Download or read book Spiritual Formation and Mystical Symbolism written by Dale M. Coulter and published by . This book was released on 2022-06-15 with total page 500 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Biblical interpretation, writings on the contemplative/mystical life and a continuing deep reflection on the nature and meaning of symbols come together in powerful ways in Victorine writers, particularly Hugh and Richard, as well as the lesser-known writer, Thomas Gallus (Thomas of Vercelli), a Victorine canon who became the abbot of a house of regular canons in Vercelli, Italy. This volume contains: (1) Hugh's On the Ark of Noah and A Short Treatise on the Form of the Ark, treatises that unfold Hugh's teaching on stages and fruition of the mystical quest in relation to a complex drawing that incorporates a figure of Christ seated in majesty, embracing a map of the world on which is superimposed a diagram of Noah's Ark, representing the 12 stages of the contemplative quest; (2) Richard's On the Ark of Moses, a work that uses the symbolic (allegorical and tropological) interpretation of the Ark of the Covenant and the figures of the Cherubim that accompany the Ark in the Jerusalem Temple to convey Richard's vivid and compelling teaching on the varieties of contemplative experience as he understood them in twelfth-century Paris; and (3) Thomas Gallus' Commentary on the Song of Songs, which offers a window into a formative period of transition in the western Christian spiritual tradition, with Gallus's commentary on the Song of Songs giving voice to a more affective (versus speculative) understanding of the mystical quest and experience, drawing upon and extending earlier Victortine explorations of the interrelationship of love and knowing in the experience of contemplation. For those interested in the dynamics of the spiritual quest and symbolic understanding in the twelfth and early thirteen centuries, as well as insights that can inform the modern quest for knowledge and love of God, these are essential works for any library

Download or read book Sacred Pathways written by Gary Thomas and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2020-09-08 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sacred Pathways reveals nine distinct spiritual temperaments--and their strengths, weaknesses, and tendencies--to help you improve your spiritual life and deepen your personal walk with God. It's time to strip away the frustration of a one-size-fits-all spirituality and discover a path of worship that frees you to be you. Experienced spiritual directors, pastors, and church leaders recognize that all of us engage with God differently, and it's about time we do too. In this updated and expanded edition of Sacred Pathways, Gary Thomas details nine spiritual temperaments and--like the Enneagram and other tools do with personality--encourages you to investigate the ways you most naturally express yourself in your relationship with God. He encourages you to dig into the traits, strengths, and pitfalls in your devotional approach so you can eliminate the barriers that keep you locked into rigid methods of worship and praise. Plus, as you begin to identify and understand your own temperament, you'll soon learn about the temperaments that aren't necessarily "you" but that may help you understand the spiritual tendencies of friends, family, and others around you. Whatever temperament or blend of temperaments best describes you, rest assured it's not by accident. It's by the design of a Creator who knew what he was doing when he made you according to his own unique intentions. If your spiritual walk is not what you'd like it to be, you can change that, starting here. Sacred Pathways will show you the route you were made to travel, marked by growth and filled with the riches of a close walk with God. A Sacred Pathways video Bible study is also available for group or individual use, sold separately.

Download or read book Spiritual Formation as the Hero s Journey in John of Ruusbroec written by Robert Pelfrey and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2022-04-07 with total page 221 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines the theology of spiritual formation developed by fourteenth-century Flemish mystic John of Ruusbroec, arguing that his formational path clearly and consistently displays the characteristics of the archetypal narrative structure of the hero’s journey. To start with, a hermeneutical dialogue between scholars of the hero’s journey and Ruusbroec is established, employing the work of Hans-Georg Gadamer. The author then examines the stages and tropes of the hero’s journey according to Vladimir Propp, Joseph Campbell, Northrop Frye, René Girard, Dean Miller, and others, exploring the parallels in Ruusbroec’s writing and theology of spiritual formation. The book follows Ruusbroec’s story of answering the divine call, journeying inward and experiencing the trials of spiritual transformation, attaining the treasure of divine union, and returning in loving service to others. Finally, the ramifications of the argument for the interpretation and application of other mystical and heroic narratives are considered. Offering a new perspective on John of Ruusbroec, mystical theology, and the hero’s journey as a spiritual quest, this volume will be of interest to scholars of mysticism, theology, formative spirituality, narrative theory, and religious literature of the Low Countries.

Download or read book Studies in Formative Spirituality written by and published by . This book was released on 1990 with total page 464 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book A Survey of Mystical Symbolism written by Mary Anita Ewer and published by . This book was released on 1933 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Prayer Primer written by Thomas Dubay and published by Ignatius Press. This book was released on 2009-09-03 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fr. Thomas Dubay, a renowned teacher and writer on prayer and the spiritual life, presents a simple, profound and practical book on the most important of all human activities, communion with God. Prayer Primer is written for intelligent adults (and teenagers) who want God and a serious prayer life, but it does not presuppose that they need or have a theological background. It does take up many questions rarely answered adequately in the classroom or from the pulpit, often not mentioned at all: Why pray? (be ready for some surprises) ... Why vocal prayer is important and yet should be limited ... What contemplation is and is not ... Praying with Scripture ... Family prayer - even how to introduce children to group meditation ... Prayer in a busy life ... Pitfalls and problems - together with solutions ... Buddhism? New Age? Centering prayer? ... What should you do when dry and empty and not at all inclined to pray? How do you even get started? ... Where and how to begin? ... Assessing progress ... Growing in depth. All of these subjects, and more, are clearly and concisely explained for citizens of this 21st century.

Download or read book The Roots of Christian Mysticism written by Olivier Clément and published by . This book was released on 1995 with total page 402 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Some books on mysticism offer New Age syncretism. Others propose simplistic methods of producing spiritual experiences. Still others deconstruct religious experience. The Roots of Christian Mysticism by Oliver Clement, however, avoids these pitfalls. Clement presents the mysticism of the early fathers themselves, from whose writings he offers exceptionally rich selections that are not readily available. In so doing, he introduces the reader to Christian mysticism through the words of those who were “drunk with God,” but whose religious experience was firmly rooted in Christ. Most importantly, given the modern propensity for bogus spirituality, Clement shows the indissoluble unity between mysticism and doctrine. The Fathers speak doctrine in voices radiant with the dark vision of God and their doctrine is both the fruit of prayer and the form of spirituality. From this perspective, the ChurchÂ’s teachings about God, Christ, Church, Sacrament and Christian vocation become the objects of contemplation and the personal quest for God finds its way within, not apart from the Church, ecclesia. Christian mysticism, therefore, always occurs within the womb of the Church, particularly within the locus of the liturgy and thus, is prevented at the outset from becoming merely a freewheeling and self-authenticating form of emotional exuberance. Mysticism, thus firmly rooted, is considered the normal spiritual life of all Christians. All the faithful are called to realize fully the grace of their baptism, that is, to fulfill their humanity by being divinized through grace. These words might be disconcerting or raise the specter of “enthusiasm,” but some proper understanding of this calling, however embryonic, is indispensable to spiritual growth, to the life of the Church and to the transformation of culture. Why, for example, when so many Americans claim to be Christian does their faith have so little impact on our culture? Or why are the ChurchÂ’s moral teachings found to be so excessively burdensome? Perhaps Christians have seldom been directed toward a spirituality that would open them to a fuller vision of their true destiny in Christ. A recent classroom experience illustrates the point. A young Christian father of two vigorously proposed many practical reasons for using contraception. His understanding of fatherhood operated on a purely naturalistic level; his concern to provide for his children likewise revolved around material goods. But once he glimpsed the ultimate destiny in Christ to which he and his children were called, he saw his fatherhood as a participation in a sacred mission and trust. Only then did the ChurchÂ’s teaching and the sacrifices it entails make sense enough to follow. Such illumination is an essential component in the birth of mystical life from which, for the fathers, the moral life flows. To use ClementÂ’s terms, “only when the beauty-goodness of the truth captures the spirit-heart is the person able to engage in Christian praxis and to make the sacrifices necessary not merely to be good but to be transformed into Christ.” This transformation entails strenuous spiritual combat with a fallen human nature that the Fathers understand with exquisite perception. But even here the patristic thrust is basically positive, an attraction to the beauty and goodness of God that calls forth virtue, rather than an emphasis on the direct destruction of sin. Clement aptly describes asceticism as “an awakening from the sleep-walking of daily life. It enables the Word to clear the silt away in the depth of the soul, freeing the spring of living waters.... It is the Word who acts but we have to co-operate with him, not so much be exertion of will-power as by loving attentiveness.” Although spiritual growth naturally encompasses the activities of prayer, fasting and so forth. Clement never discusses this apart from Christ and Trinity. Salvation is not achieved through Pelagian self-development but in Christ and through his Church. The FathersÂ’ theological center prevents their mysticism from collapsing into self-centered or naturalistic forms. The beauty that attracts is never separated from her sisters truth and goodness. The Roots of Christian Mysticism needs to be read by Christians seeking spiritual depth and by anyone wanting to taste doctrine as a living word. It is an excellent introduction to patristic thought and offers not only extensive selections of their writings but an appendix of about seventy pages of biographical material. Only one criticism of the book is offered: references to modern writers need to be noted so the reader can pursue them. Otherwise, this book is a gem. Jerrilyn Szelle Crisis April, 1996

Download or read book Spiritual Formation and Mysticism written by and published by . This book was released on 1984 with total page 150 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Four Views on Christian Spirituality written by Bruce A. Demarest and published by Zondervan Academic. This book was released on 2012-05-08 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How do Christians cultivate a vibrant and Christ-centered spirituality that's rooted in biblical clarity? Spiritual formation--the cultivation of a relationship with God--lies at the heart of what it means to be a Christian in the body of Christ. But with the rise of diverse spiritual practices, from Zen meditation to out-of-body experiences, the idea of spirituality has become watered down by postmodern culture. Christian spirituality, on the other hand, embraces devotion to the triune God, abiding in Christ, the pursuit of holiness, and the cultivation of virtues. But what exactly falls within the scope Christian spirituality? This volume of the Counterpoints series focuses on the Church’s search for spiritual identity, meaning, and significance as interpreted by four of the major Christian traditions: Eastern Orthodoxy – represented by Bradley Nassif Roman Catholic – represented by Scott Hahn Progressive Protestant – represented by Joseph Driskill Evangelical - represented by Evan Howard The Counterpoints series presents a comparison and critique of scholarly views on topics important to Christians that are both fair-minded and respectful of the biblical text. Each volume is a one-stop reference that allows readers to evaluate the different positions on a specific issue and form their own, educated opinion.

Download or read book Spiritual Formation as the Hero s Journey in John of Ruusbroec written by Robert Pelfrey and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2022-04-15 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines the theology of spiritual formation developed by fourteenth-century Flemish mystic John of Ruusbroec, arguing that his formational path clearly and consistently displays the characteristics of the archetypal narrative structure of the hero's journey. To start with a hermeneutical dialogue between scholars of the hero's journey and Ruusbroec is established, employing the work of Hans-Georg Gadamer. The author then examines the stages and tropes of the hero's journey according to Vladimir Propp, Joseph Campbell, Northrop Frye, René Girard, Dean Miller, and others, exploring the parallels in Ruusbroec's writing and theology of spiritual formation. The book follows Ruusbroec's story of answering the divine call, journeying inward and experiencing the trials of spiritual transformation, attaining the treasure of divine union, and returning in loving service to others. Finally, the ramifications of the argument for the interpretation and application of other mystical and heroic narratives are considered. Offering a new perspective on John of Ruusbroec, mystical theology, and the hero's journey as spiritual quest, this volume will be of interest to scholars of mysticism, theology, formative spirituality, narrative theory, and religious literature of the Low Countries.

Download or read book The Spiritual Exercises and the Ignatian Mystical Horizon written by Harvey D. Egan and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2020-11-30 with total page 198 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a revision and condensation of a doctoral dissertation which its author wrote under the direction of the well-known Father Karl Rahner at the University of Münster. It focuses on the importance of St. Ignatius’ small book, the Spiritual Exercises, as a source of theological investigation. Thus it stems from Rahner’s own “conviction,” as he states in his foreword, “that the real theological (and not only the spiritual) significance of Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises . . . presents a non-yet accomplished task to today’s theology.” Absorbing, synthesizing, and completing past studies on the Exercises, Father Egan summarizes the finding of modern scholars such as Przwara, Fessard, Karl Rahner, Hugo Rahner, Marxer, Cusson, Gil, Bakker, and Gonzalez de Mendoza—all hitherto relatively unavailable in English—and then presents his own fresh viewpoint. His quest is for Ignatius’ mystical horizon, “the lived internal unity, . . . the roots of all of Ignatius’ experiences, knowledge, and love.” Applying the contemporary methodology in theology to the study of the Ignatian Exercises, the author offers a penetrating and comprehensive treatment of Ignatius’ “consolation without previous cause,” of the “Three Times of Election,” including intellectual and affective discernment, the trinitarian dimensions of the Exercises, and other important Ignatian themes. The book is scholarly and extensively documented and seems to be the most comprehensive and up to date theological commentary in English on the Exercises. One experienced critic has called it “one of the greatest contributions to the present commentary on the Exercises.”

Download or read book Problems of Mysticism and Its Symbolism written by Herbert Silberer and published by Literary Licensing, LLC. This book was released on 2014-03 with total page 464 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Is A New Release Of The Original 1917 Edition.

Download or read book Discerning Life Transitions written by Dwight H. Judy and published by Church Publishing, Inc.. This book was released on 2010-10-01 with total page 177 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Every one of us will experience several major life changes over the course of adulthood. Each of these transitions will be marked by external changes, such as change of location, career changes, promotions, or job losses, plus changes in family circumstances, including births, marriage, and death. These transitions are also marked by inner change, since most of us readily examine our faith life and relationship with God during such periods. This book helps people examine both the outward and the inward dimensions of major life changes. This blend of interior examination and attention to practical issues is shown in the questions that set the stage for the discernment process: - What theme or themes do you bring to this process of discernment? - What details would be necessary to know in order to discern an outcome? - What are the financial implications? - What are the implications for family members or others close to you? - What information do you need to start gathering?

Download or read book Spirituality written by Philip Sheldrake and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2013-01-22 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Engagingly written by one of the world’s leading scholars in this field, this comprehensively revised edition tells the story of Christian spirituality from its origins in the New Testament right up to the present day. Charts the main figures, ideas, images and historical periods, showing how and why spirituality has changed and developed over the centuries Includes new chapters on the nature and meaning of spirituality, and on spirituality in the 21st century; and an account of the development and main features of devotional spirituality Provides new coverage of Christian spirituality’s relationship to other faiths throughout history, and their influence and impact on Christian beliefs and practices Features expanded sections on mysticism, its relationship to spirituality, the key mystical figures, and the development of ideas of ‘the mystical’ Explores the interplay between culture, geography, and spirituality, taking a global perspective by tracing spiritual developments across continents

Download or read book Rich Fields in Symbolism for the Mystic Student written by Milton A. Pottenger and published by Kessinger Publishing. This book was released on 2005-12-01 with total page 48 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

Download or read book MYSTICISM Complete Edition written by Evelyn Underhill and published by Good Press. This book was released on 2023-12-01 with total page 740 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This eBook has been formatted to the highest digital standards and adjusted for readability on all devices. The spirit of "Mysticism" is romantic, engaged, and theoretical rather than historical or scientific. Underhill has little use for theoretical explanations and the traditional religious experience, formal classifications or analysis. She dismisses William James' pioneering study, The Varieties of Religious Experience (1902), and his "four marks of the mystic state" (ineffability, noetic quality, transcience, and passivity). Excerpt: "All men, at one time or another, have fallen in love with the veiled Isis whom they call Truth. With most, this has been a passing passion: they have early seen its hopelessness and turned to more practical things. But others remain all their lives the devout lovers of reality: though the manner of their love, the vision which they make to themselves of the beloved object varies enormously. Some see Truth as Dante saw Beatrice: an adorable yet intangible figure, found in this world yet revealing the next."

Download or read book Prophetic Mysticism of John of the Cross Collected Works written by John ofthe Cross and published by DigiCat. This book was released on 2023-11-23 with total page 732 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the 16-century collection of spiritual, mystical works regarding the search for unity with the divine. The author wrote part of the works during his imprisonment. In those times, the author experienced bad health and spiritual condition, which inspired him for an inner spiritual search. The result of this search was the poem The Dark Night of the Soul, telling about the soul's journey to unity with God, which goes through three stages: purgation, illumination, and unity. Ascent of Mount Carmel is a treatise to the poem mentioned above, which gives practical advice on the ascetic life. Finally, the Spiritual Canticle is a metaphoric poem about the soul searching the unity with Christ, presented as a story of a wife seeking her beloved husband.