An Outline of New Testament Spirituality
Overview
It has become commonplace in contemporary culture to divorce spirituality from religion and regard the two as separate, competing entities. Yet Prosper Grech, an Augustinian father and professor of early Christian literature, recognizes no such distinction. The Christian religion, he finds, is infused with spirituality—which he defines not in a New Age sense but rather as the believer's full response to God's offer of salvation in Christ." In this book, Grech presents the essential spiritual themes of Christian belief for meditation by any who seek to live out their Christian faith in its fullness.
Key Features
- Examines the central themes for mediation of the New Testament
- Focuses on allowing the text of Scripture to speak for itself
- Aims to help readers respond to God gift in Christ with love and discernment
Contents
- Deliverance: From What? For Whom?
- Response to the Old Testament Covenant: An Inherited Piety
- Response to the Gift of the Kingdom: Jesus
- Response to the Paschal Mystery: The Pauline Tradition
- Response to the Light: John
- Response to Christ’s Presence in History: Acts and Revelation
Top Highlights
“The fundamental biblical doctrine in answer to the second question is that humanity is unable to save itself by its own strength unless God stretches out an arm to lift up humans from their misery. Self-sufficiency is the negation of faith as much as fatalism is the surrender of initiative and responsibility.” (Page 10)
“‘Flesh’ is the whole human person under the aspect of weakness, as opposed to ‘spirit,’ which can mean either the life-giving breath within us or a supernatural power given to some in definite circumstances.” (Page 92)
We are all attached to life and well-being and continually menaced by various evils” (Page 1)
“Scripture defines the human being in relation to God” (Page 2)
“Yet these existential ills of humanity are not recounted for their own sake, but only as a contrast to God’s saving love; God is the ultimate redeemer.” (Page 3)
Praise for the Print Edition
Those who love the word of God and especially those who have a fair degree of familiarity with it will relish this book.
—Mission Today
A rich and illuminating interpretation of the biblical vision.
—Bible Today
A well-written, easy to read book on living out Christ's call. I welcome it to a permanent place on my bookshelf.
—Catholic Book Review
About Cardinal Prosper Grech
Cardinal Propsero Grech was born in Malta in 1925. He served as a gunner inthe Royal Malta Artillery in World War II. He joined the Order of Augustine in 1943 and was ordained as a priest in Roman in 1950. Over the course of his ministry, he served as a lecture in the Augustinian Theological College, serve both Pop John XXIII and Pope Paul VI. He has authored a number of publications on Scripture, hermeneutics, and the Church Fathers. In 2012, Pope Benedict XVI made him a Cardinal along with 21 others. He was the first of the Augustinian order to be made a Cardinal in 111 years.