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Christian Spirituality: An Introduction

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How does he do it! Certainly, this is the question that those of us familiar with the Michael Jordan of theology keep asking ourselves. How does he manage to be so prolific a researcher and writer? How does he consistently communicate truths that would otherwise baffle us in such clear and understandable terms? How does he achieve his inspiring balance between outstanding theological scholarship and fresh, evangelical piety? Certainly, the present text is no exception to the pattern of excellence that characterizes the rest of McGrath's works. This book is precisely what it claims to be: an introduction. However, as with every other "Introduction" McGrath has produced, it serves its purpose with penetrating depth and illuminating breadth. Theological, historical, and practical in its orientation, this text will benefit every reader who desires to ponder the foundations and practice of Christian spirituality. However, I would especially wish to emphasize the usefulness of this text for anyone seeking to explore the relationship between theology and spirituality. Much reflection and inspiration awaits you between the covers of this 204 page treasure from one of our foremost contemporary masters. Don't miss out!

Prof. Alister McGrath is a moderately conservative theologian and an ordained minister of the Church of England. He has written a large number of works, some of which are quite technical and others of a more introductory nature.

This work is - as its name indicates - an introductory study of Christian spirituality (a topic that is often left out of standard texts on theology, for some reason.). I enjoyed the book a lot. In particular, it is well organized. The book starts with a discussion of certain themes and proceeds to develop the. The second portion of this book surveys spirituality from a historical perspective. Prof. McGrath provides brief selections from various writers and then asks questions, encouraging the reader to reflect on the excerpt. Prof. McGrath discusses prayer, Christian living, the church year, and other matters that form the basis of spirituality.

The one problem that I have with the book is that it tries to be a little too ecumenical. For example, when discussing asceticism, he doesn't mention the extremes that many Catholics have taken to deprive themselves of worldly things. Likewise, when discussing Mary and the saints, he simply points out that Protestants reject Roman Catholic practices in this respect. This doesn't exactly clue the reader in on the extent of the controversy.

In spite of a few flaws, this is an excellent introduction.

This is the kind of book, I would have liked to read during my academical training. Then I struggled with books full of technical terms, betraying more about the author's wish to be honoured as leading scholar than his will to teach those who were likely to read the book. Even when they were called "Introductions" they always presupposed a certain knowledge of things, that actually they still had to provide. But this book is quite different. It's fantastic as it's predecessor and counterpart "Christian Theology". McGrath offers a clearly written and extremely understandable outline without ever oversimplifying the matter. It's really an Introduction in the strict sense of the word, for it provides information for the beginner. But the well- ordered and clear style even make it a resource for those already familiar with different kinds of Christian Spirituality. What I appreciated most with this book is the wide perspective of the author. Probably such a book could only have been written by an Anglican like McGrath for its ecumenical scope. Where do you ever find John the Damascene, C.S. Lewis, Martin Luther, Augustine, James Packer etc. listed together friendly side by side. Even the delicate question of using images for personal or communal contemplation find a surprising affirmative answer by McGrath who tends to a more reformed- evangelical position himself. It's the positive evaluation of religious, especially Christian religious, enterprise as a signpost to the God of the Bible that permeats the book, which makes the reader feel so comfortable. McGrath needs not renouncing any position but gains a lot of insights from very different standpoints. Were I at university or seminary again, I would be glad to have some reliable but understandable guide in the sometimes so difficult field of theology like this. Not in this setting any longer, I'm still surprised how easy things may be, if great scholars are not too proud to let even the "poor in spirit" see what is there. I recommend this book very much.

Alister McGrath has long been a master at presenting Christian theology with blessed clarity and depth, and this volume does not disappoint. Well-suited for those entirely new to Christian spirituality, and a good review and reference book for those of us who have learnt and forgotten plenty, this book is an excellent text, particularly in that the review questions ending each section help one logically connect the points and reinforce the readings.

This is not a devotional work or a seminary textbook (though, perhaps, it should be.) No truth is sacrificed in the very thorough and understandable text, which even the very young will find quite clear.

A wonderful introduction to Christian Spirituality, McGrath, as usual, is able to cover a large amount of information in a way that is simple to read and fairly easy to understand, even if one is completely unfamiliar with the subject. He also is careful to remain fairly ecumenical in his approach, covering the relevance and practice of spirituality in all the major branches of the Christian Faith. Having read MANY of his textbooks, I must say that this one is probably (with the possible exception of "Foundations of Dialogue in Science and Religion") his best yet.

Alister McGrath, theologian at Oxford University, is one of my constant and consistent references. From his books on various topics in theology (historical theology, theology and science, etc.) to his general surveys (his 'Introduction to Christian Theology' remains a standard I use in my classes when I can), he cover material in an interesting, accessible, and generally thorough manner.

This particular book, 'Christian Spirituality', is broad introduction to the diverse strands of practice and belief in the history of Christian spirituality. It does not assume any particular theological background -- McGrath introduces the theological underpinning as he develops the topics. Unlike many introductions to this subject, McGrath does not follow a strict historical development approach. This book takes a more thematic approach, building up to a final chapter of classics of spiritual literature from the various strands of tradition within the Christian framework.

Primary texts are used throughout this book; these include writers from Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant traditions, but for the most part, all of the writings here are accessible and relevant to those in most traditions. The first chapter sets the stage by looking at terminology and definitions, as well as the limitations and drawbacks of being too precisely defined in a discipline such as spirituality. The second chapter develops broad paradigms -- historical, denominational, psychological, and cultural, particularly looking at the various ways in which Christianity has interacted with the world (in the world, against the world, above the world, transformer of the world, etc.).

Chapters three and four look at theological relationships with spirituality. The nature of theology, according to McGrath, is often considered different from, sometimes opposed to, the general nature of spirituality. McGrath agrees, if definitions are high abstractions and intellectually removed from relationship with each other. There are positive and negative aspects of the relationship between spiritual practice and theology -- McGrath argues that, with appropriate care and attention, the tension between the disciplines need not be so pronounced.

Chapters five and six develop Christian spirituality from a biblical and a physical/practical sense. Both of these are rooted in the long tradition of Christianity; from the structure of biblical stories to the structure of the church year, there is a way of bringing the images to the forefront. The bible provides many strong images, in word and narrative. The spaces, places and art work of Christian develop in strong symbolic tones means for Christians to develop their spirituality. McGrath covers the many aspects of these.

The final chapter has a rich collection of spiritual classics, from Augustine and Gregory of Nyssa to John Henry Newman and Charles Wesley. While most names will be immediately familiar to readers (Francis of Assisi, Teresa of Avila, Martin Luther, etc.), a few will likely be new. Classics are not, as McGrath points out, elitism texts remote and distant, but rather, those texts that have been proven to have enduring qualities and value for generations -- hence, it is hard to proclaim 'new' works as 'classics'; however, there are some relatively recent pieces included. McGrath introduces these texts by looking at various aspects of the texts -- a rather introductory literary and critical analysis framework.

Part of the purpose of this book, besides being a survey, is to motivate readers and students to further study. There is bibliographic information given after chapters for further reading, developing the topics covered in more detail. The appendix also a listing for further reading, as well as a directory of internet sites. This is a great resource.

Alister McGrath is a prolific Evangelical Anglican scholar. He's written on a wide variety of subjects related to Christianity, ranging from very scholarly works to popular works. "Christian Spirituality" occupies the middle ground: it can be used as a brief reference for more serious study but is also accessible by the literate laymen. McGrath is a reliable scholar who understands theology and church history and writes from the perspective of one who is himself an orthodox believer.

The best part of "Christian Spirituality" is the range of topics it covers. These include:

Definitions of "Spirituality"
Types of Christian Spirituality - Denominations, Attitudes to Culture
Theological Foundations - Creation, Trinity, Incarnation, Redemption, Resurrection, Consummation
Biblical Images - feast, journey, exile, struggle, purification, ascent, darkness and light, silence
Faces, Places, and Spaces
Engaging the Tradition - excerpts from 13 classic texts

McGrath's work is fairly comprehensive - about as much as you can get in 175 pages. He is also very readable and manages to cover a lot of things in a fairly brief book for such a comprehensive topic.

However, there are some limitations and things lacking in the volume. First, McGrath only spends a page or so each on Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and Protestantism. One of the most important aspects of spirituality, however, is the large variety of ways that different traditions have developed their own spiritualities and how each differs. McGrath should greatly expand this section. McGrath should also have had a section that was more historical in nature, giving an overview of Christian spirituality through the ages.

The definitions of spirituality that McGrath highlights are both cumbersome and not the most useful ones. Also, why include something from the obscure Hugh of Balma as one of only 13 classic spirituality texts when there are so many more important ones to include in an introductory work?

In spite of these limitations, "Christian Spirituality" is a good introduction to Christian Spirituality. Although it's currently out of print, I like Holt's" Brief History of Christian Spirituality" better. "Christian Spirituality," volumes I-III, edited by Dupre and Saliers, is also good if you're looking for a comprehensive historical approach.

It seems as though everything Dr. Alister McGrath writes is incredible. "Christian Spirituality" is no exception to this thought. Dr. McGrath writes in an easy to read manner but does not water down his subject to the point that it is meaningless. "Christian Spirituality" is a wonderful summary of spirituality and places a great deal of emphasis on spirituality within theology. If you are looking for a good historical, cultural, geographical (eastern verses western spirituality) understanding of Christian devotion this Dr. McGRath's book is what you want.

Some may find it a difficult read. May be challenging for some as author is not catholic. Overall good, I have read other books by this author good for the purpose.