The Three Movements Of The Spiritual Life

It is both an unarguable and undesirable fact that we live in a society completely remote from our fellow man. There is no longer a sense of community between friends and neighbors — no brotherhood in the presence of coworkers in the commercial workplace. Even the higher, spiritual presence that had once bound together all things in worship and praise has faltered in the face of this profound apathy. It is not that mankind has lost its ability to communicate — modern technology provides us with the ability to speak to one another over tremendous lengths and sustain friendships in staggering amounts. The reason for this chasm of communal indifference stems from man's lost desire to understand one another, as well as the divine presence around

What is a bias and why is it such a relevant topic. A bias is an ignorance of a fact, perspective, topic, or cause that’s usually followed by arrogance or closed-mindedness. Throughout history, especially America’s history, women and people of the black race have been mistreated or misunderstood in some way due to biases. In fact, we know this from “An Address by Elizabeth Cady Stanton” and “The Souls of Black Folk: Of Our Spiritual Strivings”.

Living in Christian community is a necessity for the everyday life of a Christian. Without community, the Christian has no one else to “sharpen” them, no one else to understand the everyday struggle of living in the world, sharing the Gospel, but not partaking in the sinful ways of the world. In “Life Together”, Dietrich Bonhoeffer explores Christian community, and presents not only the benefits of Christian community, but also the toxins that can destroy the community. Living in Christian community brings incomparable joy and community in and through Jesus Christ, but can be easily lost due to humanistic ideals, or “dreams”.

The topic of spirituality and religion is filled with much confusion. In most all religions, there is a greater purpose in which believers attempt to reach a better state of living, usually in death. The question then arises, how does one go about obtaining this better living? In the book Four Spiritualities, Richardson defines four main spiritual pathways: the journey of unity which pertains to jnana yoga, the journey of devotion which pertains to bhakti yoga, the journey of works which pertains to karma yoga, and the journey of harmony which pertains to raja yoga. Furthermore, he correlates four main Myer-Briggs personality types. With these four pathways and personality types, one can

J.P Moreland’s second step to renovating the soul and returning to authentic spiritual renovation is fostering spiritual discipline. When you present your body to God as a living sacrifice it involves not only a one-time act of dedication, but a habitual,

If today's secular saint finds meaning in life through love (with the object of that love subjective, i.e. different for each individual), for me the meaning of life is less subjective: Whether one is a secular or a hero saint, he is called to attain a level of holiness and virtue ultimately ending in union with God (the spirit of love). Augustine's idea of love as having its beginning and its end in God may be considered the fruit of long meditation upon the question of the meaning of life. That fruit is there for any and all to taste. Therefore, this paper will show why I believe the meaning of life to be grounded in the caritas of Augustine: the perfect love hinted at by

The human life is a long journey, filled with great obstacles. We come across many questions throughout our lifetime. We spend a great amount of time trying to answer and understand questions such as, why do we even exist or wonder what will happen after death. We question why bad things happen to ourselves and the people that we love. We often turn to a higher being or religious figure to help us find comfort and answers to many questions which cannot be resolved within. Selections from Nostra Aetate, Caritas in Veritate: Charity in Truth, and Letter from Birmingham Jail guide us to what it means to live a life of meaning and purpose. Nostra Aetate written by Pope Paul VI reflects the importance and purpose of our life. Charity in Truth by Pope Benedict XVI, aids us to identify what makes us human. Letter from Birmingham Jail supports

John Donne’s central theme for “Meditation 17” is that all Christians are United. Everyone is united and no one stands alone. John Donne is adamant that no one should feel left out or be ostracized by anyone. He wants everyone to realize that no one is alone and we all share the same experiences; he describes this idea as “no man is an island” (Donne 2). No man is left floating in the water, instead all men are linked as pieces of the continents.

In chapter five, the concept of taking a “meandering path” as a legitimate means to spirituality is introduced

Throughout The Seven Storey Mountain, the operation of Grace, which is the unmerited and freely given love of God, is shown to greatly influence Thomas Merton and bring peace to his ever complicated life. Merton’s life was an example of how it is necessary for someone to embrace and accept religion in order for them to truly be happy. The operations of Actual and Sanctifying Grace in Merton’s life proved to be the solution to the predicaments that he had been having such as his depression and confusion in religious identity. Merton’s life also raises the question of whether or not it is necessary for someone to have God’s Grace in order for them to be happy. The closer Merton was to God, the

Weekly Response Paper: Lesson 6 Courtney Beals “A secluded and remote habitation contributes to the removal of distraction from the soul... It is impossible to gain proficiency in meditation and prayer, however, while a multitude of distractions are dragging the soul about and introducing it into anxieties about the affairs of this life… For we must deny ourselves and take up the Cross of Christ and thus follow Him… self-denial involves the entire forgetfulness of the past and surrender of one’s will—surrender which is very difficult, not to say quite impossible, to achieve while living in the promiscuity customary in the world.” {{citation?}}

As many embrace the Postmodernistic and Naturalistic worldviews, Moreland argues for the validity and truth of the Christian worldview. In an effort to distance one’s self from the postmodern naturalistic beliefs and strengthen the inner Christian, Moreland places emphasis on three areas. Those areas of emphasis are: Recovery of Knowledge, Renovation of the Soul, and Restoration of the Kingdom’s Miraculous Power. As we move forward, each individual area will be covered in relation to my own personal spiritual journey.

Great meeting you yesterday and learning more about Thomasville Heights Elementary School! I admire your commitment to being a transformative leader in Atlanta's underserved communities. As I toured the school, I witnessed how refreshing it was to see the social and emotional learning approach and enrichment activities integrated into the school’s curriculum as well as its culture.

As many of us agree, God concerns the Christian workers more than the ministry works. The spiritual health condition of a church planter determines the health of the church. It is very important for the church planter to invest time and effort on his soul. We lead more out of who we are than out of what we do. Therefore, we should deal with our inner being in order to expand God’s kingdom through our outer deeds.

I will explore a few of unique approaches as outlined in the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius Loyola. I will describe my experience of integrating some of the concepts of spiritual direction into my practice.