Spiritual Direction and the Care of Souls: A Guide to Christian Approaches and Practices
Overview
In recent years, many Christian clergy, laity and mental health professionals have rediscovered the ancient practices of spiritual direction. Seen as a refreshing alternative to the techniques and limitations of modern psychology, such practices offer new insights for pastoral care. But many remain unclear on what spiritual direction is and whether its methods are applicable to their own clients and parishioners. Spiritual direction is a practice of Christian soul care that is found most notably in the Catholic, Orthodox and Episcopal traditions but is also present in Wesleyan/Holiness, Pentecostal/charismatic, social justice and Reformed communities. Predating modern counseling and psychotherapy movements but sharing key principles and insights for spiritual formation, spiritual direction offers significant resources for today’s pastors, counselors, therapists, chaplains and other caregivers attuned to the work of God in people’s lives. In this landmark volume, editors Gary W. Moon and David G. Benner, along with a team of expert contributors, provide a comprehensive survey of spiritual direction in its myriad Christian forms. Specific chapters offer careful historical perspective and contemporary analysis of how Christians from various backgrounds have practiced spiritual direction, with particular attention to each tradition’s definition of spiritual direction, the process of authentic transformation, the role of the spiritual director, indicators of mature spirituality and other aspects of the spiritual direction process. Chapters also provide psychological and clinical insight into how spiritual direction is similar to, different from and can be integrated with psychotherapy and pastoral counseling to help others experience spiritual transformation and union with God.
Top Highlights
“To understand the process of Christian spiritual formation does not seem difficult, at least not on a broad-brush level. Concisely put, it involves an experiential awareness of God’s presence that leads to conversation, communion and ultimately authentic transformation of the entire person by an internal yielding to his will.” (Page 13)
“As a rule of thumb, spiritual directors are (1) committed to the journey of transformation, including their own pilgrimage (Benner 2002), (2) good and kind listeners (Barry and Connolly 1982), (3) dedicated to helping another to recognize and follow the inspiration of grace in his or her life (Merton 1960), (4) moved by the mystery of God’s transforming love (Gratton 2000) and (5) discovered by the community of believers—rather than self-proclaimed—because of the unworldly manner in which they lead their life (Barry and Connolly 1982).” (Page 21)
“Illumination is a deepening experience of the love, joy and peace of God along with a growing desire to surrender the will to God. It is a time of becoming dispassionate regarding all things not God and passionately attached to God and his kingdom. During this stage conversations with God increase and begin to deepen into communion and movement toward unceasing prayer from the heart.” (Page 19)
“The point is this: it seems that many in the Christian world have recently reawakened to the truth that wearing the label ‘Christian’ is not synonymous with experiencing the intimate, moment-by-moment relationship with God that souls were designed to enjoy, and these many have begun to place hope in the practice of spiritual direction as a path toward more abundant living.” (Page 13)
- Title: Spiritual Direction and the Care of Souls: A Guide to Christian Approaches and Practices
- Authors: Gary W. Moon, David G. Benner
- Publisher: IVP Academic
- Print Publication Date: 2004
- Logos Release Date: 2018
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subjects: Spiritual direction; Pastoral counseling
- ISBNs: 9780830876969, 9780830827770, 0830876960, 0830827773
- Resource ID: LLS:SPRTLDRCTNCRSLS
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-30T03:06:40Z