Questions tagged [spirituality]
Relationship between an individual Christian and God, and different ways to perceive or live this relationship.
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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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What are Christian explanations for the similarities between ecstatic spiritual experiences of Christians and those of other religions?
My question is motivated a recent realization of a concrete example.
In Tibetan Buddhism there is a spiritual practice known as Tummo. According to Wikipedia:
Tummo is also a tantric practice for ...
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What is an overview of beliefs about how the Holy Spirit guides Christians?
How are Christians led by the Holy Spirit?
How does the Holy Spirit communicate God's will to Christians?
What mechanisms does the Holy Spirit employ to this end?
Since these are probably ...
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What exactly does "Spirit-Filled" mean?
I recently saw this being used on a church website, where they describe themselves as "a regional, Spirit-filled, Word-based church led by Pastors Keith and Margie Nix."
Now, I understand &...
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What are the sanctification and spirituality distinctives of a C&MA church?
I'm evaluating the theology of a Christian and Missionary Alliance church which is affiliated with The Alliance of Canada which in turn is affiliated with the worldwide Alliance World Fellowship (...
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How do Latter-day Saints rebut GM Skeptic's objection against the epistemic value of personal spiritual experiences?
Who is GM Skeptic
Genetically Modified Skeptic is the name of a very popular YouTube Channel (487K subscribers as of March 2022) and also the alias of his owner, Drew McCoy, an American atheist ...
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Do any Christian groups or denominations teach reliable methods for scientifically minded individuals to seek and find God?
My question is inspired by an insightful chat discussion on this answer to the question How do Christians rebut Matt Dillahunty's objection that the resurrection of Jesus is untestable, ...
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Are there theological explanations for why God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble?
1 Peter 5:5-7 (ESV):
5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the ...
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How do Cessationists view "being led by the Holy Spirit"?
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. [Romans 8:14 KJV]
16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh ...
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How do Protestants explain the benefits of Marian devotion and praying the Rosary experienced by Catholics?
It's common sense knowledge that millions of Catholics pray the Rosary and make devotion to Mary an integral part of their everyday spirituality. See for example this answer to the question According ...
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Are there published testimonies from Jehovah's Witnesses about their experiences with the presence of the Holy Spirit?
Have any Jehovah's Witnesses experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit, possibly in a dramatic, life-changing way, and published a testimony in which they recount their experiences?
Similar ...
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Are there published testimonies from Unitarians about their experiences with the presence of the Holy Spirit?
Have any Unitarians experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit, possibly in a dramatic, life-changing way, and published a testimony in which they recount their experiences?
Note: this question has ...
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How does the power of the Holy Spirit manifest in Christians, as opposed to non-Christians who don't have access to this power?
To the best of my knowledge and understanding, access to the power of the Holy Spirit is an essential and distinctive attribute and privilege of Christians. People from other religions, as well as ...
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According to Jehovah's Witnesses, are there Spirit-filled Christians in non-JW denominations?
Can Spirit-filled Christians be found in non-JW denominations, according to Jehovah's Witnesses?
Related:
According to Unitarians, are there Spirit-filled Christians in non-Unitarian denominations?
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According to Biblical Unitarians, are there Spirit-filled Christians in other denominations?
Not much to add to the title. Can Spirit-filled Christians be found in other denominations, according to Biblical Unitarians?
Related:
According to Trinitarians, can non-Trinitarians experience ...
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Do single male Christians tend to struggle more to see themselves as (part of) "the Bride of Christ"? [closed]
Psychologically speaking, is the concept of being (part of) "the Bride of Christ" harder to grasp and to feel identified with for single male Christians? My common sense makes me think so, ...
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According to Trinitarians, can non-Trinitarians experience regeneration, sanctification and a Spirit-led life despite not believing in the Trinity?
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According to Trinitarians, can a Christian who lacks a belief in the Trinity still live the Christian life to its full potential? In other words, can non-Trinitarians experience spiritual ...
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According to Pentecostals and Charismatics, what are concrete practical ways by which Christians can be filled (and stay filled) with the Holy Spirit?
The concept of "being filled" with the Holy Spirit is mentioned multiple times in the New Testament, and according to the book of Acts it appears to have been a crucial aspect of the early ...
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According to Catholicism, what are concrete and practical ways by which Christians can be filled (and stay filled) with the Holy Spirit?
The concept of "being filled" with the Holy Spirit is mentioned multiple times in the New Testament, and according to the book of Acts it appears to have been a crucial aspect of the early ...
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According to non-Pentecostal Protestants, what are concrete practical ways by which Christians can be filled (and stay filled) with the Holy Spirit?
The concept of "being filled" with the Holy Spirit is mentioned multiple times in the New Testament, and according to the book of Acts it appears to have been a crucial aspect of the early ...
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How do Pentecostal/Charismatic Christians "seek" and "find" God?
Many Christians encourage people to "seek" God. Similarly, many Christians claim that God can be "found". I'm also well aware of the existence of many passages in the Bible that ...
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According to Catholicism, how should Christians "seek" and "find" God?
Many Christians encourage people to "seek" God. Similarly, many Christians claim that God can be "found". I'm also well aware of the existence of many passages in the Bible that ...
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According to Protestantism, how should Christians "seek" and "find" God?
Many Christians encourage people to "seek" God. Similarly, many Christians claim that God can be "found". I'm also well aware of the existence of many passages in the Bible that ...
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How do Christians who subscribe to the "religion vs. relationship" dichotomy make sure that their own relationship with God is genuine?
Many Christians emphasize the importance of having an actual relationship with God/Jesus as opposed to merely being religious. The previously asked question What is the origin of the "religion vs....
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Which Christian groups or denominations believe in modern-day Theophanies?
Which denominations believe in modern-day Theophanies, i.e., that God still manifests/reveals Himself to individuals in extraordinary, supernatural ways today?
For the sake of having a common ...
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How do Christians who emphasize the "religion vs. relationship" dichotomy respond to claims of "relationship with God" in other religions?
Many Christians emphasize the importance of having an actual relationship with God/Jesus as opposed to merely being religious. The previously asked question What is the origin of the "religion vs....
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According to Trinitarians, can the personhood of the Holy Spirit be confirmed through personal experience?
First of all, I'm well aware of the existence of scriptural arguments both for (link) and against (link, link) the personhood of the Holy Spirit. Whether one finds the arguments either for or against ...
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What is an overview of measures commonly adopted by Christians to overcome "spiritual lukewarmness"?
Revelation 3:15-16 (ESV):
15 “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out ...
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Does it matter whether a hallucinogen blurs delusion and reality? [closed]
Datura is a plant whose seeds have been used in religious rituals since prehistory. Ingesting Datura seeds will induce a hallucinogenic experience characterized by "anticholinergic delirium",...
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How do Christians discern genuine spiritual experiences from hallucinations?
When believers appeal to their private spiritual experiences to argue for their faith, skeptics typically respond by dismissing their stories entirely, conjecturing that these are more likely cases of ...
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How do Christians approach the evangelization of individuals who have had profound spiritual experiences in other religions?
Spiritual experiences can play a very important role in shaping an individual's worldview and religious convictions. Just a single profound mystical experience can dramatically change a person's ...
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What is an overview of how contemporary Christians discern that God is giving them instructions to follow a very specific course of action?
By 'very specific course of action' I mean some specific assignment that cannot be inferred from just reading the Bible. For example, in the case of missionaries, the question about when and where to ...
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How often do Christian missionaries follow the example of Acts 16:6-10 in order to make decisions as to which country/place they are to go to preach?
Acts 16:6-10 (NIV):
6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they ...
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What are some exercises, according to Catholicism, to keep a mindfulness on Christ?
So throught my life my relationship with christ was very "secular", although I believed in the religion only on sundays or on rare ocasions would I remember of christ.
But this has changed, ...
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Are there any scriptural objections to using Ignatian Spiritual Exercises according to Protestants?
Ignatian Spiritual Exercises has been around for centuries, yet only in the past few decades Evangelicals and Charismatics started to appreciate it:
In a 1990 The Way journal article Why Ignatian ...
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Are there any Christian groups or denominations that teach how to discern between Godly, demonic and psychological experiences?
According to a Christian worldview, experiences can be either natural or supernatural. And if they are supernatural, they can either come from God or Satan. In other words, only 3 possible options. ...
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Which Christian groups or denominations believe in modern-day Christophanies?
The Bible records several instances of Christophanies, i.e., occasions where Jesus appeared and/or spoke to his disciples after having ascended to heaven. Probably the most well-known example is Paul'...
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The Sacrament of the Present Moment? [closed]
What did Jean-Pierre De Caussade mean in "God Living in Souls and Souls Living in God?" This is chapter 2: "How to Arrive at the State of Self-Surrender and How to Act Before Reaching ...
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Are there any denominations that teach their members how to hear God's voice better, as exemplified by the Apostles in Scripture?
From time to time I have come across people who claim to have heard the voice of God speak to them in various circumstances. To someone who has never experienced this firsthand, this may sound a bit ...
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Difference between spirit and soul and consciousness
From my reading of the Bible, spirit gives Man a consciousness of God and soul gives Man a consciousness of the self and the body gives Man consciousness of the world. Spirit is also the immaterial ...
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What is meant by "Selling one’s soul to the Devil"?
I've become very interested (by it I mean curious) about "selling one's soul to the Devil" in the past few weeks. You probably have heard the most popular examples of this: Robert Johnson, ...
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Do all believers receive the Holy Spirit at conversion but only a few are filled with the Holy Spirit post conversion?
The following passages seem to support that all believers receive the Holy Spirit at the time of conversion:
Ephesians 1:13 (NIV)
13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of ...
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Whether Ignatian spiritual exercises are good for the discernment of vocation according to Thomistic understanding of vocation?
All I know about Ignatian spiritual exercises was orally transmitted to me from priests and others, therefore I may misunderstand Ignatian spiritual exercises and in that case please correct me.
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The Glory Be prayer and consolation - Catholic Spirituality
Is there a Catholic author who discussed how praying the Glory Be prayer can provide consolation? I am looking for a book/article on that topic.
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Are spiritual pleasures > carnal pleasures, according to Catholicism?
Does Catholicism consider spiritual pleasures greater than carnal/sexual/bodily pleasures?
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How do spiritual fathers of Catholic Church explain a sudden urge to pray?
I'd like to know how Catholic spiritual masters explain the urge to pray. Is it considered inspired by the Holy Spirit? Should we surrender to that urge?
I was doing some research on that topic, but I ...
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How is praying understood within the "Death of God" theology?
Theologians like Hamilton and Altizer defend a "secular Theology" that tries to banish the Deus ex machina of traditional Theism. So far so good, but how does one pray before God etsi Deus non ...
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War between the ‘inner being’ and the ‘fleshly nature’
When people are saved, what is God’s purpose for not sanctifying the ‘flesh’ when the spirit is reborn to prevent the struggle believers have in obeying Him? (Evangelical perspective)
The Apostle ...
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Is Meister Eckhart's teaching condemned by the Roman Catholic Church?
Meister Eckhart was a thirteenth-fourteenth century philosopher, theologian, and mystic who lived and worked in the Dominican Order.
In later life, he was accused of heresy and brought up before the ...
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Is the book "The Supernatural Occurrences of John Wesley" a legitimate collection of Wesley's journal entries?
The Supernatural Occurrences of John Wesley, written by Daniel R. Jennings, claims to be a compilation of John Wesley's supernatural experiences. The book claims to be compiling these stories from ...
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