Spiritual Formation

The via contemplativa and the via activa have been seen as two parallel tracks in spirituality. The separation is inevitable without a rich Trinitarian anchor. Uniting the Western, substantive view of God and the Eastern, relational view offers the hope of an integrative spirituality: the coming together of Mary and Martha, the active and the contemplative life. The high-priestly prayer of Jesus in the garden offers a similar vision of integration: intimacy and fruitfulness are possible through a mutual indwelling empowered by the Holy Spirit. We feed on the living bread so that the life of Christ is manifest in the world. At the table hostility becomes hospitality. Missional spirituality is founded on a single movement of Godself into the world: mission as the self-unfolding of contemplation.

In an age in which the discipline of philosophy grows ever more specialized and moves ever farther toward the margins of typical universities, Catholic seminaries have been directed by the bishops to a renewed focus on philosophical studies.  How can philosophy constitute a mode of human formation and spiritual formation?  How can the study of philosophy further a man’s development in the virtues, in affective maturity, in capacity for right relation to others, and so on?  What does philosophy have to do with the life of prayer and of grace?
Three basic answers to these questions stand out.  First, right understanding removes obstacles to right action.  The PPF and John Paul II, in Pastores dabo vobis, emphasize this connection.  Second, participating in philosophical inquiry provides an occasion for the cultivation of virtues, both intellectual and moral.  Finally, philosophy’s intimate connection to prayer appears in its highest object and its contemplative nature.

This article explores a wide range of issues linked to the central theme: the use of the smartphone in the period of early formation of candidates intending to join the Salesians of Don Bosco. It begins with a brief presentation of the growth of the Internet and highlights some of its social consequences. It looks back at the founder's attitude to technological change, and examines the Salesian documentation already available on social communication. A mini opinion poll among members of an international group of young religious and priests accustomed to smartphone-use helps to concretize the dilemma, while the Salesian World Coucillors of Communication and Formation are invited to share their views. The article concludes by providing some guidelines for the formation of candidates to Salesian consecrated life in a globally networked society.

People abused by angry discipline as children, may tend to abuse or overly punish other people or themselves for perceived wrongs in their adult life. In some individuals, aggressive personality traits may be genetically inherited. The aggressive personality may feel weakened by having guidelines or boundaries for anger. Anger is a normal human emotion, and these guidelines can help express anger in a healthy way.

The Christmas Eve devotional essay, published by the M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust (pages 83-85 in A Book of Days: Christmas Reflections from the Northwest, Steven G. W. Moore and Richard Ganz SJ, eds.; Franklin, TN: Seedbed Publishing, 2014)

The central premise of this essay is that culture is an intrinsic part of who we are and what motivates us; in other words, our worldview. The following study will give a reasoned argument for the fact that Mary MacKillop's Scottish and Australian cultures underpinned her choices in life. With these cultures in mind, one will investigate her spirituality as evidenced through her actions in light of her dual cultural background. The framework for the work that follows will begin with a snapshot of the current religious and spiritual temperature in Australia. This will then be used to segue back in time, particularly to the history of the Celts. Once an understanding of Mary MacKillop's heritage has been established, one will be able to gain some insight into her Scottish spirituality, followed by her Australian influence. The concluding part of this work focuses on two specific individuals who arguably also shaped Mary MacKillop's spirituality resulting in her lifelong calling to serve the poor.

What is the relationship between discipleship and mission? In the last generation we didn’t make the connection very well, because in Christendom our lenses for thinking about church became inward lenses. We thought a lot about programs and services for members, and we tended to mission as a program of the church: one spoke on a wheel, and not the hub – not the reason for our existence, not an expression of our identity as a sent people.

Every kingdom has its own culture and values. The problem in Christianity is that it does not have the culture and values of the Kingdom of God. Christians remain sunken into being part of the kingdoms of men, whose leadership and culture now only deal in good sounding baloney. Christians do not realize that God calls us to both be available to the world, while being differentiated from the kingdoms of men. We've reverted to talk, empty concepts and thinking we're being truth. It is time to reassert what sets apart from the kingdoms of men and their leadership and the mere talk they deal in. This section is an attempt to reconnect circuitry and reverse polarity in these details to the point where we once again can become that Kingdom of God set apart.

Finally, we are at the precipice overlooking a deep chasm, which few believers are willing to cross. Yet, at the same time, if we are going to square with Jesus, someone needs to give us a shove off the deep end. If you have read all the sections prior to this one, you are on the end of an overlook and I've placed dynamite behind you. Good luck as we blow the bridge to the past.

Published in the March issue of Lutheran Forum, this is theological reflection on the gospel and its demands on Christian life with regards to neighbors, enemies, and immigrants for non-specialists and lay Christians. The piece was occasioned by US political and social issues in late 2016 and early 2017 and how the American Church should conceive of itself and its mission within such a context. The essay has a Lutheran flavor but is decidedly not merely Lutheran; it aims to be useful for all Christians in the US and hopefully beyond insofar as it articulates the gospel clearly and faithfully.

The prayer of a Christian is the subject of his daily care in the process of spiritual development. We can say that without it and its dynamic development it is not possible for the spiritual progress of the Christian and the Church in which he or she lives. It is also a very extensive subject of research and scientific work in the field of theology and especially the theology of spirituality. Hence, it must be treated in a multi-faceted and multi-directional way. Among all the different categories of prayer, community prayer and common prayer are very important. This distinction is necessary because it reveals to us the truth that every prayer has a communal character, but it is not always common. However, prayer celebrated together is the source of Christian life and the Church, and it is the clearest and most readable testimony of faith.

This paper fundamentally seeks to explore the role and relationship of scientific ways of knowing and their accompanying research methods for the field of spirituality in the hopes of gaining greater insights into the nature of the interrelationship between science and religion. In pursuit of such aims, one can ask questions of the following: What are some of the diverse ways of knowing? What are scientific ways of knowing and how do they fit into this broader epistemological landscape? Can there really be a “science” of spirituality? If so, what are its potential contributions? What are the implications for current science and religion dialogues? It is such questions that this essay will be seeking answers to as it engages with literature from some of these various areas. By the end of these explorations, not only will I assert that there can and should be a science of spirituality, but that such endeavors have significant implications for the science and religion dialogue.

Since the rise of the Missional Church Movement, there has been a continued discussion on the nature of the church as an institution. For many, the institutional church is only concerned with facilities maintenance, which impedes the mission. However, it is important to discern between the institutional church and the church as an institution. The church as an institution is Spirit-led and missional in it's focus, while still recognizing our "situatedness" in time and space. Buildings help facilitate meaningful relationships and belonging. When utilized properly, the church as institution is a formative organization that leverages it's formative power for the sake of accomplishing the mission.

In A Spirituality of Character Formation, Ribera presented four affirmations to frame the
discussion about character education: 1) Character formation is the responsibility of the home,
the church, and the state, 2) Character formation is a spiritual endeavor, 3) Character formation
addresses standards, motives, and ends, and 4) Character formation makes room for ambiguity,
tension, and paradox. In the course of the discussion Ribera interacted with several prominent
voices in the field of character education, namely Alfie Kohn, David Purpel, and Glenn Tinder.
In addition, Ribera made use of a triadic framework of prophet, priest, and king, and integrated
the ethical work of thinkers like: C. S. Lewis, Cornelius Van Til, and Louis P. Pojman.

At the age of eight, C.S. “Jack” Lewis suffered a massive blow with the death of his mother. In the grievous aftermath, his father, Albert Lewis, sent Jack off to boarding school. The impact of these losses had repercussions that shaped Jack’s psyche in ways that were, arguably, unexpressed until he wrote Till We Have Faces. Through the character of Orual, one can see how Lewis portrayed the shedding of what Esther Bick calls the “second skin,” a type of psychic shield that often grows in children who have endured the failure or loss of a significant attachment figure. Bick’s theory will be the lens through which the story of Orual and Lewis’ early life experiences reveal how trauma can hinder the development of the self, but also how an encounter with God and with oneself can lead to the spiritual and emotional formation of full personhood.

Barbara L. Peacock, "Soul Care in African American Practice." Downer's Grove: IVP, 2020.

This is the original manuscript version of a book review that was eventually accepted for publication in the Journal of Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. For the final published version, see The Journal of Spiritual Formation and Soul Care, vol. 13, no. 2. (2020): 319-321.

Oxford.  Cambridge.  Harvard.  Princeton.  Yale…  These schools are recognized as some of the most respected universities in the English-speaking world.  George Whitefield, John Wesley, Charles Wesley, Jonathan Edwards, D.L. Moody…  These men stand out as some of the most influential Christians in the last 300 years.  What do these two short lists have in common with each other?  These are places and people greatly used in extraordinary movements of the Holy Spirit in recent centuries, and specifically related to collegiate campuses.

What exists or what is real? What can humans know? What is of value? Ontology, epistemology, and axiology form the anchor points for human meaning. From these three distinct yet overlapping domains, arise two further questions: 1) What is the goal of human maturity—the model of a fully developed human? 2) How do educators draw students toward these ends?  Anthropology and andragogy build upon the first three to formulate one’s philosophy of education.

This 40-day invitation to a transformative reading of a biblical text puts into play what I call "The 5 Rs of Transformative Bible Reading—Read, Reflect, Respond, Remember, Record". Especially meaningful during Lent, but a worthy exercise any time of the year.

Inspiring quotes and inspirational stories will always be popular, but they rarely change lives. After reading the quote, hearing the story, and experiencing some feelings, we often go about our business as usual. What we need is a spiritual resource that helps us focus on heart issues, life change, and the rhythm of the Christian life.

This year-long devotional takes 365 questions asked in the New Testament, and shows you how to change your focus, reorder your affections, and reprioritize your loves. It will inspire you to action, not just sweet reflections. It will compel you to love God and others more fervently and selflessly, while weaning your heart off the lies and lures of this world.

Há muito tempo, seja nos documentos oficiais da Igreja  que nas revistas especializadas, se fala de crise das vocações e, em modo especial, das vocações sacerdotais. Crise que começou de uma forma contundente e inarestável na época do Concílio Vaticano II, época de profundas mudanças não apenas eclesiais, mas também sociais. Estas mudanças se protelaram até os nossos dias, adquirindo uma fisionomia e uma identidade bem precisa.
Hoje em dia fala-se que a Igreja Católica saiu do assim chamado regime de Cristandade, ou seja, daquela época aonde Igreja e Poder politico andavam de braços dados, cujo objetivo muitas vezes explicitado seja por teólogos que por Papas, era moldar a sociedade com um pensamento cristão. Era a época dos Bispos-Condes, dos Papas que abençoavam os imperadores, de uma identificação de poder temporal e poder espiritual, Cidade terrena e Cidade celeste. O tempo foi passando, a sociedade mudando, a história esfacelando os grandes sistema- as meta-narrações, como François Lyotard  as chamou- que tinha impulsionado a modernidade na busca de uma felicidade que, ao longo dos séculos, mostrou-se inalcançável.

The church is called to grow in Christ. Yet too often, it ignores the practical dimensions of the faith.

The church is one in Christ. Yet too often, it is divided by national, denominational, theological, and racial or ethnic boundaries.

The church is a global body of believers. Yet too often, it privileges a few voices and fails to recognize its own diversity.

In response, this volume offers a multi-denominational, multi-ethnic vision in which biblical scholars, theologians, and practitioners from around the world join together to pursue a cohesive yet diverse theology and praxis of spiritual formation for the global church.

Be fed in your faith by brothers and sisters from around the world.

CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Ryan A. Brandt and John Frederick

Part One: Biblical and Theological Study as Spiritual Formation
1. New Testament Theology and Spiritual Formation: Michael J. Gorman
2. Theological Education and Spiritual Formation: Sammy Alfaro
3. Biblical Faithfulness and Spiritual Formation: Alfred Olwa
4. Spiritual Theology and Spiritual Formation: An Integrative Methodology for a Global Approach: John H. Coe

Part Two: Acts and Elements of Worship as Spiritual Formation
5. Liturgy and Spiritual Formation: Engaging with Evelyn Underhill's Prayer Book: Robyn Wrigley-Carr
6. The Eucharist as Spiritual Formation: Markus Nikkanen
7. Sacrifice and Surrender as Spiritual Formation: John Frederick and Jonathan K. Sharpe
8. The Beatific Vision as Spiritual Formation: An Augustinian Ressourcement: Ryan A. Brandt

Part Three: Christ, Contemporary Culture, and Spiritual Formation
9. Old Testament Ethics and Spiritual Formation: S. Min Chun
10. Second Peter, Postmodernity, and Spiritual Formation: Le Chih Hsieh
11. The Holy Spirit, Supernatural Interventionism, and Spiritual Formation: J. Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu
12. Spiritual Formation through Failure and Faithful Perseverance: HaYoung Son

Epilogue: Spiritual Formation, Catholicity, and the Multicultural Communion of the Saints: John Frederick and Ryan A. Brandt

Contributors
General Index
Scripture Index

Readers will learn that we are, quite literally supernatural by nature if given the proper knowledge and instruction, and when we learn how to apply that information through various meditations, we should experience a greater expression of our creative abilities; that we have the capacity to tune in to frequencies beyond our material world and receive more orderly coherent streams of consciousness and energy; that we can intentionally change our brain chemistry to initiate profoundly mystical transcendental experiences; and how, if we do this enough times, we can develop the skill of creating a more efficient, balanced, healthy body, a more unlimited mind, and greater access to the realms of spiritual truth. Topics include:

  • Demystifying the body’s 7 energy centers and how you can balance them to heal
  • How to free yourself from the past by reconditioning your body to a new mind
  • How you can create reality in the generous present moment by changing your energy
  • The difference between third-dimension creation and fifth-dimension creation
  • The secret science of the pineal gland and its role in accessing mystical realms of reality
  • The distinction between Space-Time vs. Time-Space realities

Deep in the Burbs is a participatory action research project that gathered members from three upper-Midwest suburban ELCA congregations to explore how engagement with the social Trinity might impact the research team’s ideation or praxis of spiritual formation. The research team pursued this question through the practice of Dwelling in the Word—specifically in select passages from the Upper Room Discourse (John 13-17)—various modalities of communicative learning, and communicative action projects in the community. The data indicate three major themes that became important to the research team: the essential nature of relationships, the necessity of reflection, and the awareness of the Holy Spirit’s agency in the world. These findings indicate that the process of participatory action research itself is a Trinitarian praxis that empowered the research team to shift from a vertical-personal ideation and praxis of spiritual formation to a horizontal-communal ideation and praxis of spiritual formation. This shift demonstrates the self-transcendence inherent in spiritual formation. These findings also provide practical implications for leaders of the missional church who seek to engage the suburban neighbor in the Gospel of peace—to the glory of God, through Jesus, and in the power of the Holy Spirit.

This paper aspires to understand the mystery of the spiritual father relationship through Christ’s teaching as recorded in John’s Gospel; and, in light of this, to better understand subsequent Orthodox teaching and practice regarding that mystery. As such, the first half of this paper surveys the teaching related to this subject (that is, how God in Christ is revealed to those who believe) as it is contained in John’s Gospel. Considering the way in which Jesus Christ is revealed will therefore require certain clarifications with regard to the role and purpose of both Christian priesthood and the office of prophet. More specifically, it will be important to understand how precisely these roles give effect to and extend the ministry and salvation of Christ with regard to those who believe in him. Within this discussion the prophetic gift and function will be identified with the relationship between fathers and sons as a spiritual relationship modeled directly after Christ’s own relationship with his Father. Though in a slightly different way, this will also involve careful examination of Christ’s own role as prophet and spiritual father— he who was sent—to his own disciples and audience. In the second half of the paper, other historic and modern theological witnesses are utilized to show that in light of the language in John’s Gospel, spiritual fatherhood for Orthodoxy has always and essentially been considered an extension of Christ’s selfless prophetic revelation of God the Father to the world. The significance of pointing out such observations is meant to indicate that the proper ministry and function of the spiritual father—but also that of the priest—ought to be located directly and unambiguously in Christ and his example.