Christian ProficiencyBooks are rarely written for Christians "proficient" in spirituality--those who are neither beginners nor advanced in their lives of prayer. Finally back in print, Christian Proficiency is a valuable handbook to those laypersons that have reached that point in their development where they need guidance and direction to make further progress in their spiritual proficiency. Martin Thornton offers articulate insights on: Developing a discipline of spirituality, a rule of life as a framework for prayer Choosing a confessor The pitfalls of aridity, distraction, and the problem of being over-scrupulous The "mechanics" of prayer Essential terms in spirituality (see the Glossary in the back of the book) The crucial importance of spiritual direction Making retreats |
Contents
Proficiency in Christian Tradition | 3 |
The Christian Framework | 17 |
Spiritual Direction | 24 |
Recollection | 46 |
Mental Prayer | 53 |
Selfexamination and Confession | 108 |
Some Aids and Advantages | 121 |
Some Difficulties and Dangers | 129 |
Contingency in Modern Life | 142 |
Christian Maturity in the World | 155 |
14 | 171 |
Glossary | 177 |
| 197 | |
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Common terms and phrases
Adoration Anglican antinomian Apollinarianism Arianism aridity ascetical theology Baptism become Body of Christ Capital sins chapter Christian Christian Proficient Christology Church colloquy common communion confessor corporate creative devotion direction divine doctrine Don Camillo Dr Mascall efficient emotion eternal Eucharist evangelical counsels evangelism experience fact faith Father faults feeling gifts give glorified God’s grace heaven heresy Holy human nature humanity of Christ Ignatius Loyola implies intercession Jesus liturgy living look Lord Lord’s MANICHAEISM Mass maturity means meditation mental prayer modern moral theology never normal Office ordinary paradox parish priest particular Pelagianism Penance penitence perfect practical Prayer of Quiet presence principle private prayer progress Puritan reason redemption Regular relation religion religious Rule sacramental Saints scrupulosity seems sense soul spiritual director St Ignatius St Teresa thanksgiving things tion tradition Trinity truth virtue whole word worldly worry worship wrong