Spiritual Theology: The Theology of Yesterday for Spiritual Help TodayOften spirituality today is isolated from church teaching and doctrine, as in Joseph Campbell's treatment of myth and the many forms of New Age theologies, but doctrine apart from the life of prayer is abstract and sterile. In Spiritual Theology Allen turns to the great teachers of the past--the church fathers, Augustine, Maximus the Confessor, Bonaventure, Hugh of St. Victor, Calvin and Luther, George Herbert--to recover a spirituality that is rich with the doctrines and disciplines of theology. Allen covers the great questions of the spiritual life: what is the Christian goal? what leads us toward that goal, and what hinders us? what is conversion? how can we discern our progress in the spiritual life? what are the fruits of the Spirit? A second purpose of the book is to introduce readers to the disciplines and texts of the threefold way, found in the eastern church from the fourth century on. Allen writes simply and clearly of the active life and the development of virtue, and the contemplative life, which includes coming to know God through the Book of Nature and the Book of Scripture as well as directly, face to face, which is the domain of mystical theology. This book is a basic and accessible introduction to the classic writings and doctrines of the spiritual life. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
1 What is Spiritual Theology? | 7 |
2 The Journey and the Goal | 21 |
3 Conversion | 37 |
4 Three Journeys to God | 50 |
5 The Eight Deadly Thoughts | 64 |
6 Progress in the Spiritual Life | 80 |
Other editions - View all
Spiritual Theology: The Theology of Yesterday for Spiritual Help Today Diogenes Allen Limited preview - 1997 |
Common terms and phrases
achieve active allegorical anagogical ancient anger ascetical theology attention aware Basil become believe Bible Bonaventure century Christian doctrines Christian spirituality Christian teachings church Cloud of Unknowing creation creatures darkness desert monastics desire Dionysius eight deadly thoughts Eliot Evagrius evil example face-to-face faith Father fear feel focus give goal God's love God's power God's presence grace Gregory Gregory of Nyssa habitual presence heart Holy Spirit incarnate intellectual inquiry John Cassian Julian of Norwich knowledge lectio divina Leo Tolstoy lives love of neighbor lust Maximus the Confessor means meditation and contemplation mind Moses natural world negation Nesteros ourselves passions person philosopher practice prayer questions reality rejection religion religious repentance seek sense of scripture Simone Simone Weil soul spiritual journey spiritual theology T. S. Eliot Testament theologians things threefold tion Tolstoy tradition trans Trinity truth turn typology understanding universe words writings