SPIRITUAL INTELLIGENCE AND THE CONTENT OF FAITH: A POST-FOUNDATIONAL, INTERDISCIPLINARY AND HERMENEUTICAL DIALOGUE BETWEEN DANAH ZOHAR AND DALLAS WILLARD BY ANDRIES P KILIAN DISSERTATION PRESENTED FOR THE DEGREE OF PHD IN PRACTICAL THEOLOGY AT STELLENBOSCH UNIVERSITY STUDY LEADER: PROF CH THESNAAR DECEMBER 2015 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za ii By submitting this dissertation electronically, I declare that the entirety of the work contained therein is my own, original work, that I am the owner of the copyright thereof (unless to the extent explicitly otherwise stated) and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it for obtaining any qualification. December 2015 Copyright © 2015 University of Stellenbosch All rights reserved Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za iii Acknowledgements I am so grateful to the following people for taking this journey with me: • To my family – Ilana, Cara, Theo, Jean and Luc – for the time that you granted me to follow this energy and passion, for going with me on study leave and for continuously reminding me to stay aware and in awe of life! I will always remember how you served me coffee early morning through the window at Vleesbaai. • To my parents for supporting and motivating me, for believing in me and for giving me a story to be true to my own journey. • To Brian Draper for inspiring me through his work on Spiritual Intelligence. This eventually led to our friendship. May this soulful journey together continue. • To Danah Zohar (and the Academy of Total Intelligence) who conducted a training week in Oxford on Spiritual Intelligence (and also the group). Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions and for motivating me to go ahead with my studies. Your openness and inclusiveness inspired me. • To Stephan, Chris, André, Rudolph, Herman, Deon and Hendrik who are part of our Spiritual Intelligence group. Thank you for keeping me focused on the practice of Spiritual Intelligence in my own life throughout my studies and beyond. • To Nico Simpson – without your creative, strategic and theological wisdom I wouldn’t have been able to narrow down the focus and scope of this study when I started. • To every client, coacheé, individual and couple in my practice who shared their unique stories and journeys to enhance my own Spiritual Intelligence. • To Prof Thesnaar for his continuous support and wisdom throughout this journey. And to Him (or Her) who gives us “water drop” moments and Breath every day to keep us aware of the gift of life. The Source of Spiritual Intelligence. Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za iv SUMMARY This research process wanted to ask questions about the responsible integration of faith content within the construct of Spiritual Intelligence. This integration process is important to add meaning and awareness within a society that often lives with meaning blindness. To find the integration of faith content a conversation was necessary between Theology and Spiritual Intelligence. Danah Zohar is a proponent of Spiritual Intelligence and Dallas Willard a proponent of Theology. The broader purpose of this research was to facilitate an interdisciplinary, post-foundational, hermeneutical dialogue between Zohar and Willard to find new and shared knowledge on the construct of Spiritual Intelligence by forging connections across disciplines. These investigations also sought to challenge and enhance the construct of Spiritual Intelligence and develop new and shared knowledge. This search for new and shared knowledge specifically focused on the question about the content of faith that underpinned Spiritual Intelligence. The research methodology was a post-foundational and interdisciplinary dialogue. This research process was a dialogue between Theology and Science in order to find the shared knowledge. Practical Theology is about the practice of faith as well as the change and transformation in faith praxis. Spiritual Intelligence could empower individuals and groups to be more aware of the content of their faith and live more integrated lives, thus aiding the praxis of faith and transformation. The research presented Danah Zohar’s current literature on Spiritual Intelligence to provide an overview of her work and to look at the construct of Spiritual Intelligence from a wider theoretical perspective. The research also presented Dallas Willard and his key theological concepts, which were used in the process to find new and shared knowledge on the content of faith within Spiritual Intelligence. The challenge to be more aware of the content of faith and to live more integrated lives is a challenge to apply faith in action and to integrate faith for continuous transformation. This is applicable to the focus of Practical Theology. The dialogue, facilitated as a hermeneutical dialogue, provided a “middle space” through the fusion of the horizons of the two disciplines. From the hermeneutical fusion of horizons, this research presented Spiritual Intelligence as the construct to bridge the dichotomy between neurobiology and spirituality and the integration of faith content in terms of image of God, self-image and anthropology as well as worldview. It also presented Spiritual Intelligence as soulfulness and wisdom. Hopefully, this new shared knowledge between the two dialogue partners as well as the interpretations by the researcher will assist us to live closer, more aware and more integrated with Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za v our values in the whole of our lives, through meaning, awareness, integration, responsibility, living as good people with character and transformation. This can lead to people having a better and more conscious relationship with God, themselves and the world. This dialogue is an on-going process in which the researcher is actively participating. Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za vi OPSOMMING Hierdie navorsingsproses het vrae gevra oor die verantwoordelike integrasie van die inhoud van geloof in die konstruk van Spirituele Intelligensie. Hierdie integrasieproses is belangrik om betekenis en bewustheid te ontwikkel in 'n samelewing wat dikwels blind leef ten opsigte van betekenis. Die integrasie van die inhoud van geloof het vir 'n gesprek tussen Teologie en Spirituele Intelligensie gevra. Danah Zohar is 'n kenner op die gebied van Spirituele Intelligensie terwyl Dallas Willard 'n kenner op die gebied van Teologie is. Die oorkoepelende doel van hierdie navorsing is om 'n interdissiplinêre, post- fundamentele , hermeneutiese dialoog tussen Zohar en Willard te fasiliteer om sodoende nuwe gedeelde kennis te ontdek ten opsigte van die konstruk van Spirituele Intelligensie. Die soeke na nuwe, gedeelde kennis fokus spesifiek op die vraag na die geloofsinhoud wat onderliggend is aan Spirituele Intelligensie. Die navorsingsmetodiek is 'n post-fundamentele en interdissiplinêre dialoog. Hierdie navorsingsproses is 'n dialoog tussen Teologie en Wetenskap om gedeelde kennis te vind. Praktiese Teologie handel oor die praktyk van geloof, sowel as die verandering en transformasie van die praksis van geloof. Spirituele Intelligensie kan individue en groepe bemagtig om meer bewustelik te leef ten opsigte van die inhoud van geloof en om meer geïntegreerd te leef in die praksis van geloof en transformasie. Hierdie navorsing gebruik Zohar se huidige werk oor Spirituele Intelligensie as die basis om 'n oorsig te kry oor haar werk. Dit kyk ook na die konstruk van Spirituele Intelligensie vanaf 'n wyer teoretiese perspektief. Die navorsing het ook Willard se belangrikste teologiese konsepte uitgewys wat gebruik is in die proses om nuwe gedeelde kennis te ontdek oor die inhoud van geloof in Spirituele Intelligensie. Dit is 'n uitdaging om meer bewustelik en geïntegreerd te leef ten opsigte van die inhoud van geloof, en om dit toe te pas is 'n uitdaging vir geloof in praktyk en voortdurende transformasie. Dit is juis daarom toepaslik vir die fokus van Praktiese Teologie. Die dialoog, wat as 'n hermeneutiese dialoog gefasiliteer is, het 'n “middelgrond” geskep deur die oorvleueling van die horisonne van die twee dissiplines. Deur die hermeneutiese oorvleueling van horisonne stel die navorsing Spirituele Intelligensie voor as die brug tussen neurobiologie en spiritualiteit, asook die integrasie van die inhoud van geloof ten opsigte van Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za vii die Godsbeeld, antropologie en wêreldbeeld. Dit stel ook Spirituele Intelligensie as sielvolheid en wysheid voor. Dit is die hoop dat die twee vennote in die dialoog en die interpretasie van die navorser ons kan help om nader, meer geïntegreerd en meer bewus te leef ten opsigte van ons waardes in die geheel van ons lewens deur betekenis, bewustelikheid, integrasie, verantwoordelikheid, die leef as goeie mense met karakter asook transformasie. Dit kan mense lei na 'n beter en meer bewustelike verhouding met God, hulself asook die wêreld. Hierdie dialoog is 'n voortgesette proses waaraan die navorser aktief deelneem. Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za viii The journey of learning and discovering continues… Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za ix TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: BACKGROUND, MOTIVATION AND RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 1.1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 A PERSONAL STORY ...............................................................................................................