Transforming Spirituality: Integrating Theology and Psychology

published	2006 by Baker Academic
binding	Paperback
isbn	080102823X (isbn13: 9780801028236)
pages	304
description	The twenty-first century has given rise to a growing interest in the intersection of science, religion, and spirituality. Few books address these issu...more [close] The twenty-first century has given rise to a growing interest in the intersection of science, religion, and spirituality. Few books address these issues from multiple perspectives and theories. To fill this void, F. LeRon Shults and Steven Sandage, coauthors of The Faces of Forgiveness (winner of the Narramore Award from the Christian Association for Psychological Studies) continue their interdisciplinary dialogue in their latest work, Transforming Spirituality. In this book Shults and Sandage address the subject of spiritual transformation through the lenses of psychology and theology. In addition to college and seminary students, Transforming Spirituality will appeal to readers interested in Christian spirituality. What is more, it provides helpful insights for counselors, psychologists, and others who work in the mental health field. [close]
date added	04-05-07 edit book

find at: Amazon | Half.com | Barnes & Noble | Abebooks | more...

discuss this book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

friend reviews (0)

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

lists with this book

This book is not in any lists. Go add it to a list.

other reviews (showing 1-6 of 6)

Jon rated it:

02/18/08

Read in January, 2007

recommended to Jon by: Brett Knutson

Have you ever asked, "How did my friend change so dramatically in her spirituality?"?
Drawing from the fields of Christian theology, philosophy, and psychology, this book lays out a well researched, thoroughly documented and nuanced perspective on spiritual transformation and promotes a highly relational model of two spiritual cycles: dwelling and seeking. The term dwelling here refers to relating to the sacred in familiar ways that feels safe and comfortable within a group setting...more
Have you ever asked, "How did my friend change so dramatically in her spirituality?"?
Drawing from the fields of Christian theology, philosophy, and psychology, this book lays out a well researched, thoroughly documented and nuanced perspective on spiritual transformation and promotes a highly relational model of two spiritual cycles: dwelling and seeking. The term dwelling here refers to relating to the sacred in familiar ways that feels safe and comfortable within a group setting. On one hand, spiritual dwelling can provide a consistency of spiritual experience and a sense of group-belonging that provides strong protective factors through hardship and life crises. On the other hand, spiritual dwelling may bring about boredom, predictability, and even disappointment especially as an individual (lets call Brett) faces new life challenges (e.g. starting a family, facing relational loss, health issues) and does not receive satisfactory relational or theological support. This disappointment or discontentment may lead Brett to ask new spiritual questions and explore different spiritual practices, resulting in a detachment from his current ways of spiritual expression and into a time of seeking. As Brett moves into unfamiliar and ambiguous territory, his anxiety level may intensify to the point where he returns to a familiar form of dwelling and feels comfortable and safe once again, or he may learn how to live with the new ambiguity while he differentiates himself from his previous dwelling traditions and customs. This differentiation experience is initially destabilizing and is often referred to as a dark night of the soul, desert, or wilderness (p. 33), but it facilitates Brett's ability to confront himself, others, and the sacred in ways more openly and honestly than beforehand potentially bringing about new levels of spiritual commitment, more focused attention, more authenticity and integrity, deepened relational commitment, and new spiritual insights (p. 33). After having gone through a growth cycle of seeking, Brett may find himself ready to re-enter a cycle of dwelling within a different spiritual relational model. The interwoven cycles of seeking and dwelling provide an excellent model to understand true spiritual growth as "an enlarging of one's area of relational concern, which increasingly engages one in the concrete and communal activity that is being transformed by divine love" (p. 36). There is so much more in this book......less

Like this review? yes (1 person liked it)

1 comments