Now-a-days the term spirituality is said so often and by so many that its true meaning has become diluted. Therefore, I thought it would be interesting this summer to conduct a series on what scholars, theologians, or biblical experts have shared about spirituality, prayer, faith, and other foundational aspects of Christianity that may have lost its meaning or significance over time.
To start off our series I found an interesting article that was written by Dr. Walter Harrelson who served as Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Old Testament at Vanderbilt Divinity School, Nashville, Tennessee, and adjunct professor in the Divinity School of Wake Forest University in Winston Salem, North Carolina. He wrote several books and many articles on the Old Testament, as well as on religion and worship.
One of his articles titled The Biblical Understanding of Spirituality which was written in 1963 shares the following:
“The term spirituality as applied to biblical faith is here understood to refer to that relationship between God and man that can be summed up under four headings:
- holiness
- the gift of the Spirit
- life in the Spirit
- and the discipline of the Spirit
Essentially, what Harrelson is sharing with us is that our spirituality is what connects us to God in the form of a relationship and that relationship is anchored in faith. And for those who choose to develop a relationship, they are blessed with the four aspects noted above.
Please know that I’ve only shared a small excerpt from his 12 page article just to start our conversation on the meaning of spirituality. However. if you are interested in reading more simply click on this link The Biblical Understanding of Spirituality.
You can look forward to another #MeaningfulMonday next week as we continue to explore more on the meaning of spirituality, faith, prayer and other foundational Christian aspects.
