Product Description
A compact, readable survey of the major traditions and ideas in the history of Christian spirituality. This brief but multifaceted study looks to the sources of the Christian spiritual tradition in order to establish a firm ground for a vital contemporary spirituality…. More >>
Christian Spirituality: A Historical Sketch
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#1 by J. Miller on June 1, 2010 - 8:05 am
Lane sets out on a project that is over-ambitious and over-eagerly titled, but he ends up with a survey that is playful and interesting. It doesn’t pass as a survey of the history of Christian spirituality, but it does give worthwhile highlights.
It begins by touching on the ancient eastern tradition of Origen, his influence on Evagrius, their influence on Pseudo-Dionysius and Cassian, and the continued influence as far ahead as Aquinas. This Platonic tradition, though not of orthodox creed, emphasized apatheia towards the active life and anaesthesia in the contemplative life. Benedict’s Rule then emphasized a spirituality that arose in community. The Dominicans and Franciscans in the 13th century reawakened active service of the poor as a form of spiritual exercise. In the Later Middle Ages, through the influence of Pseudo-Dionysius, Eckhart, Julian, and the Cloud of Unknowing emphasized a mystical union with the divine. Details of daily life were said to contribute to spiritual life to exaggerated degrees, leading to the exaltation of relics and legends of saints. Lane then interrupts to classify mystical visions into corporeal, imaginative, and intellectual visions. Ignatius of Loyola proposed meeting God among the activities of daily life, finding God in everything. Essential to this is discerning God’s will, which he divides into two weeks. The first week discerns good from evil; the second discerns between various good options. Finally, Lane uses T. de Chardin as an example of Christian spirituality in the modern age, blending evolutionary theory with anticipation of the convergence of humanity.
When all is said and done, it feels as though Lane has given us a brief sketch of a few key figures in the history of Christian mysticism, although he has missed several and avoided the non-Christian figures which have nonetheless wielded a significant influence on the history of the Christian tradition. It is less of the summary as which it poses, and more a quick indication of some of the key figures with which such an investigation might begin.
Nonetheless, because of Lane’s simple presentation and easy writing style, the book is worth the read as an introduction.
Rating: 3 / 5