Biblical Foundations Of Spirituality

Biblical Foundations of Spirituality offers seekers guidance on what to read, how to read, and why to read the Bible as a source of spiritual nourishment. Informed by the latest scholarship, this book makes the Bible more intelligible and 'user friendly' for contemporary audiences by stressing the spiritual dimension of the search for God evident in our biblical ancestors and showing how the Bible can be a friend and companion in our search for God today.

This textbook for introductory spiritual formation courses presents the fundamentals and practices of the discipline. This collection includes presentations by several well-known evangelical scholars including Gordon Johnston, Darrell Bock, Richard Averbeck, Klaus Issler, and others.

Biblical Foundations of Spirituality invites readers to “touch a finger to the flame” of the Bible by offering guidance on what, how, and why to read Scripture as a source of spiritual nourishment. The second edition builds on Barbara Bowe’s acclaimed book with two new chapters by Laurie Brink and John R. Barker introducing key theological concepts and exploring how biblical spirituality was first experienced and expressed in early Christian communities. The book begins by exploring the many meanings of the word “spirituality,” then leads readers through the Bible—from Genesis to Revelation—to develop a biblically based spirituality that can serve as a compass in the challenges of life. Updated to reference the latest scholarship, this book helps make the Bible more accessible and shows how it can be relevant to life today. The book stresses the spiritual dimension of biblical figures’ search for God and shows how their insights about God—from successes to dead ends—can reflect our contemporary searching and struggles. Biblical Foundations of Spirituality reveals the spiritual wisdom of the Bible, connecting it with everyday life and spirituality. With a chronology, reflection questions, a glossary, and updated notes and bibliography, as well as two new chapters, the second edition of Biblical Foundations of Spirituality is ideal for classroom, parish, or individual reading.

This textbook is a systematic guide to the extensive field of spirituality. Kees Waaijman charts the multiform phenomenon of spirituality: the spirituality of ordinary people, the great spiritual traditions and the force of counter-movements. From the foundation of this survey he answers questions like: What exactly is spirituality? What forms can a scholarly approach take? Finally, the book provides methodic access to the study of spirituality, focusing on the following questions: Which are the different forms of spirituality and how can we describe them? How can spiritual texts be given a reliable reading? Which themes can be distinguished in the field of spirituality and what would be a meaningful way to address them? What do we mean by spiritual guidance and what can we learn from it? This textbook has no equal. It is indispensable to scholars wishing to study the subject, but also to others who want to learn about spirituality.

What is spirituality? For some, it means nothing more than vague self-improvement pulled from the latest best-selling self-help book. For others, it refers to some generic religious practice. Shedding life-giving light on what often remains ill-defined and unclear, this book sets forth a vision of biblical spirituality—“a renewed sense of the momentousness of being alive in God’s world as God’s people are led by God’s Spirit through God’s Word unto godly, Christlike character.” With careful exegetical work and theological reflection, the contributors—pastors and scholars such as Christopher W. Morgan, Paul R. House, Nathan A. Finn, and Gregg R. Allison—address spirituality from the perspective of the Bible, exploring topics such as the Trinity, divine sovereignty and human responsibility, the “already” and “not yet,” and the church. This book also addresses practical questions about spirituality related to the workplace, disciplines of the body, and more.

2020 Association of Catholic Publishers first place award, resources for liturgy 2020 Catholic Press Association first place award, liturgy soft cover Spirituality is a motion, a responsive movement of heart, mind, and spirit to the life of God moving within us. Starting from his Roman Catholic roots but working ecumenically, Bob Hurd explores this notion of spirituality in two parts. Part 1 places it in the theological framework of Creation-Grace-Incarnation, concluding that its specific form is participation in Christ’s self-emptying love of God, humankind, and creation. Part 2 investigates this kenotic spirituality liturgically, exploring how it comes to expression in the ritual stages of Gathering, Word, Eucharistic Prayer, Communion, and Sending. Comparing and contrasting each stage with corresponding patterns in various Protestant traditions, Hurd lays out the possibility of a spirituality common to Christians of various confessions.

Spirituality is lived belief. When we pray, worship, or reach out to our neighbors, we live out our beliefs. Our beliefs structure our spirituality like skin stretched over the bones of our bodies. These beliefs start with faith in God the Father through Jesus Christ as revealed through the Holy Spirit in scripture, in the church, and in daily life. Our Trinitarian theology orders our beliefs. Without a coherent theology, we lose our identity in space and time having no map or compass to guide us on our way. In the end, we focus on ourselves, not God. Christian spirituality starts with God, not with us. A Christian Guide to Spirituality takes the form of 50 daily devotions. Each topic is treated with a scriptural reference, reflection, prayer, and questions for discussion. Occasionally, references are provided for further study. The first four chapters (Introduction, Apostle’s Creed, Lord’s Prayer, and Ten Commandments) cover 40 days making them suitable as a Lenten study. Ten additional days focus on the spiritual disciplines and a short conclusion. Reading A Christian Guide to Spirituality will help readers understand Christian spirituality better and nurture their faith. There is no such thing as quality time with the Lord; there is only time. The living God speaks to us in many ways, but especially through scripture. These three sources cited (Apostle’s Creed, Lord’s Prayer, and Ten Commandments) are commonly called the rule of faith (regula fidei) and were utilized for nearly two millennia as a means to apprentice the faith. These sources are the heart of the confessions of most Christian faith communities and denominations. Hear the words; walk the steps; experience the joy! Author Stephen W. Hiemstra (MDiv, PhD) is a slave of Christ, husband, father, tentmaker, economist, and writer. He lives with Maryam, his wife of 30 years, in Centreville, VA and they have three grown children. The foreword is written by Neal D. Presa. This book might be classified appropriately in spirituality, Christian living, devotion, faith, religion, and theology.

St. Paul prays with ardent desire that "the eyes of our understanding would be enlightened, that we might know what is the hope of the risen Jesus' calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance" (Eph 1:18). This book contains glimpses of the riches of God's glory. Seminarians offer a brief understanding of foundations in Christian Spirituality while reflecting upon selected topics in Fr. Xavier Leon-Du Four's seminal work entitled Dictionary of Biblical Theology. Through the art of sharing witness stories, the truth and beauty of Jesus' active loving is unveiled, and we are invited to see with new eyes.