Atonement and Salvation in Christianity and the Perspective of Philosophical Monism
How does God make us one with His or Herself? Atonement theories explain this. Monism says we are already one with God because it is impossible to be separate from infinity. This seeming conflict raises some interesting issues which are addressed in this article.
The Metaphysics of Trauma video
Presented at the Trauma, Suffering, Mental Health Care Coalition conference, 2022. Explore how near-death experience research informs our perspective about our struggles here on earth.
Archetypes, Heroes, and the Enneagram
Doug Scott MSW and pastoral theologian, and I join forces to show some interesting link-ups between Jungian gender archetypes and the Enneagram. Both have been used to chart courses on the spiritual journey. Perhaps they will help you chart your own and help you appreciate the landscape.
Session 1: Jungian Archetypes and Heroes on the Spiritual Journey (download the handouts and slides below for use while watching the video)
Slides
Masculine Archetypes handout
Feminine Archetypes handout
Video
Note: technical difficulties truncated the first part of the video. The video begins after reviewing the masculine and feminine archetype handouts and deciding which matches you most closely. Review the slides up to that point and look at the handouts before starting the video.
Session 2: Enneagram, Archetypes, and the Spiritual Journey (click to view video)
Slides and audio version
The Glory of God
Know what and Who it is that gives you that longing in your heart. Come to know the Glory of God in your own heart.
Archetypes as Guideposts on the Spiritual Journey
Appreciating Jung’s masculine and feminine archetypes offer perspective on the nature of wholeness. Intriguing correlations exist with Biblical characters
Guideposts on the Spiritual Journey
A look at how Jesus expected his disciples to notice and understand the symbolic in his acts and in the everyday world around them. Some modern examples of symbols guiding souls on their journeys.
Grief in the Spiritual Life
A discussion of how key is our processing of grief and loss in our spiritual life’s development.
The Problem of Evil and Suffering
Thoughts following the Christmas tsunami
The Inscrutability of God and the Three Ways of the Spiritual Life
A look at how the Purgative, Illuminative and Unitive Ways of the spiritual life have helped pilgrims navigate some of the perplexities of life’s journey.
The Spiral Path
Appreciate how the Three Ways and our spiritual journey are like a spiral.
The Beatitudes and the Three Ways
A look by Father Rogers at how the Beatitudes can be used to guide us on the spiritual path. A chart compares this developmental view with other developmental understandings. A chart of Erickson and the beatitudes is also included.
The Traditional Stages of Faith with the Three Ways
Belief in God; Trust in God; Rest in God
Ambivalence toward God
What do you do when you are unhappy with God’s call?
A Dialog of Developmental Greats
This is an imagined discussion between psychological developmental theorists that includes Dr. James Fowler discussing the stages of faith he discerned out of his research. An interesting and erudite read.
Roman 7 in Psychological Language and Bible Greek
Here is an extended passage using the words Nous and Sarx where Paul illustrates their psychological actions within us.
Praying from the Still Point: The Importance of Recollection
You who are thirsty, Come to the Water! How urgent it is to be spending time with our hearts open to God!
Guidelines for a Disciple’s Way of Life--The Rule of Life
It is good and necessary from time to time to reflect on one’s practices of life. Are my current practices and patterns truly promoting growth in Christ or not? This document by the Anglican School of Theology helps students do just such reflection. Perhaps you would profit from using it as well. within us. This pdf file has been expanded to a web page with many links to to referenced ideas. It can serve as a starting point for navigating both the spiritual life and this web site.
Meditation on Ones True Identity in God as a form of Recollection.
God has much to say about who we really are as human creatures. We often feel we are different than what God says about us. These meditations will help correct our misperceptions at a deep level.
The Jesus Prayer
An ancient and powerful prayer technique for finding your still point and walking with God through the day.
How to Interpret Dreams
God calls some people to look at themselves and their journey through dream symbols. Here is a thorough discussion of technique.
The Way of Contemplation
Wordless, imageless longing for God as the prayer of our hearts
The Spiritual Marriage
The soul for whom intimate and personal communion has been the mode under which they best apprehended spiritual Reality, speaks of the consummation of the communion, its perfect and permanent form, as the Spiritual Marriage.
Spirituality Annotated Bibliography
Make use of this for your further reading
Lectio Divina Technique
“Divine Reading” has a long history within Christianity. Energize your “Bible study” with this meditative technique which promotes the written word becoming the “Living Word.”
My True Identity is Found in God
Here is an exercise that many have found assists them to more fully discover their true self found in God. It also promotes living that truth rather than being subject to the whims of feeling and the moment.
Imagistic Prayer for Healing of Soul
A lecture outline regarding inner healing prayer, a technique of prayer I find has profound impact on soul transformation.
Under the Mercy
I am thankful that I am under God's mercy. Mercy is the Great Weaver collecting and binding together the scattered and broken parts of our lives into a tapestry of divine love. Chesed is the Hebrew. It means a fierce bonding love as between lovers. Loving kindness is its frequent translation.
A Temple Meditation
A walk with Jesus through the temple, paralleling it to our souls