Spiritual Theology: A Systematic Study of the Christian Life

by Simon Chan

Publisher:

IVP Academic

, 1998

Overview

Theology is “the doctrine of living unto God,” wrote the Puritan theologian William Ames. Unfortunately, post-Enlightenment theology has tended to divorce “doctrine” from “living unto God.” And to the degree that this split has been deepened and perpetuated, both theology and spirituality have been impoverished. Spiritual Theology is a rare book. In it, Simon Chan surveys the little-explored landscape where systematic theology and godly praxis meet, highlighting the connections between Christian doctrine and Christian living and drawing out the spiritual implications of particular aspects of systematic theology. Allowing rational formulations to drop into the background, he brings the mystery of the faith to the fore. Chan begins with the principal doctrines of God, sin, salvation and the church. He then progresses to a reflective consideration of the practice of the spiritual life, from prayer to spiritual direction. Unabashedly evangelical and truly ecumenical, Chan grounds his exploration in the sources of the Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox traditions. His work is well abreast of contemporary theological currents and cross-culturally conversant from an Asian perspective. Spiritual Theology is a book for those who care deeply about theology and spirituality and strive to integrate the two. It is well worth careful reflection and prayerful reading.

Contents

Top Highlights

“But Christlikeness has to do with the development of virtues that can occur in any personality type, while spirituality has to do with living out the spiritual life in accordance with each person’s makeup, nature and gifts. An extrovert may have no less love than an introvert but may express the virtue differently.” (Page 21)

“Thus spiritual theology stands between systematic theology and Christian praxis.” (Page 20)

“In short, true theology arises from personal experience of God in Jesus Christ, and reflecting on that experience leads to a deeper experiential knowledge of God. The one who is engaged in ‘an exact tracing of the glory of God’ will be affected by that glory, which inevitably elicits praise. True theology is always doxological.” (Pages 16–17)

“To describe spiritual theology as ascetical implies that systematic and disciplined spiritual exercises constitute the primary means of spiritual development.” (Page 19)

“Spiritual theology seeks to understand spiritual growth from beginning to end, making use of biblical and experiential data.” (Page 18)

Product Details

• Title: Spiritual Theology: A Systematic Study of the Christian Life
• Author: Simon Chan
• Publisher: IVP Academic
• Print Publication Date: 1998
• Logos Release Date: 2018
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subjects: Christian life; Spirituality
• ISBNs: 9780830876990, 0830876990, 0830814374, 0830876995
• Resource ID: LLS:SPIRITUALTHEOL
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-30T03:05:35Z

About Simon Chan

Dr Simon Chan is a Christian theologian, who is the Earnest Lau Professor of Systematic Theology and Dean of Studies (Ag) at Trinity Theological College, Singapore. He is the author of: Man & Sin, Pentecostal Theology & Christian Spiritual Tradition, Liturgical Theology and Spiritual Theology. He edits the Trinity Theological Journal. His denomination is Assemblies of God.