Thirsty for God : A Brief History of Christian Spirituality

by Holt, Bradley P.

• ISBN13: 9780806626406
• ISBN10: 0806626402
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1993-06-01
• Publisher: Augsburg Fortress Pub

Summary

The author reviews the history of Christian spirituality, beginning with the Bible and surveying the many centuries of the church's life up to the present day.

Table of Contents

Preface
Spirituality and Christianity	p. 1
Is "Christian Spirituality" an Oxymoron?	p. 1
What to Expect from This Book	p. 3
Christian "Spirituality" Means Walking in the Spirit	p. 5
The Value of Studying the Global Christian Tradition	p. 7
Christian History Looks Like an Hourglass	p. 9
The Author's Perspective	p. 12
Exercises: Silence and Meditation	p. 13
Four Relationships in the Bible	p. 16
The Bible Calls Us to Welcome God's Love and to Love God	p. 17
The Bible Calls Us to Love Ourselves	p. 19
The Bible Calls Us to Love Others	p. 20
The Bible Calls Us to Care for the Earth	p. 21
Exercises: Prayer and Pondering	p. 22
The Beginnings of a Global Community	p. 24
Worship and Sacraments Nourished Early Christians	p. 25
Charisms Showed God's Love and Power	p. 26
Martyrs Witnessed unto Death	p. 30
Christians Practiced Asceticism	p. 32
Monasticism Spread from Egypt	p. 38
Mysticism Developed in East and West	p. 44
Exercises: Communal Worship and Fasting	p. 50
The European Era	p. 52
The East	p. 52
The Jesus Prayer: The Prayer of the Heart	p. 53
Icons Were Windows to Heaven	p. 54
Gregory Palamas Defended Hesychasm	p. 55
The West	p. 56
Monasticism Was Renewed by Spiritual Leaders	p. 57
Mendicant Orders Emerged as a New Form of Religious Life	p. 59
Mysticism Came to a New Flowering	p. 62
Exercises: The Jesus Prayer and Icons	p. 67
Protestant and Catholic Reform	p. 69
The Protestant Reformation Reshaped Christian Spirituality	p. 69
Luther and Lutherans Emphasized Grace and Freedom	p. 69
Reformed Protestantism Renewed the Disciplines of Christian Life	p. 72
Anabaptists Called for Radical Discipleship in Small Fellowships	p. 74
Anglicans Found Unity in the Book of Common Prayer	p. 75
The Catholic Reformation	p. 76
Ignatius Loyola Founded the Jesuits, a New Type of Religious Order	p. 77
Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross Renewed the Carmelite Order	p. 79
Exercises: The Lord's Prayer and the Examen	p. 80
The "Modern" Era	p. 83
The "Modern" Worldview Saw Itself as "Enlightenment"	p. 83
Protestants Regained Spiritualities of the Heart	p. 84
Puritans, Quakers, Pietists	p. 85
Evangelicals and Methodists	p. 87
French Roman Catholics Enhanced Spiritual Direction	p. 90
Pascal and Kierkegaard Developed a New View of Selfhood	p. 92
Orthodoxy Produced the Philokalia and The Way of a Pilgrim	p. 94
Mission Spirituality Motivated Cross-Cultural Ministry	p. 95
Exercises: Journaling and Spiritual Direction	p. 97
The Twentieth Century	p. 100
The Charismatic Dimension Reemerged	p. 101
Ecumenical Spirituality Drew Churches Together	p. 103
Latin America	p. 105
Africa	p. 106
Asia	p. 110
Europe	p. 112
North America	p. 113
Exercises: Simple Living and Writing a Letter	p. 120
Where Do We Go from Here?	p. 123
Looking Back Over the Story	p. 123
Distinguishing the Root Metaphors of Spirituality	p. 124
Questions About the Global Christian Community	p. 126
What Is Needed in Our Day?	p. 127
A Personal Word	p. 128
Exercises: Service and Vocation	p. 129
Appendix: Time Line	p. 131
Glossary	p. 133
Notes	p. 137
Bibliography	p. 141
Index of Names	p. 147
Index of Subjects	p. 149
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