CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY
01. INTRODUCTION
Spirituality[1] is the profound inner experience of a person with God and fellow human beings. It does not restrict itself to religious and inner life alone. It expands its horizon to God and to fellow men, even to the whole of the creation. Thus it refers to the whole being of a person. Spirituality in connection with Christianity means, “the faith-life in the relationship of the person with God in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit within the believing community”.[2] Therefore Christian spirituality essentially consists in a person-to-person relationship with God and man.[3] This paper attempts to view this inseparable reality from the philosophico-theological perspective, in the post-Conciliar Indian context, by exploring its roots in the Scripture, Council and current theology.
02. PHILOSOPHICAL BASE
Human person is a paradox by nature, because as a corporal, man is subject to all the laws of matter, and as a spiritual, man is capable of assimilating everything into himself - open both vertically and horizontally.[4] The evidence of the spiritual nature of man stems from the experience of the person’s transcendence in action. Therefore spiritual element of man is an immaterial factor, which is inherently irreducible to matter.[5] Hence man cannot contradict himself either by alienation - “draining man from his very humanness”[6] or by denial of participation - “isolating himself from others by conceiving him solely as an individual who concentrates on himself and his own good”.[7] Therefore man cannot, but to extend solidarity - “a constant readiness to accept and to realise one’s share in the community”.[8] This “reaching the other” both vertically and horizontally is limitless, endless, and so, only God can give rest to it.[9] Thus Christian spirituality has a strong philosophical base.
03. BIBLICAL FOUNDATION
The primary source of the Christian spirituality is the Scripture itself. Both the First Testament and the Second Testament constantly exhort the vertical and horizontal dimensions of it. It even holds this as “the greatest of the commandments”.
3.1 THE FIRST TESTAMENT
In the First Testament the idea of “the love of God and of neighbour” originates from the “covenant relationship” between God and man, in the history of the people of Israel. The God of the First Testament self initiatively reveals himself through a covenant, which deserves commitment to the self-initiator, and the obedience to the commandment that he gives. The classical text that demands total love for the Lord is, “Here O Israel! Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your hearts, with all your soul and with all your might” (Deut 6:4-5).[10] The other significant text, which equally emphasises the love of neighbour is, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself” (Lev 19:18b). Recalling the experience of the exile in Egypt, the First Testament boldly affirms even to love the strangers (cf. Lev 19:34; Deut 10:19). There is also an unusual imperative that compels those who hate the enemies to love (cf. 2 Sam 19:60).
The finest formulation of the commandment of love, in which “justice” the fundamental constituent of charity is implied, is formally expressed in the “Decalogue” (Ex 20:2-17).[11] Whenever the covenant people disrespected these commandments, the Lord raises prophets to guide them in their history (cf. Ex 32:1-10; Deut 9:6-14); whenever the people diluted the commandment of love by reducing it into mere “ritualistic meaning” the prophets speak to them as the mouthpiece of God.[12]
3.2 THE SECOND TESTAMENT
The Second Testament undoubtedly reaffirms the “love of God and of neighbour” of the First Testament, and even proceeds to interpret radically. Jesus specially expresses this, in an “antithetical statement” - “it is said”, but “I tell you” (cf. Mt 5:20-40). The whole of the teachings of the Synoptic Gospels can be summarised in the greatest commandment: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your hearts, and with all your souls and with all your minds. This is the greatest and the first commandment. And the second is like it; you shall love your neighbour as yourself”.[13] The love of neighbour and even of enemies is again affirmed in the Synoptic Gospels.[14]
In the Gospel of John, this is personalised in Jesus and pronounced as his personal commandment as, “A new commandment I give to you that you love one another; even as I have loved you that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:34-35, cf. 15:9,12,17).[15] The Johannine epistles also make repeated exhortations to “love one another”.[16]
The Pauline epistles boldly assert that, “without love, a person is nothing (cf. 1Cor 13:3b), and places “love” as the greatest of the supernatural virtues (cf. 1Cor 13:13). The other writings especially the Acts of the Apostles speak of the early Christian communities of love, where the real fellowship was present (cf. Acts 2:44-45; 4:32-35). Thus the Second Testament restates the First Testament formula and emphasises that the criterion for the love of God is, “love of the other”.
04. ATTESTATIONS OF THE MAGISTERIUM
The Conciliar teachings too, basing on the biblical principle pronounce “the love of God and man”. The Dogmatic Constitution, Lumen Gentium calls everyone to holiness by, “doing the will of God in everything, everyone may wholeheartedly devote themselves to the glory and to the services of the neighbour” (LG 40).[17] It once again recalls the “double commandment of the Lord” to stress the essential content of the Christian spirituality (cf. LG 40).[18]
The Decree on the Apostolate of Laity of Vatican II, Apostolicam Actuositatem also insists this aspect, by anchoring on the gospel principle of love, as a norm for Christian spirituality (cf. AA 8).[19] It also highlights charity as the measuring rod for the disciples of Jesus; because love of neighbour is the visible sign that disciple of Christ can give to the world (cf. AA 8).[20]
The Pastoral Constitution, Gaudium et Spes, earnestly depicts the solidarity of the church with the whole human family saying: “The joy and hope, the grief and anguish of the men of our time, especially of those who are poor or afflicted in any way, are the joy and hope, the grief and anguish of the followers of Christ as well” (GS 1).[21] The inseparability of “the love of God and neighbour is repeatedly told: “Love of God and of one’s neighbour, then is the first and greatest commandment. Scripture teaches us that love of God cannot be separated from love of one’s neighbour” (GS 24).[22] Taking the lead from the teaching of Jesus, it upholds, the love of enemies as highly Christian (cf. GS 28).[23] It also spells out, that love of God must lead to transformation of the world - “Jesus reveals to us that “God is love” (1Jn 4:8), and at the same time teaches that transformation of the world, is the new commandment of love” (GS 38).[24]
The Synod of Bishops, Convenients ex Universo (Justice in the World), focuses Christ as the model of uniting man to God, and man to the other, through his action and teaching,[25] because he identified himself with the least and claimed - “As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me”.[26]
Dominicae Cenae of John Paul II, in the context of Eucharist, challenges everyone – “If our Eucharist worship is authentic, it must make us grow in awareness of the dignity of each person. The awareness of that dignity becomes the deepest motive of our relationship with our neighbour” (DC 6).[27]
05. INDIAN INVESTIGATIONS
Since Vatican II, the Indian Sub-continent has been experiencing “a sense of transition” in its reforms. Today a genuine effort is made to reconstruct the original notion of Christian spirituality (from the experience of conflict betwixt Ashramites and Social Activists), which is biblically rooted and theologically sound. This attempt is widely known as the integral spirituality – the spirituality of fullness.[28]
Integral spirituality is the reconciliation of these streams into one, because the separation has been an obstacle to the fullness of the Reign of God. Since both the dimensions are the constituents of the single inseparable reality one has no significance without the other and accordingly incomplete. Thus it is “a discovery of our true selves, rooted in the fullness, which transforms our relationship to God, to others and to the universe”.[29] It eventually “prepares everyone for the “Reign of God”- a community of all people, where everybody share the fullness of the life of God; justice, mutual respect, and goods; freedom, equality, and brotherhood. Therefore Reign of God is the activity of God, that embraces the whole universe, all peoples, the whole of history”.[30]
06. CONCLUSION
Christian Spirituality consists in the inseparable person-to-person relationship to God and man, which is highly biblical (cf. Mt 22:37-40; Mk 12:29-31; Lk 10:26-28; Jn 15:9,12,17), philosophically grounded, and theologically sound (cf. LG 1,40; GS 1,24,28,38; AA 8; DC 6). Therefore over emphasis of “an aspect” as “the whole and sole” will only bring in schools of spirituality, as it has happened in the post Vatican Indian context - the heavenly Ashramites and the worldly utopian Social Activists. Hence Christian spirituality is essentially love, directed towards God, man, even to the whole of the universe.
07. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Austin FLANNERY, O.P., (ed.), Vatican Council II, More Post Conciliar Documents, Vol.2. Bandra, Mumbai: St Pauls, 1998.
Austin FLANNERY, O.P., (ed.), Vatican Council II, The Conciliar and Post Conciliar Documents. Bandra, Mumbai: St Pauls, 1999.
Cardinal Karol WOJTYLA, The Acting Person. (trans. Andrzej POTOCKI). London: D. Reides Publishing Company, 1979.
Michael AMALADOSS, S.J., Towards Fullness–Searching For An Integral Spirituality. Bangalore: NBCLC, 1994.
THE HOLY BIBLE, Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition for India. Bangalore: The theological publications in India, 1973.
Victor MACHADO, class notes on Philosophical Anthropology.
Vincent L. PULICKAL, The Exigencies of Spiritual Direction in the Ongoing Formation of Priests in the Light of Pastores Dabo Vobis (Doctoral Thesis). Rome: 2000.
G. Robert John Kennedy, I Theology, 01.03.2001
G. Robert John Kennedy, I Theology, 01.03.2001
· This is published in UNITAS 2001, the annual magazine of St Joseph’s Seminary, Mangalore.
· This is also published in two series in Observer 2001-2002, the magazine of the Theology section, St Joseph’s Seminary, Mangalore.
[1] The term derives from the Latin “spiritualitas” an abstract term related to “spiritus”, and “spiritualis”. The equivalent Greek term is “pneuma”. cf. W.PRINCIPE, “Towards Defining spirituality”, in Studies in Religion/Sciences, 12/2 (1983): 130, in Vincent L. PULICKAL, The Exigencies of Spiritual Direction in the Ongoing Formation of Priests in the Light of Pastores Dabo Vobis (Doctoral Thesis), Rome, 2000, p.52.
[3] This statement does not imply any mystical sense. It directly refers to its true meaning, the lived relationship with God and man. The biblical expression to this is, “love of God and love of neighbour”.
[5] Cardinal Karol WOJTYLA, The Acting Person, trans. Andrzej POTOCKI, London: D. Reides Publishing Company, 1979, p.181.
They are restless, until they rest in you - St.Augustine
[10] Henceforth, all quotations are from THE HOLY BIBLE, Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition for India, Bangalore: The theological publications in India, 1973. They are immediately noted by permitted abbreviations for the particular book in the Bible.
cf. Deut 11:1,13,22; 13:3; 19:9; 30:6,16,20; Jos 22:5; 23:11.
[11] cf. Ex 20:23,34; 23:12; 31:12-17; 34:6-7,14,21; Deut 4:15-19,24; 5:11; 27:15; Lev 19:3-4; 20:10; 26:1; 19:12.
It is the explicit expression of God’s compassion for the people, which expects everyone to be concerned over the other. The decalogue imperatives-“honour your father and mother”, “not to kill”, “not to commit adultery”, “not to steal”, “not to bear false witness”, “not to covet neighbour’s wife and household”, are the highest expression of love of God, who entered into interpersonal relationship with the people of the First Testament.
[12] Prophet Hosea preached steadfast love instead of sacrifice (cf. Hos 6:6); Prophet Amos denounced feasts and celebrations, and prophesised “let justice roll down like waters” (Amos 5:21-24); Prophet Isaiah preferred charity to mere verbal exercise of prayer (cf. Is 1:15-17).
[17] Austin Flannery, O.P., (ed.), Vatican Council II, The Conciliar and Post Conciliar Documents: Lumen Gentium, Bandra, Mumbai: St Pauls, 1999, p.360.
[21] Ibid., Gaudium et Spes, p.794.
[24] Ibid., p. 823.
[25] cf. Austin Flannery, O.P., (ed.), Vatican Council II, More Post Conciliar Documents, Vol.2. Convenientes es Universo, Bandra, Mumbai: St Pauls, 1998, p.701.
[28] For further reading on this, the following could be a source book. Michael AMALADOSS, S.J., Towards Fullness–Searching For An Integral Spirituality, Bangalore: NBCLC, 1994.
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