Invitation to Christian Spirituality: An Ecumenical Anthology

by John Tyson (Editor)

Bringing together a wide range of classical and contemporary texts, this timely, eclectic collection addresses the theory and practice of Christian spirituality in the broadest sense. Arranged chronologically, the selections are drawn from all major Christian traditions, from Ignatius of Antioch (d. 117) to Desmond Mpilo Tutu, representing distillations from the formative works of seventy-six great spiritual masters. Issues examined include the church in the world, purity of intention, prayer, religious affectations, Christian freedom, Christian feminism, and the means of grace.

496 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Jeremy Garber · Rating 5 out of 5]

John R. Tyson provides a masterful and comprehensive sample of the highlights of Christian spirituality from the earliest era to the modern period. In his introduction, Tyson defines Christian spirituality as “the relationship, union, and conformity with God that a Christian experiences through his or her reception of the grace of God, and a corresponding willingness to turn from sin and (to use a Pauline phrase) ‘to walk according to the Spirit.’ This relationship with God is made possible because of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1). This basic theological framework provides the rationale for the selected authors provided. In between Tyson provides appropriately brief and helpful outlines both of the periods in which the writers worked, and pertinent biographical and bibliographic work as well.

The book is primarily divided into Tyson’s helpful introduction, which in addition to outlining the characteristics of Christian spirituality, also summarizes common themes and surveys the means of spirituality (including sacraments and ordinances). He then presents the anthological material in five historical eras: 1) The Ancient Church, including materials from the Didache, Origen, Augustine, and Benedict (among others); 2) The Medieval Era, including Anselm, Aquinas, St. Francis, and Meister Eckhart; 3) The Reformation, including Luther and Calvin (of course) as well as Radical Reformers, Ignatius, and John of the Cross; 4) Modern Spirituality, including Pascal, the Wesleys, Jonathan Edwards, and Kierkegaard; and 5) Contemporary Spirituality, beginning with Rudolf Otto and moving through Barth and Bonhoeffer to Martin Luther King Jr. and Desmond Tutu. Inasmuch as possible, Tyson attempts to include both male and female voices as well as global voices.

Tyson’s anthology is first of all an excellent resource for teaching and classroom discussion – one could easily organize an entire course around this text by itself. I am using selections from it for a graduate-level theology course on the Holy Spirit. But more than that, the selections and the subject matter would lend itself excellently to a personal devotional or an individual spiritual discipline. You could easily take each reading and read one a day or even one a week and then pray, journal, and reflect on this rich and powerful history of Christian encounters with the Spirit of God in Christ. Highly recommended for all levels of study and interest (although recognize that the orientation of the writers and the anthology is strictly Christian in nature).