EXPLORING CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY PART 1: CLASSIC SOURCES 1 Contents Introduction 1 Spirituality and Jesus 2 Desert spirituality: desert fathers and mothers Basil & Syncletica 3 Orthodox spirituality: praying with icons 4 Celtic spirituality: Patrick 5 Prophetic spirituality: Francis of Assisi 6 Mystic spirituality: Julian of Norwich 7 Evangelical Spirituality : Bunyan and Wesley Optional units 8 Monastic spirituality : Benedict of Nursa 9 Metaphors in spirituality: Teresa of Avila 10 Spirituality of struggle: George Herbert 2 Introduction to the Course Aim This module leads us to the wellsprings of Christian spirituality, and explores their abiding relevance today in our discipleship. This course aims to introduce you to major classic expressions of Christian spirituality. Each unit will have four major strands, woven in different ways: 1 historical background to a spiritual writer 2 engagement with a text from the writer 3 questions to stimulate discussion and reflection 4 prayer exercise giving the opportunity to pray in different ways Approach There are 3 things to bear in mind in the study of spirituality 1. The need to develop a two-way conversation Gadamer wrote of the need to recognise both the horizon of the writer in question and to acknowledge and identify our own horizon.1 We are invited to respect the ‘otherness’ of the text and allow it to question us. We bring our questions to the text, which may be re-shaped in the process. Sheldrake sees this as a two-way conversation: ‘what is needed is a receptive and at the same time critical dialogue with a spiritual text in order to allow the wisdom contained in it to challenge us and yet to accord our own horizons their proper place.’2 Such an approach opens us to new insight, within an encounter with the text which recognises both reader and text not as static entities but as dynamic players. 2 . Maintain a hermeneutic of respect and criticism 1 H.-G. Gadamer, Truth and Method (ET, London, 1979) 2 Sheldrake, Spirituality and History, (SPCK 1991) p165 3 This encounter takes place within the dialectic of a hermeneutic of suspicion and a hermeneutic of generosity (after Ricoeur3). The former is unafraid to ask questions and to offer a critique where appropriate. A hermeneutic of generosity handles the text with a certain respect and recognises its authority in its own terms. The student of spirituality will seek to hold these attitudes within a creative balance and so be ready to be both surprised and heartened by the text encountered. 3. Awareness of ‘self-implication’ The student and scholar are called to be an objective observer and analyst of religious practice, maintaining a critical distance between him/herself and the documents or phenomena studied.4 However, this becomes difficult within the area of spirituality because we are all humans on a spiritual quest or spiritual journey. (Even the atheist student will be asking ‘ultimate questions’ about meaning and purpose.) The purpose of the Engaging Christianity series is not only to educate but to develop, stimulate and resource our life of discipleship. So we should not be afraid to ‘go out of our comfort zone’ – on the contrary, we should be ready to welcome ways of praying into our own practice which are at once ancient and fresh. We should 3 P. Ricoeur, Freud and Philosophy : An Essay on Interpretation (Yale University Press, New Haven, 1970). 4 S.Schneiders, ‘The Study of Christian Spirituality’ in A. Holder (ed.), The Blackwell Companion to Christian Spirituality (Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, 2005), 15-33; B.C. Lane, ‘Writing in Spirituality as a Self-Implicating Act’ in B.H. Lescher & E. Liebebert (eds.), Exploring Christian Spirituality (Paulist Press, N.Y., 2006), 53-69 4 be prepared to be touched and inspired by the witness of classic spiritual writers, so that our own life of prayer and witness is strengthened and encouraged. Practicalities The module consists of between seven and ten sessions (the group can decide how many beyond the seven core sessions to do) and each lasts approximately 90 minutes with a short act of worship either before or after the session. There will be a group leader to guide you through the material. Commitment Apart from attending and playing a full part in the sessions themselves, the only other commitment is to do some preparation prior to each meeting. This will normally be something to think about or read. There will also be additional resources recommended - such as books, websites and films – but there is no requirement to make use of these. Canon Dr Andrew Mayes, Diocesan Spirituality Adviser 5 OUTLINE CORE SESSIONS UNIT 1 SPIRITUALITY & JESUS We look at the concept of spirituality, exploring the origins of the term, its transformational character, & begin to ask about its relationship to daily life We look at the spirituality of Jesus, and the role of solitude & prayer in his ministry UNIT 2 DESERT SPIRITUALITY: Basil of Caesarea We look at the physicality of the desert & its clues for the landscape of spirituality, noting three physical deserts in the Bible. We look at John the Baptist & Jesus’ experience in the desert. We note the origins of the desert fathers & mothers – what led them into the desert. We consider the invitations and challenges of the desert. We engage with a reading from Basil the Great UNIT 3 SPIRITUALITY OF ICONS We begin by thinking about the significance of ‘images’ & the origins of icons. As we consider different responses of resistance and welcome to icons, we engage with two important defences of their use. We consider six key features of icons and engage with three famous icons and allow them to lead us into refection & prayer. UNIT 4 CELTIC SPIRITUALITY We gain a perspective on the history of the Celtic tradition, identifying major strands of early Celtic Christianity. We encounter some Celtic ways of praying and conclude with a closer look at an example: St Patrick’s Breastplate. UNIT 5 PROPHETIC SPIRITUALITY: Francis of Assisi We begin with an overview of key characteristics of Francis’ spirituality, then look at the life of Francis through the lens of the theme of liberation. We engage with a key text from Francis and explore the relationship of suffering 6 & spirituality in the life of Francis. We consider the theme of reconciliation in Francis’ life and describe qualities of prophetic spirituality. UNIT 6 MYSTICAL SPIRITUALITY: Julian of Norwich We begin by asking ‘what is a mystic?’ and consider Jesus as a mystic. We recall the flowering of mysticism in the 14th century and explore the teaching of Julian of Norwich , engaging with key texts. We ask how we can encourage the mystic in us. UNIT 7 EVANGELICAL SPIRITUALTY We identify key characteristics of evangelical spirituality. We engage with an example from the 17th century, John Bunyan and with 18th century John Wesley. OPTIONAL SESSIONS UNIT 8 MONASTIC SPIRITUALITY: BENEDICT We set Benedict in his historical background and engage with a reading from his Rule. We unpack the text through questions for discussion, seeing how Benedictine wisdom speaks to our life today. UNIT 9 TERESA OF AVILA: METAPHORS IN SPIRITUALITY We consider the significance and role of metaphor in spirituality and in spiritual writing and conversations. We encounter Teresa of Avila’s image of the Interior Castle, her image of the Waters and her image of the Silkworm. UNIT 10 STRUGGLE & HOPE IN SPIRITUALITY A significant cluster of metaphors in describing our relationship with God involves the language of struggling; the spiritual combat, which turns out to be a blend of wrestling and hope in the spiritual experience. We begin with the archetypal story of Jacob’s wrestling with God (Genesis 32) and examine three major themes in the poem-prayers of George Herbert, looking at prayer as a place of transparency, a place of transformation, and a place of encounter with the incarnate, suffering and rising Lord . 7 UNIT 1 SPIRITUALITY & JESUS AIMS OF THIS UNIT 1 Welcome, overview of course & ‘ground rules’ 2 We look at the concept of spirituality, exploring the origins of the term, its transformational character, & begin to ask about its relationship to daily life 3 We look at the spirituality of Jesus, and the role of solitude & prayer in his ministry 4 We will discuss some of the issues in pairs/ threes & in the larger group 5 We will conclude with prayer/ reflection SPITUALITY: THE PROBLEM OF DEFINITION ‘It appears that spirituality is one of those subjects whose meaning everyone claims to know until they have to define it.’5 As Professor Sheldrake cautions, spirituality has become a slippery and elusive word to define. In recent years, the word has been utilised in ever-wider contexts, far beyond the confines of church or even religion: indeed, the rise in the use of spirituality to denote some kind of personal experience of awareness seems proportionate to the decline of the institutional church.6 A national study of college students’ search for meaning and purpose typifies current usage of the term: 5 P. Sheldrake, Spirituality and History (SPCK, London, 1991),32 6 See, for example, Archbishops’ Council, mission-shaped church (Church House Publishing, London, 2004),9 8 Spirituality…captures those aspects of our experience that are not easy to define or talk about, such as inspiration, creativity, the mysterious, the sacred, and the mystical. Within this very broad perspective, we believe spirituality is a universal impulse and reality.7 Q1 What is your understanding of the term ‘spirituality’? The history of the term The word spirituality translates the Latin spiritualitas, corresponding to Paul’s use of pneumatikos. The core Latin word spirare means ‘to breathe.’ It evokes the Genesis account of God breathing his life force into the first human: ‘he breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living being’ (Gen.