DOCSLIB.ORG

The Quest for Spirituality in Light of Biblical

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Quest for Spirituality in Light of Biblical KNOWING & DOING A Teaching Quarterly for Discipleship of Heart and Mind This article originally appeared in the Winter 2007 issue of Knowing & Doing. C.S. LEWIS INSTITUTE The Quest for Spirituality in the Light of Biblical Discipleship by Michael J. Wilkins Dean of the Faculty and Professor of New Testament Language and Literature, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University he cover of Newsweek prayer. A notable example is Augustine of Hippo. magazine displayed in Here many emphasize that the road to spirituality Tbold letters: is through contemplative intimacy with God. The life of holiness. In a world of sin and moral THE SEARCH FOR laxity, some have emphasized the removal of sin- THE SACRED: ful habits in the life of the Christian. John Wesley AMERICA’S QUEST and his friends were nicknamed the “Holy Club” FOR SPIRITUAL MEANING because they took sin seriously and developed Michael Wilkins specific methods to achieve a life of holiness. For With the increasing secularistic materialism of many spirituality is achieved through holiness our modern culture, people both within the church before God. and in society at large are looking for spiritual an- Life in the Spirit. Still others emphasize the shap- swers. This quest has taken many different forms. ing of the individual Christian by the Holy Spirit. The “new age” movement has attracted large The Holy Spirit is the means or agency of spiritual numbers of followers as highly visible entertain- formation. Some groups, as widely divergent as ment figures try to give spiritual answers for com- Quakers and the Assemblies of God, emphasize plex modern life. But the new age movement has that spiritual formation is achieved as the Chris- developed its practices apart from Jesus Christ tian is open to the experience of the Holy Spirit. and the operation of the Holy Spirit. It is a coun- Social justice. From Francis of Assisi to the terfeit of Biblical spirituality. modern organization World Vision, many in The recent popularity of “spiritual formation” church history have devoted their lives to care authors in some quarters of the church speaks to for the sick, the poor, and the lame. Some have a desire by Christians to find deeper practices of abandoned their former lives altogether, while the spiritual life. There is a hunger for a real spiri- others make this a conscious pattern of life within tual life, something different than simply playing regular activities. For many the path to spiritual church. But even within the Christian realm we formation is pursued in a life characterized by fol- find remarkable differences in what proponents lowing Jesus’ example and admonition to care for mean by “spirituality” or “spiritual formation.” the needy. The Word of God. The Reformation, led espe- Approaches to Spirituality cially by Martin Luther and John Calvin, focused The history of the Christian church is marked by on the centrality of the Bible as God’s Word of a variety of approaches to spiritual formation.1 truth, instruction, and guidance. Reformers ad- The contemplative life. Church history has wit- vocated the accessibility of the Bible to laypersons nessed men and women who fled the life of the and clergy alike, which spawned a movement to city to found cloisters and monasteries, emphasiz- study and apply Scripture as a primary means to ing the importance of solitude, meditation, and spiritual formation. 2 The Quest for Spirituality in the Light of Biblical Discipleship The disciplined life. In the “spirituality” tradi- • the Christian leader who forgets that she/he is tions, the focus is upon the practice of spiritual still simply one of the flock. disciplines such as prayer, fasting, meditation, etc. It is important to learn from each, but not to over- “Formation” is regarded as whatever “disciplines” emphasize one or another, or allow one to domi- it takes to bring us where we are able to engage nate the others. The spiritual life is obtained by rightly in a life of spiritual growth. following the kind of life that Jesus exemplified, Community life. Benedict of Nursia initially which is a balance of each of these approaches. sought spirituality through being a contemplative Would you consider yourself to be “spiritual”? hermit. Later he recognized the need to live in Is a “spiritual” Christian different from an ordi- relationship with other believers, and so he devel- nary Christian? What in your life today indicates oped the monastic community of faith, the Bene- that you are involved in your own personal spiri- dictines. Since Jesus gathered disciples around tual formation? How does spiritual formation re- him, many emphasize that spirituality must be late to discipleship? pursued within a community of believers. Leadership training. Some understand spiritual “Yes to God” formation to mean formal training in special spir- Robert Meye defines spirituality as itual activities. In the Roman Catholic tradition this points to “priestly formation” or the “spiri- ...the grateful and heartfelt “Yes to God,” the re- tual formation” of the priest. The future priest sponse of the child of God to the call of God in is involved in external training for ministry, al- the Spirit. Expressed both in act and attitude, the though this is implied to go deeper, to the inner believer lives in obedience to and imitation of Je- self. The counterpart in the Protestant tradition is sus Christ, the true Son of God, and walks in the seminary training, where the emphasis is upon disciplined and maturing pattern of love’s obedi- developing a successful minister, pastor, leader, ence to God.3 or full-time Christian worker. From this perspec- tive, spiritual formation is the training that turns “Yes to God.” Yes to God in his call for us to the individual Christian into a successful Chris- be holy. Yes to God when he calls us to his Word. tian worker. Yes to God as he directs us to serve our neighbor and love our brothers and sisters in Christ. The Going To Extremes various approaches to spirituality we mentioned Each of us has been exposed to some aspects of above are powerful attempts to say yes to God in these approaches to spirituality. There is some one particular area of the Christian life. Therefore, overlap, and much can be learned from each. we can learn from each one. While we each will However, within each there are adherents who have one or more areas of natural strength, or ar- overemphasize their particular area of strength.2 eas to which our personality naturally draws us, For example: combining them helps us to move further along • the contemplative who forgets the needs of the the way toward whole spiritual growth. world “Spirituality,” then, is the overall goal of be- • the moralist who focuses on sin and neglects coming like Jesus. “Spiritual formation” points to compassion the process of training, shaping, and being shaped • the charismatic who seeks the gifts and ne- in every area of our lives by the Spirit into the im- glects the Giver age of Christ. • the social activist who forgets to listen to Note that I emphasize every area of our lives. God The use of “spirituality” and “spiritual formation” • the Bible-study enthusiast who feels no need can be misunderstood to imply only the immate- for the Holy Spirit rial aspect of our lives. The terms may seem to • the ascetic who disallows the joy of life in separate “spiritual” formation from other aspects Christ of personal growth, focusing only on the “inner • the community participant who loses his/her life.” That is why some prefer to speak of “Chris- individual identity tian formation,” emphasizing the development of the whole person. Dallas Willard clarifies, The Quest for Spirituality in the Light of Biblical Discipleship 3 Spirituality in human beings is not an extra or with both immaterial and material dimensions, “superior” mode of existence. It’s not a hidden the process of becoming like Jesus is a call to each stream of separate reality, a separate life run- of us to develop in every area of our lives. We are ning parallel to our bodily existence. It does not healthy persons when we develop as whole per- consist of special “inward” acts even though it sons. Like Jesus in His earthly life (Luke 2:52), we has an inner aspect. It is, rather, a relationship of are to grow mentally, physically, spiritually, and our embodied selves to God that has the natural socially/emotionally. and irrepressible effect of making us alive to the Kingdom of God—here and now in the material Discipleship Is Spiritual Formation world.4 How then does spiritual formation relate to dis- cipleship? Robert Mulholland defines spiritual formation as “a process of being conformed to the Fragmentation image of Christ for the sake of others.”5 That defi- As Christians, you and I can become tragically nition is virtually synonymous with discipleship. fragmented. We become fragmented when we Discipleship and spiritual formation/ spiritual- develop only one dimension of our lives. The ex- ity have striking similarities. While both terms pressions “discipleship” and “spirituality/spiritu- have unique emphases, they are quite similar in al formation” are often misapplied to emphasize their intended result: to be transformed into the only the “spiritual” element of human existence. image of Jesus. Jesus said that a disciple when This may separate “spiritual” formation from fully trained will be like his master (Luke 6:40), other aspects of personal growth and create frag- and Paul said that the ultimate goal of the Chris- mentation in the Christian life. tian life is to be transformed into the image of I see this regularly in young people who are Christ (see Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18).
Load more

Recommended publications
  • THE DIVINE CONSPIRACY: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God
    REVELATION THE DIVINE CONSPIRACY REDISCOVERING OUR HIDDEN LIFE IN GOD DALLAS WILLARD R. R. Brown Joe Henry Hankins John R. Rice Lee Roberson J. I. Willard “In those days there were giants in the land.” The kingdom of the heavens is similar to a bit of yeast which a woman took and hid in half a bushel of dough. After a while all the dough was pervaded by it. JESUS OF NAZARETH You must have often wondered why the enemy [God] does not make more use of his power to be sensibly present to human souls in any degree he chooses and at any moment. But you now see that the irresistible and the indisputable are the two weapons which the very nature of his scheme forbids him to use. Merely to over-ride a human will (as his felt presence in any but the faintest and most mitigated degree would certainly do) would be for him useless. He cannot ravish. He can only woo. For his ignoble idea is to eat the cake and have it; the creatures are to be one with him, but yet themselves; merely to cancel them, or assimilate them, will not serve…. Sooner or later he withdraws, if not in fact, at least from their conscious experience, all supports and incentives. He leaves the creature to stand up on its own legs—to carry out from the will alone duties which have lost all relish…. He cannot “tempt” to virtue as we do to vice. He wants them to learn to walk and must therefore take away his hand….
    [Show full text]
  • Dallas Willard Them Respond to the Needs and Opportunities They Face
    lyfe is a new way of engaging with the Bible. It’s about meeting with your friends in a public place (coffee shop/pub/restaurant), to connect God, you and everyday life. It’s about encountering the Bible with your heart and mind, in a fresh and vital way. Using material accessed from a dedicated website, groups follow a three-step process of engaging with a particular biblical text. By reading, reflecting and then responding to what they’ve encountered, the group approaches the Bible afresh. Find out more at lyfe.org.uk Bible Society Bible Society is working towards a day when the Bible’s God-given revelation, inspiration and wisdom is shaping lives everywhere. We work nationally and internationally to help make Scriptures available where there are none and work with the Church to help it live out the Bible’s message. Around the world we work in partnership with 140 other national Bible Societies, helping Dallas Willard them respond to the needs and opportunities they face. Knowing Christ Today: In England and Wales, we work especially with ’personal religion or public reality?’ the media, politics, arts and education, to show how the Bible connects with life today. A rare opportunity to hear the philosopher, writer and international speaker – author of The Divine Conspiracy, Bible Society, Stonehill Green, The Great Omission and Personal Religion, Public Reality? Westlea, Swindon, SN5 7DG T: 01793 418100 F: 01793 418118 Charity Registration No. 232759 9.30 to 4.30, Thursday 20 May Patron: Her Majesty The Queen biblesociety.org.uk Gateway Church, Westlea, Swindon SN5 7DG PBPM001176 An invitation from Bible Society to hear one of the greatest Christian influencers of our time About this conference ‘The theme of this day conference The day brings together church leaders and thinkers for what promises to be a is at the very core of Bible Society groundbreaking exercise in enlarging our and our mission to help today’s hearts and minds for God.
    [Show full text]
  • An Analysis of Dallas Willard's Theology of Emotion in Light of Contemporary Neuropsychology
    An Analysis of Dallas Willard's Theology of Emotion in Light of Contemporary Neuropsychology by Matthew Robert Green A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Regis College and the Pastoral Department of the Toronto School of Theology In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Theology awarded by the University of St. Michael's College © Copyright by Matthew Robert Green 2016 An Analysis of Dallas Willard's Theology of Emotion in Light of Contemporary Neuropsychology Matthew Robert Green Doctor of Philosophy in Theology Regis College and the University of St. Michael’s College 2016 Abstract This thesis considers Dr. Dallas Willard’s theological and practical response to late twentieth century expressions of evangelicalism in America as the through-line of his pastoral writing. It details the cultural and theological evolution of specific issues against which Willard took a stance and explicates how his writings sought to counter them. It then narrows to consider specifically his theological anthropology, focusing on his psychology of emotion and its role in the Christian spiritual life. This latter piece is considered in depth, analyzing how he understood emotion’s proper role, the manner in which it is distorted by sin and misunderstanding, and the means by which one may gradually restore it to God’s intention for the human person. Dr. Willard’s understanding of emotion is then examined in light of the research of contemporary neuropsychologists Antonio Damasio, Joseph LeDoux, and Jaak Panksepp. The scientific research is used as a means of providing some correction, but also additional specificity and clarity to Willard’s work, which in turn provides a theological character and teleological orientation to the neuropsychologists’ work.
    [Show full text]
  • Intentionality Contra Physicalism on the Mind’S Independence from the Body
    PHILOSOPHIA CHRISTI VOL. 20, NO. 2 © 2018 Intentionality contra Physicalism On the Mind’s Independence from the Body DALLAS WILLARD† Department of Philosophy University of Southern California Los Angeles, California BRANDON RICKABAUGH Department of Philosophy Baylor University Waco, Texas [email protected] 0DQ\SHUVRQVWRGD\ZKRUHJDUGWKHPVHOYHVDVVFLHQWL¿FDOO\PLQGHG² and who today does not—hold that only ignorance or nuttiness could explain anyone’s believing that the mind is independent of the body (mind-body dualism).1 David Braddon-Mitchel and Frank Jackson, for example, describe dualism as, “akin to explaining lightning in terms of Thor’s anger, and hence LV IXQGDPHQWDOO\ SULPLWLYH DQG SUHVFLHQWL¿F´2 Patricia Churchland calls ABSTRACT: We argue for the mind’s independence from the body. We do so by making several moves. First, we analyze two popular kinds of reasons which have swayed many to adopt the independence of the mind from the body. Second, we advance an argument from the ontology of intentionality against the identity thesis, according to which the mind is identical to the brain. We try to show how intentionality is not reducible to or identical to the physical. Lastly, we argue that, contrary to what many materialists contend, the concept of a mind, understood as an immaterial substance, existing independently of the body is both coherent and empirically evidenced. 1. This paper has an unusual genesis. In the fall of 2011, while a graduate student at Biola University, arrangements were made so that I (Brandon) could study with Dallas Willard at the University of Southern California. I was interested in learning from Dallas about knowledge by acquaintance, intentionality, and phenomenology.
    [Show full text]
  • CS Lewis and the Poverty of Naturalism
    Mere Economic Science: C. S. Lewis and the Poverty of Naturalism David J. Theroux Founder and President, The Independent Institute Independent Institute Working Paper Number 67 March 6, 2007 100 Swan Way, Oakland, CA 94621-1428 • 510-632-1366 • Fax: 510-568-6040 • Email: [email protected] • http://www.independent.org Mere Economic Science: C.S. Lewis and the Poverty of Naturalism Page 2 “Good is indeed something objective, and reason the organ whereby it is apprehended.” —C.S. Lewis1 “Religion without science is lame, but science without religion is blind.” —Albert Einstein For many years, much of the sciences, both natural and social (including economics), has been dominated by a naturalist (or modernist or structuralist) worldview that generally assumes that the universe and life are purposeless and that mankind is simply a more complex, material version of all else in the natural world. In other words, an individual human is viewed as no more and no less than a system of molecular processes determined by natural physical laws. In this system, all human endeavor and ideas are determined solely as the product of a mechanistic, causal process of physical events. The philosopher Dallas Willard describes naturalism as a form of monism: “It holds, in some order of interdependence, that reality, knowledge and method . are of only one basic kind. That is, there are not two radically different kinds of reality or knowledge or method. [Naturalism] is fundamentally opposed to Pluralism, and most importantly to Dualism as traditionally understood (Plato, Descartes, Kant).” True to this form of monism, “[t]he one type of reality admitted by it is that of the sense-perceptible world and its constituents.
    [Show full text]
  • Spirit of the Disciplines : Understanding How God Changes
    THE SPIRIT OF THE DISCIPLINES Understanding How God Changes Lives DALLAS WILLARD For John and Rebecca in hope that they may live abundant life in the easy yoke and the light burden of Christ Table of Contents Foreword v Preface vii 1. The Secret of the Easy Yoke 1 2. Making Theology of the Disciplines Practical 11 3. Salvation Is a Life 28 4. ªLittle Less Than a Godº 44 5. The Nature of Life 56 6. Spiritual Life: The Body's Fulfillment 75 7. St. Paul's Psychology of RedemptionÐThe Example 95 8. History and the Meaning of the Disciplines 130 9. Some Main Disciplines for the Spiritual Life 156 10. Is Poverty Spiritual? 193 11. The Disciplines and the Power Structures of This World 220 Epilogue 251 Appendix I. Jeremy Taylor's Counsel on the Application of Rules for Holy Living 255 Appendix II. Discipleship: For Super-Christians Only? 258 Bibliography 266 Name Index 271 Subject Index 276 Scripture Index 279 About the Author Praise Other Books by Dallas Willard Cover Copyright About the Publisher Foreword To a new generation of readers The Spirit of the Disciplines confidently says that there is a way of spiritual transformation that is accessible to all people and it really does work in the contemporary world. The spirit of the disciplines is the way of Jesus, our divine but human teacher, who has walked and now walks that path before us and in- vites us to simply follow him as that path leads us through our lives into eternity. The path starts where we are and as we areÐno matter what precisely that means, or how despairing our situation may seem from the human perspective.
    [Show full text]
  • SFJ-Willard.Pdf
    v3n2 text:SFJ Fall2010 10/12/10 7:26 PM Page 125 Journal of Spiritual Formation & Soul Care Copyright 2010 by Institute of Spiritual Formation 2010, Vol. 3, No. 2, 125 Biola University, 1939-7909 Table of Contents Introduction to Issue 3:2 126 Gary W. Moon and Steve L. Porter ARTICLES Embracing Jesus in a First Century Context: What Can It Teach Us about Spiritual Commitment? 128 Darrell L. Bock Spiritual Formation and St. Paul as Spiritual Director: Determining the Primary Aims 140 Victor Copan Learning from Jesus to Live in the Manner Jesus Would If He Were I: Biblical Grounding for Willard’s Proposal Regarding Jesus’ Humanity 155 Klaus Issler “Living with the Lord Always Before Them”: Considerations of Spiritual Guidance Offered by Ignatius of Loyola and Dallas Willard 181 Catherine Looker Redeeming Moral Formation: The Unity of Spiritual and Moral Formation in Willardian Thought 206 Aaron Preston Neither Because nor In Spite of: A Critical Reflection on Willard’s Read of the Beatitudes 230 Gregg Ten Elshof The Willardian Corpus 239 Steve L. Porter REFLECTIONS A Tribute to Dallas Willard: My Favorite Psychologist 267 Gary W. Moon A Reluctant Prophet: How Does Professor Willard Propose to Take Over the World? 283 Bill Hull A Pastor’s Lessons in Kingdom Life from a Master Apprentice of Jesus 296 Keith Meyer 125 v3n2 text:SFJ Fall2010 10/12/10 7:26 PM Page 126 Journal of Spiritual Formation & Soul Care Copyright 2010 by Institute of Spiritual Formation 2010, Vol. 3, No. 2, 126–127 Biola University, 1939-7909 Introduction to the Special Theme Issue: DALLAS WILLARD AND SPIRITUAL FORMATION When we first informed Dallas that we were doing a special issue on his work in spiritual formation, we made it clear that it was not meant to be primarily honorific.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter XXXX: Dismantling Bodily Resurrection Objections to Mind-Body Dualism Brandon Rickabaugh
    Chapter XXXX: Dismantling Bodily Resurrection Objections to Mind-Body Dualism Brandon Rickabaugh Forthcoming in Keith Loftin and Joshua Ryan Farris (eds.). Christian Physicalism? Philosophical Theological Criticisms. Lexington Books, 2017. “My only comfort in life and death is that I belong, body and soul, to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ.”1 This confession is grounded in two historic and prevalent Christian beliefs:2 Bodily Resurrection: We, human persons, will exist in the life to come with a glorified and incorruptible resurrected body. Mind-Body Dualism: We, human persons, are not identical to any purely physical thing, but are or have an embodied immaterial soul. Although most Christians throughout the history of the church have maintained both beliefs, some Christian materialists argue that these two doctrines are in conflict. Some argue that bodily resurrection is trivialized by substance dualism (here after, dualism), that dualism makes expiations of why bodily resurrection is truly difficult, or that dualism should be rejected as bodily resurrection is better accounted for by Christian physicalism. Let’s call such arguments resurrection objections. These criticisms are somewhat understandable. Dualism is often stated with little to no mention of the body. Regarding the core commitments of dualism, Dean Zimmerman observes, (a) they believe that, for every person who thinks or has experiences, there is a thing—a soul or spiritual substance—that lacks many of the physical properties the body shares with unthinking material objects; and (b) they believe that this extra thing is essential to the person, and in one way or another responsible for the person’s mental life.3 The emphasis is on the soul, with only passing mention of the body.
    [Show full text]
  • Modern Amnesia Modern Amnesia
    CHRISTIAN HISTORY IssueIssue 129 129 RecoveryRecovery from from ModernModern AmnesiaAmnesia AncientAncient practices practices forfor a afaith-full faith-full futurefuture $5.00 US $7.00 CAN ChristianHistoryMagazine.org REST IN PEACE Far left: Why is Meth- odist theologian Tom Oden’s tomb- stone important? See p. 14. DEEP THOUGHT Left: How did Pius X (pictured here working in the Vatican gardens) try to deal with the modern age? See p. 28. unlearned rise and take heaven by force, and here we are with all our learning— see how we wallow in flesh and blood? Are we ashamed to follow because oth- ers have gone before?” He stormed into another part of the garden, where he famously heard a voice chanting “Take and read” and picked up his copy of Paul’s epis- Did you know? tles and opened it to Romans 13. Stricken, he gave his life to Christ. That’s the part of the story we remem- MODERN THINKERS WHO HAVE TURNED TO THE ber—but it was prompted by a chain of testimony early church weren’t the first to do so reaching all the way back to the first century. TEPID MONKS THE REST OF AUGUSTINE’S STORY Benedict of Nursia (c. 480–547) in his Rule prescribed Many of us think we know all about the famous “gar- readings from the church fathers as well as the Bible den conversion” of Augustine of Hippo (354–430). But to help form his monks in the faith. He noted that do we? On that day an African officer named Ponti- early Christians prayed through “in a single day cian visited Augustine’s villa and began idly to flip what I pray we tepid monks may get through in a through a copy of Paul’s epistles.
    [Show full text]
  • A Strategic Spiritual Formation Study Based on the Book of Malachi
    LIBERTY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY A STRATEGIC SPIRITUAL FORMATION STUDY BASED ON THE BOOK OF MALACHI A Thesis Proposal Submitted to Dr. Dennis McDonald and Dr. Chet Roden in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree DOCTOR OF MINISTRY By Rand Michael Muender Lynchburg, Virginia February 7, 2018 i Copyright © 2018 Rand Michael Muender All Rights Reserve ii LIBERTY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY THESIS PROJECT APPROVAL SHEET ______________________________________ GRADE ______________________________________ MENTOR ______________________________________ READER iii ABSTRACT A STRATEGIC SPIRITUAL FORMATION STUDY BASED ON THE BOOK OF MALACHI Rand Michael Muender Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, 2018 Mentor: Dr. Dennis McDonald, Assistant Professor of Theology Reader: Dr. Chet Roden, Chair, Biblical Studies A review of current literature on spiritual disciplines demonstrates the need for a pastor to successfully implement an exegetical preaching methodology toward spiritual formation. The goal of this project is to answer: “What impact would a strategic spiritual formation study based upon the Book of Malachi implemented by a pastor have on a local church that is below 200 in attendance?” Incorporating the results of surveys sent to pastors within The Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia having below 200 in attendance, this project will review theological, historical, and exegetical, perspectives and principles for a biblical methodology for spiritual formation. Abstract length: 99 words. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS It is with great joy to be able to thank those who have been both patient and supportive of my thesis project, as I sought to work out my own strategy for discovering biblical formation principles by expository preaching through whole books of the Bible for the benefit of my own spiritual maturity and the congregation and community in which I pastor.
    [Show full text]
  • A Case for a Husserlian Willardarian Approach to Knowledge
    Liberty University A CASE FOR A HUSSERLIAN WILLARDARIAN APPROACH TO KNOWLEDGE A Paper Presented in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Course PHIL 690 by Joseph Gibson ii I. INTRODUCTION A. Introduction to the Problem 1. Current Epistemology 2. Phenomenology B. Statement of Purpose and Limitations 1. Limitations Concerning Current Epistemology 2. Limitations concerning Phenomenology C. Overview 1. Chapter 2: Phenomenology 2. Chapter 3: Knowledge 3. Chapter 4: HW and the Current Discussion 4. Chapter 5: Closing II. PHENOMENOLOGY A. Introduction B. An Historical Development 1. Foundations for Locating Knowledge in a Husserlian System 2. The Transcendental Reduction 3. The Beginner’s Immanence and Transcendence 4. The Eidetic Reduction and Epistemological Immanence and Transcendence 5. Aufklarung and Erklarung 6. Essences and Universals 7. A Defense of “Seeing” a. A Mistaken metabasi b. The Necessity of Authenticity and Eidetic Blindness III. KNOWLEDGE A. Knowledge and the Acts and Relations of Consciousness that Survive the Reductions 1. Introduction 2. Intentionality a. Noetic and Noematic Intentionality b. Intentional Direction 3. Knowledge a. Authentic and Symbolic Knowledge b. The Knowledge Relationship c. A Comparison to Kant B. Conclusion IV. HUSSERL, WILLARD, AND THE CURRENT DISCUSSION A. Investigation of Noetic Conditions as Opposed to a Definitional Approach B. HW and Reformed Epistemology C. Opposition to HW’s Compatibility with Externalism iii 1. Introduction 2. Lingocentric Justification 3. Intentionality and the Intentionality Threshold a. Problem One: Non-Linguistic Intentionality b. Problem Two: The Intentionality Threshold i. How the Threshold is Set ii. How Should the Threshold be Set? D. Conclusion V. CLOSING A. Additional Insight Needed in Understanding Phenomenology B.
    [Show full text]
  • American Evangelical Appropriations of Saint Francis of Assisi, 1972-2013
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by British Columbia's network of post-secondary digital repositories THE BORN-AGAIN FRIAR: AMERICAN EVANGELICAL APPROPRIATIONS OF SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI, 1972-2013 by PAUL R. FOTH B.A., Trinity Western University, 2009 Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF THEOLOGICAL STUDIES in the FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES TRINITY WESTERN UNIVERSITY April 2019 © Paul R. Foth, 2019 Abstract Beginning in the late twentieth century, some evangelical Protestants in America turned to historic Catholic saints as inspirational exemplars of Christian faith. A surprisingly diverse range of American evangelicals appealed to Saint Francis of Assisi because he was perceived as a quintessentially authentic Christian. Saint Francis provided historical justification for some of these evangelicals’ own ideals of Christian discipleship, and served as an example for inspiration and emulation as they navigated contemporary American culture and the evolving evangelical movement. This thesis examines a range of American evangelical appropriations of Saint Francis of Assisi from 1972 to 2013, focusing on several sub-groups or movements within American evangelicalism. This examination of the evangelical reception of Saint Francis of Assisi contributes to a deeper understanding of evangelical Protestant interactions with Catholic spirituality, while also illuminating changing evangelical conceptions of what constitutes true Christian
    [Show full text]