Original Research - Special Collection: Biblical Spirituality

The characterisation of the Spiritual Christian: In conversation with God according to 1 Corinthians 2

Dirk van der Merwe
HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies | Vol 74, No 3 | a4968 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v74i3.4968 | © 2018 Dirk Van der Merwe | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 14 March 2018 | Published: 24 October 2018

About the author(s)

Dirk van der Merwe, Department of New Testament Studies, North-West University, South Africa

Abstract

Irrespective of the short academic history of Christian spirituality, a vast number of academic and popular publications ensued and is still dynamically growing. Many definitions have been proposed to define (Christian) spirituality. Spirituality is also no longer connected only to religion, although in this research the focus will fall on Christian spirituality. This research intends to partake in the continuing academic dialogue to define Christian spirituality. Christian spirituality is interpreted from the perspective of the divine-human conversation. This research consists of three sections. In the first section, a working definition of Christian spirituality is formulated. In the second section, various aspects that constitute spiritualities are distinguished and discussed. In the last section, the constituents of Christian spirituality are pointed out and are reviewed from a conversational perspective. The focus will be on ‘the experience of the divine’ when living a life that resonates with the Christian life.

Keywords

Christian spirituality; define; lectio divina; imaginative exegesis; mystical experiences; 1 Corinthians 2; spiritual person; spiritual things; spiritually; Spirit; discernment; conversation

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