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Three 'windows' to spiritual maturity
How can a faithful Christian avoid stagnating in their spiritual development? Moving Toward Spiritual Maturity: Psychological, Contemplative, and Moral Challenges in Christian Living explores effective ways in which Christian discipleship can grow in spiritual maturity. This thoughtful, integrative roadmap explains the journey through three interrelated perspectives, or 'windows,' psychotherapeutic psychology, prayer and contemplation, and moral theology. The author uses numerous examples from everyday life to make the reflections interesting and practical. Unlike other books on Christian spirituality, this book is more challenging and sophisticated in its depth of thought.
Spiritual maturity is a process that begins when a person accepts Jesus Christ as Savior, and progresses ongoing through a Christian's life. Moving Toward Spiritual Maturity discusses in detail the challenges one must face, including the sustained, in-depth, and faithful attention to psychological wholeness, conversion to the true self, and interpersonal and social responsibility. Effective strategies are given through example and personal story, making understanding of the principles easier. This reflection on Christian maturity helps readers to focus directly on the personal issues all must face when attuning to the Spirit of Christ.
Topics in Moving Toward Spiritual Maturity include:
reforming the wayward self
moral or guilt-based perfectionism
achievement or shame-based perfectionism
the two types of conversion
responsibility and accountability
agape and the loving of oneself
three virtues at the heart of the responsible lifeintegrity, courage, and compassion
virtues as habits
the relationship between personal fulfillment and the Christian vocation
Moving Toward Spiritual Maturity is a unique look at the path toward spiritual maturity, and is challenging, thoughtful reading for laypersons, ministers, priests, and theological students.
Contents
Introduction
PART I: SETTING THE SCENE
Chapter 1. Setting the Scene: Self-Fulfillment and Vocation
Psychological Approaches to Personal Fulfillment
Continuities and Discontinuities with the Christian Tradition
The Way of Love
Balancing Self-Giving and Self-Love
PART II: TOWARD PSYCHOLOGICAL WHOLENESS
Chapter 2. Wholeness in the Community of the Self
The Self and Its Subselves
Freud and Berne on Suppression of Selves
Suppression of Selves and the Christian Life
Kohut and Jung on Disowning Selves
Working with Disowned Subselves
Morally Relevant Selves
The Spirit and the Christian's Moral Imperative
Summary
Chapter 3. Wholeness, Not Perfection
The Bind of Perfectionism
Christ and Individuation
Paul and the Inner Struggle
Reconciliation of Inner Opposites
Completeness in Christ
Summary
Chapter 4. Cognitive Reframing and Perfectionism
Guilt-Based and Shame-Based Perfectionism
The Basics of Cognitive Therapy
Dealing with Shame-Based Perfectionism
Summary
PART III: PRAYER, CONTEMPLATION, AND CONVERSION
Chapter 5. Spirituality in the Everyday World
Spirituality and Nature
The Spirit of the City
A Spirituality of Time
Spirituality in Marriage and Family
Spirituality and Public Life
Summary
Chapter 6. Conversion to the True Self
True and False Selves
Storied Prayer: Remembering, Attending, and Choosing
Summary
Chapter 7. Conversion to Compassion
Compassion in the Bible
Compassion As Hospitality
The Compassionate Community
Prayer As Solidarity
Summary
PART IV: CONSCIENCE AND RESPONSIBILITY
Chapter 8. Conscience and Contrast Experiences
Defining Conscience
Conscience and Vision
Conscience and Living a Vision for Discipleship
Summary
Chapter 9. The Agape Response
Agape
Outka and Universal Love
Post and Communion
Self-Sacrifice and Oppression
Summary
Chapter 10. The Virtues of Responsibility
Aristotle on Virtue
Aquinas on Virtue
The Virtuous Christian
Summary
Notes
Bibliography
Index
