Product Description

The SCM Studyguide to Christian Spirituality is designed as a lucid and comprehensive introduction to spirituality for students of all religious backgrounds, especially those coming to the subject for the first time. Part One looks at the Christian spiritual tradition through an encyclopaedic study of a variety of spiritual writers. These are treated chronologically: the Bible, the patristic period, the time when monasticism triumphed, the Middle Ages, the Reformation, and the post-Enlightenment period. Part Two, which could also be used at a more advanced level, explores Christian spirituality through a range of interdisciplinary themes. Successive chapters look at its relation to personal experience, science, theology, psychology, sexual embodiment, and ethics. The final chapter raises urgent contemporary issues: the relation of Christian spirituality to that of other faiths, and to â postmodernâ culture in general. Each chapter concludes with questions for discussion and select further reading, and an extensive bibliography for each chapter is also provided.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #458927 in Books
• Published on: 2008-07-31
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

About the Author
Revd Dr Ross Thompson is a freelance writer in theology and ethics. Revd Judith Thompson is Director of Pastoral Studies at St Michaels College, Cardiff. She contributes one chapter on the practical interpersonal skills of spiritual direction. Revd Gareth Williams is currently the Director of the Graduate Programme in Spirituality and Spiritual Direction, at St. Michael's College. He contributes two chapters on modern spirituality.

Customer Reviews

Best quick guide to Christian spirituality
I am just completing an MA in Christian Spirituality and wish this guide had been available when I set out as it is remarkably clear and succinct, and raises all the main issues. It's written in an accessible and intelligent way and I particularly liked the chapter on Spirituality and Science which covers some ground not usually found in books on this theme.
A quick read of this will guide you to all the main thinkers in this area, the great mystics themselves and contemporary theologians, and summarises contentious and challenging issues such as the role of the body and the psyche, morality and ethics, and the nature and importance of spiritual experience. It will help you structure your thoughts and highlight areas you want to explore more deeply. Highly recommended!