|
|
|
|
|
Last update Dec 19, 2001 PDF (Adobe Portable Document Format) and .rtf files (rich text format) of the overhead transparencies used in this presentation, as well as the notes on this web page, are available on the download page
Topics The primary source of material in these notes is Christian Spirituality. Alister E. McGrath. Blackwell Publishers, 1999
1.1. Definition 1.2. Quotes: What is Spirituality? 2.1. Heartfelt Theology Can Change Our Lives 2.7. The Consummation of All Things 2.9. The Themes of Anglican Spirituality 3.1. Reading the Bible 3.2.1. Mental Images and Themes for Spirituality 3.2.7. The Desert or Wilderness 4.1. Structuring Time
1.1. Definition What do we mean by "Spirituality"?
We can achieve intellectual knowledge of:
We must then ask:
Spirituality can be thought of as the quest to make make our intellectual knowledge truly heartfelt.
1.2. Quotes: What is Spirituality?
“the quest for a fulfilled and authentic Christian existence, involving bringing together:
- Alister McGrath. Christian Spirituality
“. . .fundamentally, spirituality has to do with becoming a person in the fullest sense, . . .” - John Macquarrie, Spirit and Spirituality
“Spirituality has to do with our experiencing of God and with the transformation of our consciousness and our lives as outcomes of that experience” - Richard O’Brien, Catholicism, p. 1058
"Spirituality is a lived experience, the effort to apply relevant elements in the deposit of Christian faith to the:
- George Ganss, Introduction to Ignatius of Loyola
2.1. Heartfelt Theology Can Change Our Lives Many theological doctrines and beliefs can change our attitudes, our view of the world, and our lives if they are “heartfelt." These include:
2.2. Creation Implications of the Christian theology of the Creation:
2.3. The Incarnation 2.3.1 Introduction God entered our world and became fully human. “Incarnation” is from the Latin, “being in the flesh”
The Christian theology of the Incarnation has implications for:
2.3.2. Implications for Our Knowledge of God What is God like?
2.3.3. Implications for the Suffering of God
2.3.4. Implications for Human Destiny For Eastern Christianity, God became human so we can someday become divine Maximus the Confessor (580-662):
2.4. The Trinity 2.4.1. Introduction The Christian theology of the Trinity tells us:
The Trinity has implications for:
2.4.2. Trinity and The Nature of God
“if you can comprehend it, it is not God” - St. Augustine
St. Augustine here summaries our complex understanding and wonder of God. The Trinity:
2.4.3. Trinity and The Nature of Prayer Our prayer and worship often involves trinitarian framework
This framework expresses that prayer:
2.5. Redemption There are four central themes/facets of the Christian theology of the redemption:
Redemption stresses for us:
2.6. Resurrection The Christian theology of the Resurrection:
The Troparion of Easter in the Byzantine liturgy expresses this eloquently:
“Christ is risen from the dead! Dying, he conquered death! To the dead, he has given life!”
2.7. The Consummation of All Things The Christian theology of the consummation of all things in a heavenly Jerusalem reminds us of:
We can look forward to the “beatific vision” of God:
The duality of our experience in this world:
A “sacramental” view of the universe links the two pieces of this duality:
The fundamental basis of a Sacramental View of the Universe is that: 1. the material world is good:
2. the material world can be a door to the sacred:
2.9. The Themes of Anglican Spirituality Anglican Spirituality has in particular emphasized:
These emphases reflect the Anglican conviction that:
3.1. Reading the Bible We should consider four stages in reading the bible (as described by Guigo II, prior of the Grand Chartreuse, d. 1188):
3.2. Biblical Images 3.2.1. Mental Images and Themes for Spirituality The scriptures give us many mental images and themes to contemplate:
3.2.2. The Feast The kingdom of God is like a feast:
It suggests:
3.2.3. The Journey The theme of Journey is seen in:
Early Christians were called "followers of the way" (Act 9:2, 24:14). We too are followers of the way and our lives are journeys to the heavenly kingdom.
3.2.4. Exile In the Old Testament, the Jews were exiled in Babylon after the capture of Jerusalem 586 BC. In the New Testament, Paul reminds us that:
3.2.5. The Struggle The struggle of being a Christian can involves external struggles against foes of Christianity, our own internal struggle with temptation, as well as our own "wrestling" with God. We find all of these in the Scripture:
3.2.6. Spiritual Purification Images in Scripture of the need for purification include:
3.2.7. The Desert or Wilderness Images of wilderness in the Scripture include:
The wilderness or desert can move us to:
3.2.8. Ascent Biblical images of ascent include:
Ascent as a symbol of transcendence has been the theme of great works of Christian spirituality:
3.2.9. Darkness and Light Images of darkness and light in the scripture include:
3.2.10. Silence Images of silence before God in Scripture:
Humanity is reduced to silence confronted with the majesty and awe of God
A movement of spirituality in the Eastern Christianity called hesychasm arose in the 8th century:
4.1. Structuring Time 4.1.1. The Christian Week Sunday:
Wednesdays and Fridays: “fast days” in early Christian communities
4.1.2. The Christian Year Advent:
Christmas:
Lent:
Easter:
4.1.3. The Christian Day Monasticism had the goal of continuous prayer; “habitual recollection:” a constant sense of God’s presence in the whole of life. The day was structured into 7 times of prayer (“offices”) during day and one time at night:
The 1979 Book of Common Prayer has “offices” for four times during the day
4.2. Liturgy and Prayer
theology ßà worship and prayer
lex orandi, lex credendi. The way you pray shapes what you believe (and visa versa)
Prayer is “responding to God, by thought and by deeds, with or without words” The kinds or types of prayer include:
Anglican spirituality includes a sense of the church as “corporate, liturgical, sacramental,” a community of members who:
This sense is based on:
A Guide to the Sacraments. John Macquarrie. Continuum, New York, 1998 Christian Spirituality. Alister E. McGrath. Blackwell Publishers, 1999 Christian Theology. An Introduction. Second Edition. Alister E. McGrath. Blackwell Publishers. 1997. Exploring Christian Spirituality. An Ecumenical Reader. Ed. by Kenneth Collins. Baker Books, 2000. The Anglican Vision. The New Church's Teaching Series, Volume 1. James E. Griffiss, Cowley, Boston.1997 Welcome to the Episcopal Church An Introduction to Its History, Faith, and Worship. Christopher L. Webber. Morehouse. 1999 What is Anglicanism? Urban T. Holmes III. Morehouse Publishing, Harrisburg, 1982.
|
|
|
