The body is crucial to religious life, but there has been little practical attention given to how to make a helpful reality of this fact. Strong forms of philosophical dualism have been widely abandoned by post-war theologians in favour of a more integrated view of human nature, but guidance on the role of the body in Christian spirituality remains fragmentary. Focusing particularly on drawing out practical implications for religious life and ministry, this book surveys the many ways in which the body plays an important role in religious and spiritual life, drawing on scientific research, theology and philosophy.
The topic of intelligence involves questions that cut deep into ultimate concerns and human identity, and the study of intelligence is an ideal ground for dialogue between science and religion. This volume investigates the notion of spiritual intelligence from a variety of perspectives, bringing together contributions from theology, computer science, linguistics, psychology, biology, and cognitive science. It defines spiritual intelligence as “processing things differently, not processing different things” and aims to describe it in naturalistic terms. Spiritual intelligence is not regarded as a separate mental module or a magical ability to interact with the supernatural but rather as a specific, more spiritual way of engagement with reality, which has observable cognitive, phenomenal, and linguistic characteristics. The book is valuable reading for those working at the interface between science and spirituality.
Appropriating insights from empirical findings and theoretical constructs of 'embodied cognition', this study explores how theological understanding is accommodated to the bodily nature of human cognition. The principle of divine accommodation provides a theological framework for considering the human cognitive capacities that are accommodated by theological concepts and ecclesial practices. A rich portrait of the nature of human cognitive capacities is drawn from an emerging paradigm in cognitive science, embodied cognition, which proposes that cognition depends upon bodily sensorimotor systems to ground concepts and to draw upon environmental resources. Embodied cognition's hypothesis that human concepts are grounded in sensorimotor states poses a theological quandary for God-concepts, since identifying God with sensorimotor content risks idolatry. The incarnation resolves this problem in theological epistemology by grounding God-concepts in bodily understanding, while avoiding idolatry. Thus, the incarnation represents an accommodation to human conceptual capacities. Embodied cognition further hypothesises that cognition relies on sensorimotor engagement with the world rather than internal mental representations. Subsequently, in addition to the brain, bodily states and environmental artefacts 'scaffold' cognitive processes. A scaffolded view of cognition highlights the cognitive import of embodied religious practices, which choregraph the body and curate material culture. Tobias Tanton applies dozens of studies identifying mechanisms by which bodily or environmental factors influence cognition to the embodied and material dimensions Christian practices. On account of their inherent cognitive effects, practices are theorised to have intrinsic 'embodied' meanings alongside 'symbolic' ones established by conventions. Consequently, liturgy is seen as a bearer of theological content rather than merely an expression of it; a locus of religious experience; and a crucial determinate of religious and ethical formation. Again, the embodied nature of Christian liturgy is understood in terms of accommodation. Embodied cognition research helpfully illuminates the details of human embodiment to which theological understanding must be accommodated.
We live in an age of emergency, exacerbated by a collapse of meaning. Writer and psychotherapist Mark Vernon examines the type of intelligence that, whilst often dismissed and overlooked, is crucial to understand and cultivate if we are to survive and thrive in our times. Spiritual intelligence is the foundation of who we are and our particular type of consciousness. It is the perception identified across wisdom and religious traditions, and known by many names, which can be summarised as the awareness of awareness, and so of being itself. It is the foundation of peace, even in the face of death, as well as purpose and solidarity. The challenge today is to recover and live according to that knowledge. Examining themes from the nature of consciousness to the experience of time, the emergence of our species and the teaching of spiritual adepts, the book is an antidote to rampant AI and a complement to emotional intelligence. It is written without presuming religious commitments in readers and draws on a mix of sources and experience gained from the author's own practices. It advocates pilgrimage and improvisation, virtues over morality, and big histories that do not turn the story of our species into a bleak struggle for survival. The seven steps will help readers identify spiritual intelligence within themselves, unpack why it matters, and suggest how a wider trust in it may be revived.
This book focuses on the idea of the imago Dei to engaging theologically with artificial intelligence (AI). It reflects on how enormous progress in the development of AI has raised some challenges to Christian theology. Questions explored include: is AI created in the imago Dei? If so, does AI challenge the uniqueness of the human being as the imago Dei? If not, could AI be incorporated into human communities as a human companion in the same way as a natural human person? Would AI eventually develop to have human-level consciousness and be capable of performing liturgies and ethical actions? Bringing to light the radical distinction between the imago Dei and the imago hominis, the book constructs a theo-ontological foundation for AI and draws on the Reformed theology of archetype–ectype as a metaphysical tool to deploy a holistic account of the imago Dei in theology–AI dialogues. The author argues that the imago Dei is the signifier of the beginning both of God–human stories and stories of human ethical performances towards others. From the perspective of the image of the imago Dei, it can be argued that AI can somehow participate into the narration of these religious and ethical stories. This book will be of particular interest to scholars of theology and those working in the field of religion and science/technology.
Students of Christian spirituality often have an ambivalent attitude to primary sources from the past. On the one hand they are intrigued by the mysterious ‘otherness’ of their and the promise that this very ‘otherness’ my take them into exciting uncharted territory. On the other hand, they lack the confidence to navigate this territory, so that what begins as strangely intriguing can quickly become ‘just too weird.’ The SCM Reader in Christian Spirituality not only offers a collection of readings from the classic texts of Christian spirituality but also gives the reader a way into these texts that enables them to be received as living and relevant for both personal spirituality and ministry. An introductory section guides the student through the process and offers techniques for approaching these often ancient texts. The Reader then presents readings from the patristic to the end of the early modern period, encompassing both the Eastern and Western church traditions, grouped around key themes, and including extensive notes and contextual material.
The primary responsibility of the church, its raison d'etre, is to make disciples by sharing the "good news" of salvation and teaching believers to grow in maturity in Christ (Matt 28:16-20; 1 Cor 3:2-3; 14:20). What does it mean to grow in discipleship and maturity in Christ? What are the required ingredients for such growth and maturity to occur? Answers to both questions are provided in the book you're about to read. Growing in Discipleship is wide-ranging in scope, from biblical studies to systematic theology, focusing on a sample of fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith. The book is written for both new and old believers who are seeking a deeper engagement with and understanding of the good news of salvation in Christ. Daniel Dapaah has broken down the complex theological concepts to present them in a concise and accessible format to readers who have no background in biblical studies. Beginning seminarians will also find this book useful. But true discipleship is more than an intellectual assent to the doctrines of the church. It is also a personal commitment to the life and teachings of Christ. It involves growing spiritually to reflect the image of Christ (Latin, Imago Dei). The book includes an "Individual or Group Exercise" guide at the end of each chapter, focusing on sample questions from the study, a "Personal Application" for reflection, and a "Commitment" to grow and mature in Christ through the enabling power of the Holy Spirit. This book is a useful resource for individual and group Bible study.
This updated edition of The Oxford Handbook of Psychology and Spirituality codifies the leading empirical evidence in the support and application of postmaterial psychological science. Lisa J. Miller has gathered together a group of ground-breaking scholars to showcase their work of many decades that has come further to fruition in the past ten years with the collective momentum of a Spiritual Renaissance in Psychological Science. With new and updated chapters from leading scholars in psychology, medicine, physics, and biology, the Handbook is an interdisciplinary reference for a rapidly emerging approach to contemporary science. Highlighting fresh ideas and supporting science, this overarching work provides both a foundation and a roadmap for what is truly a new ideological age.
A lively and challenging exploration of things the contemporary Church needs to learn from monastic communities, things it has lost and needs to rediscover.
The International Council on Pastoral Care and Counseling (ICPCC) met in August 2011 in Rotorua, New Zealand for its 9th International Congress. Various discussions in the field arose from actual challenges, such as the earthquake in Japan, social changes, and, mainly, deprivations all over the world. The ICPCC offers guidelines on how to cope with these situations, which also include the indigenous traditions of the Maori culture, projects on inter-religious encounter, etc. - all of which provoke a rethinking of traditional spirituality. The Congress proceedings are presented in this book as a state of discussion within this globalized network. (Series: Theologie: Forschung und Wissenschaft - Vol. 33)
