Questions tagged [spirituality]
Relationship between an individual Christian and God, and different ways to perceive or live this relationship.
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Why is there so much controversy among Christians regarding what a relationship with God entails?
Allow me to clearly illustrate the existence of controversy by way of examples.
As a first example, consider the book Marvels & Miracles: God Wrought in the Ministry for Forty-Five Years, which ...
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What is the Biblical support for learning to hear the voice of God as a trainable skill, as part of an interactive relationship?
T.M. Luhrmann cites many instances of this practice in her book When God Talks Back: Understanding the American Evangelical Relationship with God. Below I share some quotes to illustrate this point:
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How do Christians view the practice of relating to God as a very interactive, intimate, and personal friend?
To explain what I mean by "very interactive, intimate, and personal friend", let me quote some excerpts from T.M. Luhrmann's book When God Talks Back: Understanding the American Evangelical ...
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How do Evangelical Christians respond to T.M. Luhrmann's characterization of their relationship with God?
I'm referring to T.M. Luhrmann's book When God Talks Back: Understanding the American Evangelical Relationship with God.
The book's synopsis states:
A bold approach to understanding the American ...
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Does There Exist a Volume II of Saint-Jure's "The Spiritual Life Reduced to Its First Principles" in English?
Found on p. vii. in The Spiritual Man; or, the Spiritual Life Reduced to Its First Principles, is the indication that this 384 page book is "VOLUME I"---suggesting, it would seem, that there ...
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Help me understand the role of "friendship with Jesus" in Catholic spirituality in relation to Salve Regina
Having sang What a friend we have in Jesus since childhood, sharing with Jesus my griefs (verse 1), my struggle with temptation (verse 2), and my toiling in life (verse 3) is natural for me. But when ...
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What are the views of Reformed Protestants on Christian mysticism?
Building upon my previous question Similarities and differences between Christian Mysticism and the Charismatic movement? and the excellent answer by GratefulDisciple, I would like to delve deeper ...
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What do Christians mean by the expression "to be on fire for God/Jesus/Christ", and is there a Biblical basis for this concept?
I've heard the expression "to be on fire for God/Jesus/Christ" several times. A quick search can turn up many examples, for instance:
"Please help. I'm so confused, Pastor Tim. I made ...
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How were the two streams of Puritan spirituality and Lutheran pietism appropriated into Evangelical spirituality today?
Some form of pietism and Puritanism are definitely identifiable within the spiritual practice of Evangelicals today, whether theologically they identify as Pentecostal, Wesleyan, Reformed, or Lutheran ...
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Has the LDS Church established a list of essential attributes defining a "personal relationship" between a human and God?
Scope: I'm seeking answers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The concept of a "personal relationship" is fairly natural and intuitive when we think of the interactions ...
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Has Catholicism established a list of essential attributes defining a "personal relationship" between a human and God?
Scope: I'm seeking answers from Catholicism.
The concept of a "personal relationship" is fairly natural and intuitive when we think of the interactions between two human beings, like ...
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Has Protestant Christianity established a list of essential attributes defining a "personal relationship" between a human and God?
Scope: I'm seeking answers from Protestant denominations.
The concept of a "personal relationship" is fairly natural and intuitive when we think of the interactions between two human beings,...
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What is the Biblical basis for Christians having a "personal relationship" with Jesus/God?
Previous questions have already explored various facets of the notion of having a "personal relationship" with Jesus/God, such as:
What do Christians mean by a "personal relationship&...
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Does Sola Scriptura imply that one should expect no personal spiritual experience of the Gospel?
I am seeking answers on the basis of Protestant Trinitarianism.
As referenced in a previous answer regarding Sola Scriptura, Steven Lawson quotes Martin Luther, in a specialised article on Sola ...
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St. Faustina on Spiritually "Sharing" or "Breaking the Wafer"
Consider the following entries (not a complete list) in St. Faustina's Diary in which a spiritual sharing or breaking of the wafer is noted.
Christmas Eve, 1935. From early morning, my spirit was ...
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What is affective spirituality?
In St Augustine's Confessions (Book X, Chapter 27) we read:
Late have I loved you, beauty so old and so new: late have I loved You. And see, You were within and I was in the external world and sought ...
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Which Christian denominations believe in a spectrum of degrees of personal knowledge and experience of God?
At one extreme, atheists and agnostics assert that either God doesn't exist or, at best, He has concealed Himself exceptionally well, rendering Himself imperceptible and undetectable (source). ...
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What factors, according to Young-Earth Creationists, might inhibit the Holy Spirit from guiding a Christian to a literal interpretation of Genesis?
This question lies at the intersection of spirituality and exegesis.
If we assume that the Holy Spirit guides Christians in understanding scripture and that Young-Earth Creationism is true, what ...
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How do Christians outside of the LDS faith interpret the reported spiritual encounters of Latter-day Saints with the Holy Ghost?
Latter-day Saints believe in the concept of 'gaining a testimony'. I provide supporting quotes in my previous question How crucial is it for Christians in general (not only LDS) to “gain a testimony” ...
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What are Christian guidelines for making the transition from "knowing about God" to "knowing God"?
My question is motivated by Eleonore Stump's video Can Philosophy of Religion Find God?, suggested by this answer. In the video, Stump elaborates on how philosophy of religion can be helpful in ...
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In Christian epistemology, how is Reformed Epistemology different from mysticism?
Note: For context, please see my recently asked question Can Reformed Epistemology be considered a special variant of mysticism? on Philosophy Stack Exchange. It includes many useful references and ...
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Which Christian denominations do not prioritize seeking a tangible experience of God's presence?
To provide context, some time ago I posed the following question: Which denominations consider it commendable to pursue a profound mystical union with God?. Answers suggested that denominations ...
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Is there scripture stating we will realize an unmistakable event or experience immediately upon salvation during God's Ephesians 3:2 "age of grace"?
If there are unmistakable events or experiences that prove "true" salvation, how would we then be able to discern a deceptive event or experience that was administered by Satan? Isn't this ...
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How can one attain the faith necessary to activate God's promises? [closed]
Faith stands as a crucial and foundational element in Christianity. Numerous facets of the Christian experience, embodied in empirically testable Biblical promises meant to be lived and experienced in ...
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How is the concept of validating one's beliefs through personal experiences reconciled with the principle of not putting God to the test?
Some Christians find it essential to validate their beliefs through personal experiences, as discussed in How crucial is it for Christians to 'gain a testimony' validating the truth of their beliefs?. ...
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Are there relatively recently published books with testimonies illustrating how the Father and the Son reveal themselves, according to John 14:21-23?
John 14:21-23 KJV
21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. ...
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What is the success criterion for the task of 'seeking God' in Christianity?
The notion of 'seeking God' can be found in multiple passages in the Bible:
Acts 17:26-27
26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined ...
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Which denominations hold similar views to John Wesley on spiritual experiences?
The Wesleyan Quadrilateral
explicates the Methodist belief of prima scriptura. This method bases its teaching on four sources as the basis of theological and doctrinal development. These four sources ...
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Natural Theology (Intellect) vs. Spiritual Experience (Heart)?
How integral is a personal experiential aspect to Christian belief in addition to natural theology? Can one rely solely on natural theology, or is a personal encounter or experience considered ...
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How can one overcome the distractions of modern life to attain theosis and become a vessel for spiritual gifts?
Are the notions of theosis and spiritual gifts privileges that only saintly monks immersed in ascetic lifestyles can attain? Is there hope for the ordinary person, amidst the distractions and ...
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Which denominations consider it commendable to pursue a profound mystical union with God?
If an individual earnestly hungers for deep spirituality, including a desire for attaining a profound degree of sanctification and consecration, but also for a profound, mystical, supernatural ...
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Are all Christians expected to have a "positively meaningful and reciprocal conscious relationship" with God?
For context, I'd recommend reading first the answers to What exactly would count as a "positively meaningful and reciprocal conscious relationship" between a person and a God? on Philosophy ...
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How can a case be made against reducing the Christian experience to the Placebo effect? [closed]
The responses and reactions elicited by the question Is Christianity testable? on Philosophy Stack Exchange have been quite insightful. In particular, I would like to bring the reader's attention to ...
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Is there a theory within Christianity that explains why some Christians report more 'spiritual experiences' than others?
After reading the answers to the question The edge of faith and the limit of Theism, "the spiritual blindness", I am intrigued by the observation that not all Christians report 'spiritual ...
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How can non-believers, who cannot perceive nor understand the things of the Spirit, overcome their spiritual blindness?
Suppose a non-believer is open to the possibility that God and the things of the Spirit might exist, but acknowledges that for them subjectively God appears to be hidden and thus feels unable to ...
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Is there a Christian term for the condition of a person who subjectively feels incapable of experiencing a spiritual connection with God?
In the realm of philosophy of religion, I'm acquainted with concepts like divine hiddenness and the idea of a non-resistant non-believer, which refers to someone open to, yet lacking, a genuinely ...
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According to Pentecostalism/Charismatics, how does God manifest and interact with Christians?
I'm interested in understanding the specific ways in which God's presence and intervention are consciously experienced by Christians in their daily lives. In this question, I'm narrowing the scope to ...
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According to Mormonism, how does God manifest and interact with Christians?
I'm interested in understanding the specific ways in which God's presence and intervention are consciously experienced by Christians in their daily lives. In this question, I'm narrowing the scope to ...
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What are distinctive features of Eastern Orthodox spirituality?
I'm seeking insights into the distinctive features of Eastern Orthodox spirituality. For those familiar with this tradition, could you provide information on specific aspects that characterize the ...
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According to Protestantism, how does God manifest and interact with Christians?
I'm interested in understanding the specific ways in which God's presence and intervention are consciously experienced by Christians in their daily lives. In this question, I'm narrowing the scope to ...
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According to Catholicism, how does God manifest and interact with Christians?
I'm interested in understanding the specific ways in which God's presence and intervention are consciously experienced by Christians in their daily lives. In this question, I'm narrowing the scope to ...
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To what extent are Christians encouraged to make conscious efforts to "experience" God as "real"?
I'm currently interested in learning what American psychological anthropologist Tanya Marie Luhrmann has to say on the topic of religious experiences. Specifically, I'm planning on reading two of her ...
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Does Swedenborg express in his writings anything concerning the life of the people in Eden?
I've lately been interested in the life of the people in Eden. According to Emanuel Swedenborg, how separated is it from the life we are living today? How did husbands and wives interact? What were ...
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What is the biblical counter-argument to the expression "the Universe provides"?
I have been given an assignment to address the view held by some people that "the Universe provides." My first thought was to investigate the New Age movement and beliefs but, although I ...
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Does the battle between the flesh and the spirit ever get easier?
I am 24 years old. I have been a Christian for 5 years, but was raised in church. For the last two years I have been trying my best to walk out this faith to the best of my ability. I am not trying to ...
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Are people who have a closer unity to God called to act by the divine?
It seems from observation that one of the hallmark signs of a higher being (one that is in close unity with the divine with respect to their actions and thoughts) is that they tend to have a ...
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Are there other Christian authors besides WLC who believe that all Christians have access to a direct, self-authenticating experience of God?
My question is motivated by the following excerpt from William Lane Craig's Reasonable Faith article The Witness of the Holy Spirit:
Plantinga's model involves crucially what is usually called the ...
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What are ways in which God reveals Himself to a Christian in the context of a two-way, one-on-one relationship?
Many atheists and skeptics claim that God is hidden.
In fact, in philosophy of religion there is a whole argument against God's existence known as "the argument from nonbelief" or "the ...
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What is an overview for how protestants tend to regard progress in the spiritual life?
This question is similar to this one ("How is spiritual progress described in eastern monastic traditions?"). But mine is directed towards Protestants, and includes how they even speak of ...
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Are Christians consciously aware of the first time they received the Holy Spirit?
I don't know if there are statistics on this, or if the answer depends on the denomination, but are Christians usually consciously aware of the first time they received the Holy Spirit? Is the ...
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