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Theology and Spirituality: Strangers, Rivals, or Partners?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 September 2014

Sandra M. Schneiders
Sandra M. Schneiders*
Affiliation:
Jesuit School of Theology, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley
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Abstract

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After tracing the history of the term “spirituality” and the discipline of spirituality up to the mid-twentieth century, this article describes the contemporary understanding of spirituality as lived religious experience and of the academic discipline which studies this subject. This phenomenology of the discipline grounds a position on the relationship between lived spirituality and theology on the one hand, and the academic disciplines of spirituality and theology on the other.

Type
Articles
Information
Horizons , Volume 13 , Issue 2 , Fall 1986 , pp. 253 - 274
Copyright
Copyright © The College Theology Society 1986

References

1 See Alexander, Jon, “What do Recent Writers Mean by Spirituality?” Spirituality Today 32 (1980), 247–48.Google Scholar

2 Besides the program at Institut Catholique in Paris and the Institute di Spiritualità at the Gregorian University in Rome there are several doctoral programs in the United States, notably at Fordham University in New York City and at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California.

3 The Catholic Encyclopedia, ed. Herbermann, C. G.et al. (New York: Encyclopedia Press, 1913–1922).Google Scholar

4 New Catholic Encyclopedia, ed. Catholic University of America staff (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1967–1979).Google Scholar

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6 The series began under the general editorship of Richard Payne and is being carried forward by John Farina.

7 Westminster Dictionary of Christian Spirituality, ed. Wakefield, Gordon (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1983).Google Scholar

8 The history of the term “spirituality” was studied in great detail by Tinsely, Lucy, The French Expression for Spirituality and Devotion: A Semantic Study Studies in Romance Languages and Literatures, 47 (Washington, DC: Catholic University of America Press, 1953).Google Scholar

9 See Jean Leclercq, augmenting Tinsley's work, in an article entitled “‘Spiritualitas’”, Studi Medievali 3 (1963), Ser. 3, 279–96.Google Scholar In this section of the paper I am much indebted to Leclercq.

10 For a brief summary of the relevant biblical material, see Sudbrack, Josel, “Spirituality,” Sacramentum Mundi (New York: Herder and Herder, 1970), 6:148–49.Google Scholar

11 See Leclercq, Jean, “Introduction,” tr. Coyne, Monique, The Spirituality of Western Christendom, ed. Elder, E. Rozanne (Kalamazoo, MI: Cistercian Publications, 1976).Google Scholar

12 Cf. Lumen Gentium V:40–41.Google Scholar

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15 Ibid., p. vii.

16 Ibid., p. 1.

17 Ibid., p. 5.

18 Ibid., pp. 5-26.

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21 Most notably, Revue d'ascétique et de mystique which began publication in 1920 changed its name to Revue d'Histoire de la spirituaiité in 1972.

22 Alexander, , “What do Recent Writers Mean?” pp. 251–52.Google Scholar

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29 See Ricoeur, Paul, Interpretation Theory: Discourse and the Surplus of Meaning (Fort Worth: Texas Christian University Press, 1976), p. 79.Google Scholar

30 See, on the nature of the field-encompassing field, Harvey, Van A., The Historian and the Believer: The Morality of Historical Knowledge and Christian Belief (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1966), pp. 38–67, esp. 54–59.Google Scholar