Spiritual Friend

Rating:
Summary: Kataphatics Beware!
Review: The plain, old, everyday, ordinary Church is apparently not yet good enough for Tilden Edwards. Especially the kataphatic Western Church with all of its pesky conceptualizing and polarizing. What it awaits is the fulness wrought from a syncretism in which the rational kataphatic tradition of the West is yoked with the mystical apophatic tradition of the East -- and both of these are joined in union with the cosmic Christ -- the unifying Truth behind the plain, old, everyday ordinary Christ. Until such a unity is achieved, the Church will neither be true "religion" or an "integrating force in society." Edwards ambitious project of "reclaiming spiritual direction" for the American church (described in detail in this book) is driven and shaped by this vision of a kataphatic-ataphatic-cosmic syncretism. Ironically, Edwards' analysis of the state of the church is itself a highly conceptual, critical, rational piece of work. But it sets up a "straw man" in my opinion The Western church was never really bereft of mysticism, and there are strains of the apophatic in even the Reformed Tradition. Maybe I am a hopeless kataphatic, maybe I am incurable Barthian evangelical who just cant stand gnosticism. I'm not sure. I do know how to "bone my fish" though, and so, while I disagree with Edwards' analysis and his starting point, I nevertheless find the book valuable in places. His discussion of the Eternal Rhythm of Sabbath and Service is a word that our society needs to hear. We are frantically busy, over-booked, driven, tired and worn out. We do not receive Sabbath as a gift from God. We "give" spurious sabbaths to ourselves once all our work is done. We read Edwards' description of Sabbath at the Zalman's house, and admire it from afar - like looking at a travel poster of a tropical island paradise, knowing that we will never be able to afford to go there ourselves. Abraham Joshua Heschel's insights on the Sabbath (pp. 74- 75) are worth the price of this whole book.

Rating:
Summary: Kataphatics Beware!
Review: Tilden Edwards is a tallented writer and well educated spiritual leader in Christianity. He is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Divinity School. Part I of the book titled, "Background", although well intended, served more to show off Edwards' ability to use big words than to provide an understandable background for "Spiritual Friend". My eyes bled for other regualr folks like me who are intersted in the topic but had to tread through section one for nuggets to hold on to (or, for which to hold). The background section does make good observations as to the need of, and establishes the diffrernce between a "spiritual friend" and a therapist or physician. It also points out how modern psychology has helped to refine the art. He identifies Christian's need for spiritual guidance that cannot be met by traditional forms of counseling or therapy. As he puts it, "All of us , being human, need to see and touch the emperor's clothes for a foundation of security in facing the uncontrolable mystery." A spiritual friend or guide exists to nurture others to reconciliation with God. I think getting people to understand the difference between a spiritual friend or guide and say a pastoral counselor, will still be difficult. People will have problems knowing which one to go to and I wonder if individuals in the couseling or theraputic professions know when to refer someone to a "friend". If I read the book again, I will skip part I, refer to it for a few definitions and then maybe I will be abel to dig down deep enough to trust someone with my deepest "spiritual" concerns. rc

Rating:
Summary: Spiritual Fiend
Review: Tilden Edwards is a tallented writer and well educated spiritual leader in Christianity. He is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Divinity School. Part I of the book titled, "Background", although well intended, served more to show off Edwards' ability to use big words than to provide an understandable background for "Spiritual Friend". My eyes bled for other regualr folks like me who are intersted in the topic but had to tread through section one for nuggets to hold on to (or, for which to hold). The background section does make good observations as to the need of, and establishes the diffrernce between a "spiritual friend" and a therapist or physician. It also points out how modern psychology has helped to refine the art. He identifies Christian's need for spiritual guidance that cannot be met by traditional forms of counseling or therapy. As he puts it, "All of us , being human, need to see and touch the emperor's clothes for a foundation of security in facing the uncontrolable mystery." A spiritual friend or guide exists to nurture others to reconciliation with God. I think getting people to understand the difference between a spiritual friend or guide and say a pastoral counselor, will still be difficult. People will have problems knowing which one to go to and I wonder if individuals in the couseling or theraputic professions know when to refer someone to a "friend". If I read the book again, I will skip part I, refer to it for a few definitions and then maybe I will be abel to dig down deep enough to trust someone with my deepest "spiritual" concerns. rc