness of the human heart.

Re-imagining Christian Spirituality in August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone

Forced migration and separation, which are integral to African-American history, coupled with the juridical, social and racial restrictions of slavery, inaugurated an insidious form of dislocation for African Americans: they lost their spiritual anchor in the gods of traditional Africa. With this loss came physical and ideational restlessness, which worsened with emancipation and merely occasioned another quest—a re-union of the physical, social and spiritual. In this paper we argue that Wilson, in Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, foregrounds spirituality as the freed slaves’ primary anchor for self-authentication, and that this self-authentication and emancipation must be predicated on the subversion of Christian perspectives of personal redemption and on giving mainstream Christianity an African resonance. We further argue that Wilson presents personal redemption through deliberately subverting the metaphysical belief system the freed slaves were inducted into during slavery, namely Christianity. In other words, Wilson turns Christianity on its head to argue for a more Afrocentric approach to spirituality and personal redemption. The restless wanderings of his characters in search of freedom from physical bondage become a metaphor for a spiritual search. We argue that Bynum’s “Shiny Man” in Joe Turner’s Come and Gone is an Afrocentric allusion to the Christ-like figure as the bearer of eternal redemption.

Book Review: Marian Maskulak CPS, Edith Stein: Selected Writings (Classics of Christian Spirituality)

Book Review: Marian Maskulak CPS, <i>Edith Stein: Selected Writings (Classics of Christian Spirituality)</i>

Gregory of Nazianzus. By Brian Matz. Foundations of Theological Exegesis and Christian Spirituality. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Academic, 2016. xiii + 191 pp. $27.00 paper.

Gregory of Nazianzus. By Brian Matz. Foundations of Theological Exegesis and Christian Spirituality. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Academic, 2016. xiii + 191 pp. $27.00 paper.

Patriarchy Reinvented? ‘Spiritual Parenting’ within African Pentecostalism in Zimbabwe

How do we explain the emergency of ‘spiritual parenting’ concept within African Pentecostal churches especially in urban Zimbabwe? From ethnographic studies done in Harare, Zimbabwe, these seem to usurp the traditional role of motherhood and fatherhood of counselling, instructing, protecting, guidance and all the functions of parenthood. This study explains the emergence of spiritual parenting as a development plausibly explainable through social variables such as i) the disintegration of traditional patriarchal values due to growing urbanisation and ii) socio-economic insecurities that seem to produce alternative kinship ties. Taking a constructive postmodern approach, the concept of spiritual parenting is plausibly explained as providing alternative ‘fatherhood’ spaces, thus implicitly re-invent traditional patriarchal models under the guise of Christian spiritualities. Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: Using social scientific approaches, the study explains the emergence of particular spiritualties in modern African Christianity, viewing such spiritualties as influenced by particular explanatory social variables. It argues that new spiritualties and practices within African Pentecostalism may be plausibly explained vis-à-vis from particular cultural realities.

Christian Spirituality in Eating Disorder Recovery

Eating disorders are some of the most severe and destructive of all psychological conditions. They are associated with restricted capacities in cognitive, emotional, physical, and spiritual development. This paper provides an examination of the practical application of Christian spirituality as a force for recovery from an eating disorder. Specifically, it expounds the transformative potential in the spiritual qualities of hope, trust, acceptance, surrender, and courage underpinning engagement with evidence-based therapeutic models of care in eating disorder recovery.

Beyond Reformation: An Essay on William Langland's Piers Plowman and the End of Constantinian Christianity

<i>Beyond Reformation: An Essay on William Langland's</i> Piers Plowman <i>and the End of Constantinian Christianity</i>