The Old Testament and Christian Spirituality - International Voices in ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Undervaluation of the Old Testament in Christian Spirituality 5 On the face of it, then, it would seem that “faith as life” and the “Book of Life” would be an easy match. Not so, though. The Old Testament is only infrequently drawn from for spiritual exercises, and continues to play a much less substantial role in the church than its proportions in the Bible would suggest. Even when the Old Testament is referred to, it is often only done in a more or less metaphorical sense, rather than exegetically or theologically, and then all too briefly too, with the Old Testament references enclosed by ample references to New Testament texts. 13 This should be of concern particularly to church traditions, such as Calvinism, 14 that stress the equal inspiration and value of all parts of Scripture. 15 In Roman Catholicism too, even though it offers us the deepest roots of the modern interest in and practice and study of spirituality, 13 See e.g. Cunningham and Egan, Christian Spirituality, 9–14; cf. S. D. Snyman, “Spiritualiteit—‘n Perspektief uit die Ou Testament,” In die Skriflig 31, no. 4 (1997): 376–77. This is the case in general; there are of course exceptions, e.g. Cunningham and Egan, Christian Spirituality, 144–48. The thematic approach of McGrath (Christian Spirituality, 35–81, 88–108) goes about employing the Bible in a different way; here too though the New Testament features more prominently. The two studies which have come to my attention that give the most promising direction for the use of the Old Testament within Spirituality are by the New Testament scholar Du Toit (“Lewensgemeenskap met God,” 28–46), who takes the praesentia Dei as central moment, and the Old Testament scholar Snyman (“Spiritualiteit—‘n Perspektief uit die Ou Testament,” 375–87), who takes life coram Deo as central moment (cf. also John Barton, “Biblical Roots: The Old Testament,” in The Study of Spirituality [ed. C. Jones, G. Wainwright and E. Yarnold; London: SPCK, 2000], 55–56). Nolan (Biblical Spirituality, 29–41) employs “justice” as the central spiritual theme of the Old Testament, and “love” as that of the New, which leads him to “Kingdom Spirituality” (Nolan, Biblical Spirituality, 43– 58)—concepts which were very fruitful for his anti-apartheid theology, yet too narrow to do justice to the diversity of theologies, ethics and spiritualities within the Bible (cf. A. Nolan, God in South Africa [Cape Town: David Philip, 1988]; Lombaard, “The Bible in the Apartheid Debate,” 81–86). 14 Cf. Jonker, “Die Eie-aard van die Gereformeerde Spiritualiteit,” 294–95. 15 Cf. P. C. Potgieter, Skrif, Dogma en Verkondiging (Kaapstad: Lux Verbi, 1990), 25–26.
6 The Old Testament and Christian Spirituality there is the strong sense that all modern spiritualities go back to the spiritualities of the four Gospels and the spirituality of Paul. 16 The emphasis remains on the New Testament. 17 The purpose of this contribution is to outline some of the reasons for the difficult fit of “faith as life” and the “Book of Life,” that is, of spirituality and the Old Testament. 2. Ten Possible Reasons I propose ten possible reasons for the less than ideal reference the Old Testament finds within the theory and practice of Christian spirituality. These ten reasons are given as an overview and do not purport to be an exhaustive historical overview or, for that matter, a full digest of current developments and trends. 18 Like most writing on spirituality, the ten reasons suggested here are based on a personal sense informed by various forms of individual experiences, academic readings, and intellectual reflection guided by a range of influences. Taken together, though, these ten reasons seek to elucidate the undervaluation of the Old Testament in the practice and study of Christian spirituality. 16 Cf. Marmion, Spirituality of Everyday Faith, 25. An interpretation that relays spirituality to Scripture only would be too superficial: expressions of spirituality naturally draw from the Bible, but do so within certain ecclesial, social and political circumstances, reacting upon these too, as acknowledged by Marmion, Spirituality of Everyday Faith, 26; cf. also Downey, Understanding Christian Spirituality, 46–48; D. J. Smit, “Wat Is Gereformeerde Spiritualiteit?” Ned. Geref. Teologiese Tydskrif 29, no. 2 (1988): 191–92; Smit, “Kan Spiritualiteit Beskryf Word?” 91. 17 See in addition the registers in Smit, “Wat Is Gereformeerde Spiritualiteit?” 184–85 and Smit, “Kan Spiritualiteit Beskryf Word?” 93–94, and the relative length of the discussion in the adjoining chapters in Jones et al., eds., The Study of Spirituality, viz. Barton, “Biblical Roots: The Old Testament,” 47–57 and C. P. M. Jones, “Biblical Roots: The New Testament,” 58–89. 18 For a historical and modern international overview of spirituality, cf. the essays collected in The Study of Spirituality (ed. C. Jones, G. Wainwright and E. Yarnold; London: SPCK, 2000).
Page 1 and 2: International Voices in Biblical St
Page 3 and 4: International Voices in Biblical St
Page 5 and 6: Copyright © 2012 by the Society of
Page 7 and 8: Table of Contents Betwixt Text and
Page 9 and 10: viii Introduction various coloniali
Page 12 and 13: The Old Testament in Christian Spir
Page 14 and 15: Undervaluation of the Old Testament
Page 38 and 39: Four South African Proposals for a
Page 40 and 41: A Central Theme to “Scriptural Sp
Page 42 and 43: 11 A Central Theme to “Scriptural
Page 64 and 65: Four Recent Books on Spirituality a
Page 66 and 67:
Spirituality of the Psalms 55 • F
Page 68 and 69:
Spirituality of the Psalms 57 in th
Page 70 and 71:
Spirituality of the Psalms 59 emplo
Page 72 and 73:
Spirituality of the Psalms 61 This
Page 74 and 75:
Spirituality of the Psalms 63 uncon
Page 76 and 77:
Spirituality of the Psalms 65 a rep
Page 78 and 79:
Spirituality of the Psalms 67 the f
Page 80 and 81:
Spirituality of the Psalms 69 celeb
Page 82 and 83:
Spirituality of the Psalms 71 Psalm
Page 84 and 85:
Spirituality of the Psalms 73 into
Page 86 and 87:
7. Conclusion Spirituality of the P
Page 88 and 89:
Spirituality of the Psalms 77 varie
Page 90 and 91:
Spirituality of the Psalms 79 Cragh
Page 92 and 93:
Spirituality of the Psalms 81 —
Page 94 and 95:
Genealogies and Spiritualities in G
Page 96 and 97:
Page 98 and 99:
Page 100 and 101:
Page 102 and 103:
Page 104 and 105:
Page 106 and 107:
Page 108 and 109:
3.3 Genesis 5:1-32 (P) Genealogies
Page 110 and 111:
Page 112 and 113:
Page 114 and 115:
Page 116 and 117:
Page 118 and 119:
Page 120 and 121:
Page 122 and 123:
What Is Biblical Spirituality? Pers
Page 124 and 125:
What Is Biblical Spirituality? 113
Page 126 and 127:
Page 128 and 129:
Page 130 and 131:
Page 132 and 133:
Page 134 and 135:
Page 136 and 137:
Page 138 and 139:
Page 140 and 141:
Page 142 and 143:
Page 144 and 145:
Page 146 and 147:
Page 148:
Page 151 and 152:
140 The Old Testament and Christian
Page 153 and 154:
Page 155 and 156:
Page 157 and 158:
Page 159 and 160:
Page 161 and 162:
Page 163 and 164:
Page 165 and 166:
Page 167 and 168:
Page 169 and 170:
Page 171 and 172:
Page 173 and 174:
Page 175 and 176:
Page 177 and 178:
Page 179 and 180:
Page 182 and 183:
Exegesis and Spirituality * ABSTRAC
Page 184 and 185:
Exegesis and Spirituality 173 the t
Page 186 and 187:
Exegesis and Spirituality 175 this
Page 188 and 189:
Exegesis and Spirituality 177 If we
Page 190 and 191:
Exegesis and Spirituality 179 and w
Page 192 and 193:
Exegesis and Spirituality 181 namel
Page 194 and 195:
Exegesis and Spirituality 183 empha
Page 196 and 197:
Exegesis and Spirituality 185 Donah
Page 198 and 199:
Exegesis and Spirituality 187 —
Page 200:
Exegesis and Spirituality 189 Vorst
Page 203:
The emerging discipline of Biblical
show all

The Old Testament and Christian Spirituality - International Voices in ...

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?