Exploring Christian Spirituality: An Ecumenical Reader

by Kenneth J. Collins

Book Overview

A broad based, ecumenical anthology on spirituality that explores the contours and riches of its contemporary expression within the Christian tradition. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0801022339
• ISBN13: 9780801022333
• Release Date: October 2000
• Publisher: Baker Academic
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 1.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.9" x 8.9"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

A Engaging Resource for the Journey

This is a collection of insightful essays which explores the meaning and relevance of spirituality in contemporary culture. The author has included various selections which help the reader come to a clear understanding of Christian spirituality as it has been informed by various traditions. This text also explores spirituality as it relates to theology, the trinity, scripture and feminism. Spirituality has enjoyed growing popularity in both the academy and current culture; thus, this book is an invaluable resource not only for scholars but for anyone who wishes to fully appreciate the rich vitality found within Christian spirituality. This is an excellent text to read along with the spiritual classics; in doing so, one is equipped to discover more fully the wisdom of the ancients.

Spirituality Reader, Rediscovering Western Christianity

"Western theology has tended to confine the activity of the Creator Spirit to the redemptive realm of the Church, but Eastern Orthodoxy has vigorously challenged this confinement," Dale Moody Spirituality, a Discipline: Dr. Rowan Williams, archbishop of Canterbury whose books include Christian Spirituality, The Truce of God, Lost Icons, The wound of Knowledge, and Theresa of Ávila is a good representative of the resurgence of Western Christianity through rediscovering new/traditional models of spirituality. Ken Collins presents a collection that testifies to a return of the prodigal scholastic theology to spiritual life. He concludes in the epilogue: 'Where do we go from here', "We expect that spirituality will continue to prosper as both a practice and a discipline of study." Exploring Spirituality: The chosen articles and essays were selected to cover a wide range of disciplines within the field of spiritual studies: historical, philosophical, spiritual theology, and biblical spirituality. Ecumenical in its approach, stressing contemporary concepts, the selected writings explore the connections between spirituality and Christian traditions, with some cultural applications, including hymns and doctrinal expressions. The various sections on spiritual practices, is concluded with an examination of social activism, with analysis of maturity and feminism. Spiritual Themes: In seven orchestrated groupings, the contemporary writings on spiritual issues shed light on resurgent Christianity through its models of spirituality. The able editor gives a compelling overall review of the present status quo of spiritual theology and thought. Collins gives a well summarized account of the evolution of spirituality, its human experience, and diverse approaches. He displays the (mainly) Protestant promise of spiritual renewal, viewed within his selection of twenty-three pieces, that help redefining while exploring a Barthian lead Neo-Orthodox spirituality. Collins brief but informative introduction, I think reveals the unique comparative theological method of the editor. He proposes that Augustine's work, which focused on the divine presence in the soul developed "a psychological analogy to the Trinity in terms of three elements of the soul: remembrance, love, and knowledge. Eastern theologians, for their part, offered a very different model, which Gresham calls 'social spirituality of participation in the Trinitarian fellowship." This part 5, on Trinitarian Spirituality, no doubt, is the gem of this reader. Belated Review: Filled with a variety of insightful articles, reviews, and adaptation of important texts on the subject, the reader appeals not only to scholars and academics, but also to advanced probers such as councilors, pastors, practitioners, and those fascinated with spirituality and mysticism. The editors goal for this advanced reader is to define, and compare the Protestant, and evangelical contributions with Orthodox and Carmelite examples