Divine Embrace (Ancient-Future)

E. Webber Robert

Description

One of the most popular current views on spirituality is that there are varied paths to God. In this new Ancient-Future series book, Bob Webber evaluates this common misunderstanding of spirituality as separated from God's story, extremely self-focused, and shaped by our surrounding culture. This challenging work offers a corrective, calling us to an alternative Christian spirituality, one that reveals two sides-that of God's "divine embrace" of us and our passionate response. The Divine Embrace is a fresh, grounded look at true spirituality that will be embraced by pastors, thinking Christians, and anyone looking for an engaging and thorough treatment of this topic.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie

Informations

• Publié par: Baker Publishing Group
• Date de parution: 01 octobre 2006
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781441242433
• Langue: English

Extrait

A NCIENT -F UTURE S ERIES
Current Titles
Ancient-Future Faith: Rethinking Evangelicalism for a Postmodern World (1999)
Ancient-Future Evangelism: Making Your Church a Faith-Forming Community (2003)
Ancient-Future Time: Forming Spirituality through the Christian Year (2004)
The Divine Embrace: Recovering the Passionate Spiritual Life (2006)
Related Titles by Robert E. Webber
The Younger Evangelicals: Facing the Challenges of the New World (2002)

© 2006 by Robert E. Webber
Published by Baker Books a division of Baker Publishing Group P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287 www.bakerbooks.com
Ebook edition created 2012
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means for example, electronic, photocopy, recording without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
ISBN: 978-1-4412-4243-3
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
The material in chapter 10 from Ed Rommen, “Reflections on Becoming Orthodox,” Occasional Bulletin of the Evangelical Missionary Society (Spring 1999) is copyright 1999 by the Evangelical Missionary Society and is used by permission.
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture is taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com
Scripture marked KJV is taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
Scripture marked RSV is taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture marked TLB is taken from The Living Bible , copyright © 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
The illustration on the cover and on the two part openers is original artwork titled Into Our Hearts by Kirsten M. Berry and is reproduced by permission. (Greek text of Galatians 4:6: God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba!”)
C ONTENTS
Cover Page
Title Page
Copyright
Introduction to the Ancient-Future Series
Acknowledgments
1. Introduction
A Dinnertime Conversation on Spirituality
Part 1
The Crisis:
How Spirituality Became Separated from the Divine Embrace
2. A Historical Perspective 1 (AD 30–1500)
Rescuing Spirituality from Dualism and Mysticism
3. A Historical Perspective 2 (1500–1900)
Rescuing Spirituality from Intellectualism and Experientialism
4. A Modern Dislocation (1900–2000)
Rescuing Spirituality from Legalism and Romanticism
5. A Postmodern Provocation (2000–)
Rescuing Spirituality from New Age Philosophy and Eastern Religions
Part 2
The Challenge:
Returning Spirituality to the Divine Embrace
6. God’s Story
He Stretched Out His Arms of Love on the Hard Wood of the Cross
7. My Story
Coming within the Reach of His Saving Embrace
8. His Life in Mine
Reaching Forth Our Hands in Love
9. My Life in His
A Long Obedience in the Same Direction
10. Life Together
Rediscovering Our Mystical Union with God
Postscript
No Story but God’s; No God but the Father, Son, and Spirit; No Life but the Baptized Life
Notes
Selected Bibliography
Index
I NTRODUCTION TO THE A NCIENT -F UTURE S ERIES
T his book, The Divine Embrace: Recovering the Passionate Spiritual Life , belongs to the Ancient-Future series. In each book of the series I present an issue related to faith and Christian practice from a particular point of view, namely, that of drawing wisdom from the past and translating these insights into the present and future life of the church, its faith, worship, ministry, and spirituality.
In these books I address current issues in the context of three very significant quests taking place in the church today. First, these books speak to the longing to discover the roots of the faith in the biblical and classical tradition of the church. I affirm the Bible as the final authority in all matters of faith and practice. However, instead of disregarding the developments of faith in the church, I draw on the foundational interpretation of the church fathers and the creeds and practices of the ancient church. These are sources in which Christian truth has been summarized and articulated over against heretical teaching.
Second, this series is committed to the current search for unity in the church. Therefore, I draw from the entire history of the church together with its many manifestations Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant particularly the Reformers and evangelicals like John Wesley and Jonathan Edwards. I weave insights from these traditions into the text so the reader will understand how other deeply committed Christians have sought to think and live the faith in other places and times.
Finally, I use these biblical, ancient roots together with insights and practices from Christian history to constitute the foundation for addressing the third issue faced by today’s church: how do you deliver the authentic faith and great wisdom of the past into the new cultural situation of the twenty-first century? The way into the future, I argue, is not an innovative new start for the church; rather, the road to the future runs through the past.
These three matters roots, connection, and authenticity in a changing world will help us to maintain continuity with historic Christianity as the church moves forward. I hope what I cull from the past and then translate and adapt into the present will be beneficial to your ministry in the new cultural situation of our time.
A CKNOWLEDGMENTS
N o one is fully able to acknowledge all the sources and people who contribute to the writing of a book. Many unnamed books, people, and even institutions have formed my life and challenged me to be sensitive to the work of the church as it moves into a post-Christian world. The fact that I mention only a few of these people and institutions here in no way diminishes my appreciation for the unnamed.
First, I need to thank Northern Seminary for my appointment as the William R. and Geraldyne B. Myers Professor of Ministry. This generous chair has substantially reduced my teaching load, allowing me more time to write. I am equally grateful to Baker Books, to Robert Hosack for freedom to develop this book in a way that reflects my convictions and to Paul J. Brinkerhoff for his editorial skills that made the book read more clearly.
Next, there are those special people who have encouraged me and helped me with the research and the process of many rewrites and editorial changes. A special word of thanks to the editors at Baker Books for their careful editing.
Early on in the process of writing, two friends read, discussed, and provided some helpful advice and insight Sherry Schaub and Rev. John Carlson. Also, a number of people responded to the summaries I presented in “Ancient-Future Talk.” Some of the email responses appear in the text. I owe a special word of thanks to these people, and also to the many unnamed people who provided me with their stimulating thoughts. Numerous books were helpful, particularly Mark McIntosh’s Mystical Theology , whose panoramic interpretation of spirituality provided me with a paradigm to think about the unique nature of Christian spirituality. Thanks, also, to my friend and colleague Amanda Gambony, whose searching interaction has forced me toward greater clarity. Then there are my Northern Seminary students, whose response and interaction I value greatly. And this project could not have been completed without the constant attention of Ashley Gieschen to the frequent twists and turns of my evolving grasp of God’s embrace and to the constant unannounced rewrites. And, of course, my wife, Joanne, who suffered through my frustrations, the early morning to late evenings, and the endless discussions. Thanks to these and many unnamed contributors who through the years have challenged my mind and heart with God’s truth.
The Divine Embrace
Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen .
The Book of Common Prayer , 101
1
I NTRODUCTION
A Dinnertime Conversation on Spirituality
I was talking to two young couples during dinner when a question changed the conversation rather abruptly. “What are you writing on these days?”
“I’m writing on spirituality,” I responded. Immediately they responded with an explosion of ideas. For the next half hour I listened to each person express his or her range of thoughts about spirituality.
“I’m spiritual,” said Isabel. “There has to be something more than the material world. I don’t know what it is a power, an energy, a mystery. There is something there, something more than meets the eye.”
“Not me,” said John.
“Are you an atheist?” I asked.
“No. I’m not really an atheist. I just don’t think you can know.”
“Then,” I said, “you must be an agnostic.”
Alexandra chimed in, “I remember when I was a little girl, I saw a sign on a building that said, ‘All paths lead to God.’ I thought to myself, ‘That makes a lot of sense.’ There are many religions and everyone has their own path to God, and that’s okay.”
The fourth person, Jack, declared, “What I can’t stand is someone who thinks they have truth, that their view is the right one and everyone else is wrong.”
This statement drew a chorus of “Yeahs” and resulted in an extended discussion affirming the validity of all spiritualities. The idea that