Understanding Christian Spirituality

by Michael Downey

A readable overview of the contemporary spiritual scene that defines, outlines, and advocates several models or methods for studying Christian spirituality with a respect for Scripture, tradition, and one's own personal and cultural experiences. †

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Amc · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave this 3 stars only because I don't feel like I gained any particularly profound insights from reading it. It discusses the differences--or at least society's perceived differences--between religion and spirituality, but it read like a book on systemic theology, highlighting the sources & norms of spirituality instead. I did find it interesting how the author points out that contemporary society, in its attempt to disassociate with the institutional church, has divorced spirituality and religion and flocked to other "spiritual" sources outside of the church including yoga, self-help books and psychological tests like the Enneagram. I do agree that our society yearns for a deeper self-understanding that is truly spiritual in its desire and quest and manifests itself in different ways. I suppose this would be a good introduction to Christian spirituality, but can't really see the average person reading it for pleasure.

[Ephrem Arcement · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best introduction to the subject of Christian spirituality that I've yet come across. Downey situates his approach by first defining the elusive meaning of spirituality. He explores the meaning of both spirituality in general and within the Christian context. What I find to be the gem of the book is the chapter on the tradition of Christian spirituality. Downey masterfully diagnoses the problems with contemporary religion's penchant for traditionalism/fundamentalism--a perverse way of handling the tradition. The book is sensitive to issues of contemporary spirituality, particularly to the way Christian spirituality in the Roman Catholic tradition has been shaped by the insights of the Second Vatican Council. This isn't a long book, but it is packed with just the right information pertinent to the subject which yields a thorough and well-informed understanding.