The Blackwell Companion to Christian Spirituality

The Blackwell Companion to Christian Spirituality is a comprehensive single-volume introduction to Christian spirituality, and represents the most significant recent developments in the field.

• Offers a thoroughly interdisciplinary, broadly ecumenical, and representative overview of the most significant recent developments in the field
  
• Comprises essays combining rigorous academic scholarship with accessible and elegant writing
  
• Reflects an understanding of the field as the study of the lived experience of Christian faith and discipleship
  
• Provides material on biblical, historical, and theological foundations, along with treatment of contemporary issues

Notes on Contributors viii

Acknowledgments xiv

Introduction 1
Arthur Holder

Part I What is Christian Spirituality? 13

1 Approaches to the Study of Christian Spirituality 15
Sandra M. Schneiders

Part II Scripture and Christian Spirituality 35

2 The Old Testament in Christian Spirituality 37
Barbara Green

3 The New Testament in Christian Spirituality 55
Bonnie Thurston

Part III Christian Spirituality in History 71

4 Christian Spirituality during the Roman Empire (100–600) 73
Columba Stewart

5 Christian Spirituality in Byzantium and the East (600–1700) 90
John A. McGuckin

6 Christian Spirituality in the Medieval West (600–1450) 10
Ulrike Wiethaus

7 European Reformations of Christian Spirituality (1450–1700) 122
Jill Raitt

8 Christian Spirituality in Europe and North America since 1700 139
Diana Butler Bass and Joseph Stewart-Sicking

9 Christian Spirituality in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Oceania 156
Richard Fox Young

Part IV Theology and Christian Spirituality 175

10 Trinitarian Perspectives on Christian Spirituality 177
Mark A. McIntosh

11 Christology in Christian Spirituality 190
William Thompson-Uberuaga

12 The Holy Spirit in Christian Spirituality 207
Robert Davis Hughes III

13 Christian Spirituality and the Theology of the Human Person 223
Philip Endean

14 The Church as Context for Christian Spirituality 239
David Lonsdale

15 Sacramentality and Christian Spirituality 254
Ann Loades

16 Christian Spirituality and Theological Ethics 269
William C. Spohn

Part V Interdisciplinary Dialogue Partners for the Study of

Christian Spirituality 287

17 Social Sciences 289
John A. Coleman

18 Personality Sciences 308
Janet K. Ruffing

19 Natural Sciences 325
Robert John Russell

20 Aesthetics 345
Alejandro García-Rivera

21 Feminist Studies 363
Amy Hollywood

22 Ritual Studies 387
Susan J. White

23 Theology of Religions 401
Michael Barnes

Part VI Special Topics in Contemporary Christian Spirituality 417

24 Experience 419
David Hay

25 Mysticism 442
David B. Perrin

26 Interpretation 459
Philip F. Sheldrake

27 Nature 478
Douglas Burton-Christie

28 Practice 496
Elizabeth Liebert

29 Liberation 515
Michael Battle

30 Interfaith Encounter 532
Kwok Pui-Lan

Index 550

“Represents a full survey of the latest research in the field and will form an essential component of academic libraries with theological collections and make a valuable contribution to public libraries with specialist collections in the humanities.” (Reference Reviews)

"This is a rich and comprehensive resource not only for theologians but also for ordinands, parish priests and teachers." (New Directions)

‘It amounts to the single most thorough treatment of the field to date … lending the book considerable interest and depth’ (The Way)

Arthur Holder is Dean and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Professor of Christian Spirituality at Graduate Theological Union. A priest of the Episcopal Church, he is the co-translator of Bede: A Biblical Miscellany (1999) and the translator of Bede: On the Tabernacle (1994). He is currently Co-chair of the Christian Spirituality Group of the American Academy of Religion, and serves on the Governing Board of the Society for the Study of Christian Spirituality and the Editorial Board of the Society’s journal Spiritus. Christian spirituality has emerged as a distinct academic field in universities, colleges, and theological schools. The Blackwell Companion to Christian Spirituality is a comprehensive, single-volume introduction to the subject which takes a thoroughly interdisciplinary, broadly ecumenical approach.

Without attempting to impose a single definition of Christian spirituality, the Companion reflects an understanding of the field as the study of the lived experience of Christian faith and discipleship. The six parts of the volume deal with approaches to the study of Christian spirituality, biblical foundations, historical developments, theological perspectives, interdisciplinary dialogue partners, and selected special topics in contemporary Christian spirituality.

This volume will be of interest to scholars in the field and in other related disciplines, to undergraduate and graduate students in theology and religious studies, and to Christians of all denominations who desire to learn more about the practice of faith.