Christian Spirituality (Onsite)

Lecturers: Rev Dr Tony Lim / Pr Mike Ngui

Venue: On Campus
Time: Friday, 9.00 am – 12.00 pm

What is Spirituality?

It is about knowing God and not just knowing about God. It is on how we experience God to the full. In spirituality, there is also transformation of existence on the basis of the Christian faith, that we may attain Christian authenticity in life and thought. (Alister McGrath, Christian Spirituality)

Course Description

Evangelical Christians in Malaysia have very little knowledge of Christian traditions and spiritualities outside their own traditions and denominations. This course seeks to help us rediscover that the Holy Spirit has been at work within and outside our respective church traditions.

In our classes together therefore, we will seek to have a historical, theological and pastoral, reflection on our life of faith in Christ as lived out by the disciples of Christ through the ages.

Course Outline

1. Introduction
2. Early Christian Spirituality – Irenaeus, Origen, Antony
3. Monastic and Medieval Spirituality (Anselm, Bernard of Clairvaux)
4. The Reformers (Calvin and Luther)
5. Teresa of Avila and St John of the Cross (The Spanish Mystics)
6. The Puritans
7. The Pietist Movement (Philipp Jakob Spener)
8. Jean-Pierre de Caussade – The Sacrament of the Present Moment
9. Amy Carmichael – The Spirituality of Missions
10. Donald Gee – Pentecostal Spirituality
11. The Evangelicals (Bebington’s Four Distinctives)
12. Contemporary Understanding of the Faith

Course Objective

At the end of the course, students will learn from the collective wisdom of the Church of Christ over two millennia and from godly church fathers, missionaries, pastors and theologians how to “live” out our life of faith. This is in accordance with the Pauline emphasis that the Gospel has the power to transform men and women to become “mature in Christ” (Col 1.28).

We will also have a better understanding of the following:

• Life of prayer
• Spiritual disciplines
• Rule of life
• Various biblical and practical approaches to spiritual formation and discipleship 

Assignments

1. A book review on Alister McGrath’s Christian Spirituality
2. A major paper on a spiritual tradition. (Puritans, John Owen Sin and Temptation, Reformation, Calvin, The Christian Institute, Spanish Mystics, Teresa of Avila, The Interior Castle, Monastic Spirituality Anthony)
3. Spiritual, Reflective Journal on the course
4. Course Reading

Bibliography

• Alexander, Donald L. (Ed.). Christian Spirituality: Five views of Sanctification. Downers Grove: IL, Inter Varsity Press, 1988.
• Bouyer, Louis. A History of Christian Spirituality. Vol I. The Spirituality of the New Testament and the Fathers. Great Britain, Burns & Oates, 1986.
• Chan, Simon. Spiritual Theology: A Systematic Study of the Christian Life. Downers Grove, IL, Inter Varsity Press, 1998.
• Cox, Michael. Handbook of Christian Spirituality. New York, Harper & Row Publishers, 1985.
• Greenman, Jeffrey P. and Kalantzis, George (Ed.) Life in the Spirit: Spiritual Formation in Theological Perspective. Downers Grove: IL, InterVarsity Press, 2010.
• Jones, D. M. Lloyd. The Puritans: Their Origins and Successors. USA, The Banner of Truth Trust, 1987.
• Kirk, Kenneth E. The Vision of God. England, James Clarke & Co. Ltd., 1977.
• Leclercq, Jean, Vandenbroucke, Francois, and Bouyer, Louis. A History of Christian Spirituality. Vol II. The Spirituality of the Middle Ages. Great Britain, Burns & Oates, 1986.
• Magill, Frank N. and McGreal, Ian P. (Ed.) Christian Spirituality: The Essential Guide to The Most Influential Spiritual Writings of the Christian Tradition. New York, Harper & Row Publishers, 1988.
• McGinn, Bernard, Meyendorff, John and Leclercq, Jean (Ed.). Christian Spirituality: Origins to the Twelfth Century. New York, Crossroad Publishing Company,1988.
• McGrath Alister E., Christian Spirituality. UK, Blackwell Publishers Ltd., 1999.
• McGrath, Alister E. Spirituality in an Age of Change: Rediscovering the Spirit of the Reformers. Grand Rapids: Michigan, Zondervan Publishing House, 1994.
• Packer, J. I. Among God’s Giants. Great Britain. Kingsway Publications Ltd., 1991.
• Peace, Richard. Contemplative Bible Reading: Experiencing God Through Scripture. Colorado, NAV Press Publishing Group, 1996.
• Peace, Richard. Spiritual Journaling: Recording Your Journey Toward God. Colorado, NAV Press Publishing Group, 1995.
• Peterson, Eugene H. Christ Plays In Ten Thousand Places. Grand Rapid: Michigan. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2005.
• Peterson, Eugene H. Eat This Book. Grand Rapids: Michigan. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2007.
• Peterson, Eugene H. Living the Resurrection.  NAV Press, 2006.
• Peterson, Eugene H. Practice Resurrection. Grand Rapid: Michigan. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2010.
• Peterson, Eugene H. The Jesus Way. Grand Rapids: Michigan. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2007.
• Rack, Henry. 20^th Century Spirituality. London, Epworth Press, 1969.
• Raitt, Jill, McGinn, Bernard, and Meyendorff, John (Ed.). Christian Spirituality: High Middle Ages and Reformation. New York, Crossroad Publishing Company, 1989.
• Ryken, Leland. Worldly Saints: The Puritans as They Really Were. Grand Rapids: Michigan, Zondervan Publishing House, 1986.
• Schmidt, Richard H. God Seekers. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2008