Christianity

Questions tagged [spirituality]

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Relationship between an individual Christian and God, and different ways to perceive or live this relationship.

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3
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2answers
117 views

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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2answers
139 views

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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2answers
132 views

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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26 views

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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0answers
84 views

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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2answers
112 views

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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1answer
67 views

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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0answers
32 views

According to Unitarians, are there Spirit-filled Christians in non-Unitarian denominations?

Not much to add to the title. Can Spirit-filled Christians be found in non-Unitarian denominations, according to Unitarians? Related: According to Trinitarians, can non-Trinitarians experience ...
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3answers
193 views

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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3answers
191 views

According to Trinitarians, can non-Trinitarians experience regeneration, sanctification and a Spirit-led life despite not believing in the Trinity?

Question 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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1answer
95 views

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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3answers
129 views

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 ...
0
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1answer
71 views

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 ...
0
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0answers
43 views

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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1answer
26 views

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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2answers
125 views

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 ...
1
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2answers
103 views

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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1answer
77 views

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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4answers
127 views

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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2answers
180 views

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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0answers
27 views

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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1answer
111 views

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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8answers
5k views

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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1answer
215 views

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 ...
3
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2answers
243 views

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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1answer
65 views

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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2answers
83 views

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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2answers
164 views

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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2answers
238 views

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. ...
3
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0answers
115 views

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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0answers
45 views

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 ...
2
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2answers
229 views

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 ...
2
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1answer
124 views

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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4answers
770 views

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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2answers
221 views

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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1answer
43 views

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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1answer
369 views

Are spiritual pleasures > carnal pleasures, according to Catholicism?

Does Catholicism consider spiritual pleasures greater than carnal/sexual/bodily pleasures?
2
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1answer
159 views

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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0answers
151 views

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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2answers
227 views

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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1answer
3k views

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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1answer
372 views

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 ...
5
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1answer
84 views

Where in the Pentateuch does it indicate that it's better to sin against God than against your spiritual director?

From The Ladder of Divine Ascent: Do not be surprised at what I am going to say (for I have Moses to support me). It is better to sin against God than against our father; for when we anger God, ...
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1answer
103 views

Does the Catholic church have an officially-sanctioned, organized form of spirituality analogous to Orthodox hesychasm?

According to my understanding, hesychasm, along with asceticism, is the official, traditional, and uniformly accepted spiritual path of the Orthodox church. Is there an analogous, well-defined, widely-...
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3answers
427 views

What does the Orthodox church consider to be the defining features of Christian meditation?

There are many different kinds of meditation or prayer, Christian and non-Christian. However, I am confused regarding actual difference because these varieties, both Christian and non-Christian, seem ...
5
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1answer
296 views

What distinguishes Christian meditation from the Catholic tradition from non-Christian meditation? [closed]

There are many different kinds of meditation or prayer, Christian and non-Christian. However, I am confused regarding actual difference because these varieties, both Christian and non-Christian, seem ...
0
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1answer
66k views

Hearing Bell sounds - What does the Bible say about bells? [closed]

Recently I have heard many bell sounds during times of heavy spiritual warfare & physical troubles. I know i'm not crazy because I've had relatives and friends hear them as-well. They come from ...
2
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1answer
296 views

What is "Christ Consciousness"?

I have heard this term used and would like more info about this idea. It really sounds like a hippie thing...
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3answers
9k views

What does 1 Corinthian 2:15 mean?

Is this verse saying that spiritual people are above the judgment of those who are not spiritual? Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others....
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5answers
836 views

Is spirituality different than superstition? [closed]

Since Enlightenment we seem to have entered an age where “reality” is often confined to empirical explanations. Yet the Bible speaks of a spiritual reality that is not open to empirical investigation. ...

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