[I thought I'd share some Brief Outline Notes of lectures given to Doctor of Ministry
students Adelaide, September 22-23, 1999 with you. Welcome to our class! Rowland Croucher]

Definitions:

Spiritual theology is the search by humans of a relationship with the living God.
Systematic theology is the _study_ of God and God’s ways.

Moral theology is the study of ethical human behavior. Practical theology is the study
of how humans enhance each others’ lives in the church and in the world… That is,
Spiritual theology is an activity primarily of _heart/spirit_; other theologies of the
_mind_.

Here’s a definition which arose from a conference I conducted with clergy in India:
Spirituality is the search to live out our understandings of how all realities relate:
enlivened, enlightened and empowered by the Spirit of God.

Implicit in these definitions:

1. Spirituality is much more than simple ‘understanding’.

2. Spirituality is _dynamic_ whereas theology may be _static_.

3. The life and teachings of Jesus are central to a Christian spirituality. He was
critical of ‘theological exactness’ divorced from justice, compassion and faith.

4. Today, courses in spirituality seek to understand how those who are passionate about
prayer and compassion view spiritual reality. In other words: is it possible to be
orthodox and (spiritually) dead? The unanimous answer, from the prophets and Jesus
onwards: ‘Yes’.

5. Spirituality courses tend to major more on the insights of the prophets and Jesus
than creedal belief-systems or the axioms proposed by human institutions. Creeds and
institutions may err: hence the ongoing quest for the _prophetic_ in Christian
spirituality.

~~~

Introduction:

Because Spirituality is primarily relational, we begin with an offering to each other
in this class of ourselves: who am I that I want you to know?

Who is God for me?

And because Christian Spirituality is about our relationship with God, we will
encourage one another in the life of prayer. (Prayer is to Spirituality what bread is to
hunger). And prayer is more than verbal: it is also meditative and contemplative. Prayer
is also more than a _system_: we pray as we can, not as we can’t. In our reading of the
Bible, we are _under_ the Word: it is our critic; rather than _over_ the Word with us as
its critic. We go deeper, rather than broader, in our reading of the Bible (which is why
‘spiritual’ people tend to linger in one phrase or verse: reading for transformation
rather than information).

Topics:

1. Spirituality and stress/burnout. (We begin with who/where we are, and who God is for
us in our life and ministry).

2. Spirituality and justice. (With Jesus we move towards others: particularly those who
are ‘least, lost and last’).

3. Corporate Spirituality. (Spirituality and the Church: what does a spiritually
healthy church look like?)

4. Spirituality and Leadership (particularly the notion of leadership as empowerment of
others for ministry).

5. Spirituality and Spiritual Direction. (The role of others as mentors for us).

[Use the search facilities on the John Mark Ministries website for articles by Rowland
Croucher and others on these topics].

Related Articles:

• PRAYER OF A HUMBLE SERVANT
• Solidarity in Weakness
• 25 LISTS OF EVERYTHING INTERESTING/IMPORTANT
• Braco’s Enchanting Gaze (what do you make of this?)
• God’s love (by Richard Rohr)

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