When I studied theology in preparation for ordination, there were two basic approaches to the subject. One, ‘from above’, began with revelation—what God had chosen to reveal to us—above all in scripture. The other, ‘from below’, started with human experience, for instance in prayer or in the encounter with the natural world, to discover what could be learnt about God in that way. In fact, most developed theologies draw on elements of both approaches, even if the proportions of each vary. But typically individuals, groups and even whole Churches show a preference for one over the other. As a journal, The Way more frequently starts from ‘below’ than ‘above’. Its mission statement, found inside the front cover of each issue, presents it as ‘a forum in which thoughtful Christians … can reflect on God’s continuing action in human experience’.
Robin Daniels, ‘Obstacles to Good Listening’, 7–18
Robin Daniels worked for four decades as a Jungian analyst. Since his recent death his widow, Katherine, has been preparing a manuscript he wrote, entitled Heart to Heart Listening, for publication. In this extract Daniels invites the reader to reflect on what constitutes ‘good’ listening, the obstacles that hinder this, and how it might best be put into practice.
Marion Morgan, ‘Mary: A New Perspective’, 19–25
For those who come to it first as adults, the devotion offered to Mary, the mother of Jesus, in some parts of the Christian Church can seem excessive, even bordering on the blasphemous. In this article Marion Morgan traces the development of her own relationship with Mary, which has grown from tentative beginnings to an appreciation of her as mother and as a female role model.
Anonymous, ‘Praying the Rosary’, 26–36
A set of rosary beads can be seen as a quintessential feature of traditional Roman Catholicism, partially eclipsed by new prayers and devotions growing up after the Second Vatican Council, yet always available for rediscovery. In this article an anonymous author describes what the rosary has meant to her over many years, and how the practice might be further developed.
Robert E. Doud, ‘Anne Carr, Sparrows and the Spirituality of Providence’, 37–47
Talking about the providence of the God whom he knew as Abba, Father, Jesus used the image of a single sparrow whose death does not escape the divine notice. For Anne Carr, a US theologian and teacher who suffered from a recurrent brain tumour, this was a
Dominique Salin, ‘Michel de Certeau and the Spirituality of St Ignatius’, 48–57
Michel de Certeau was, Dominique Salin claims, ‘one of the five most outstanding Jesuits of the twentieth century’. Originally a historian of spirituality, he later combined this with studies in psychoanalysis, sociology and semiotics. For a number of years he edited Christus, the journal in which this article was first published. It traces the influence of Ignatian spirituality on his thought.
Yaaro Lesjay, ‘Breaking Down the Dividing Wall’, 58–73
In the Our Father Jesus encourages us to ask that our sins may be forgiven ‘as we forgive those who trespass against us’. Even in situations of abundant good will, it may be decades before such forgiveness can firmly take root. Yaaro Lesjay uses an imagined dialogue between a priest and a theologian to describe what such a process of coming to reconciliation might look like.
Joseph Bracken, ‘Personal Resurrection into the Mystical Body of Christ’, 75–87
In recent decades Christians have frequently been criticized for focusing on personal salvation to the detriment of corporate engagement in combatting social evil. Joseph Bracken uses St Paul’s image of the Mystical Body of Christ to argue for a more communitarian understanding of life after death, with sharp implications for The Way in which Christian discipleship is lived here and now.
Oscar Momanyi, ‘On Foot with St Ignatius of Loyola: My Experience of the Camino Ignaciano’, 88–95
In recent years a new pilgrimage route, the Camino Ignaciano, has been developed in northern Spain to complement the better-known Camino de Santiago. Such routes can be walked in different ways: as a holiday-maker, for the sake of fitness, or as a spiritu
Una Canning, ‘The Question of Miracles: A Case for Evidence Based Medicine?’, 97–110
In much of the contemporary world, science offers the paradigm of reliable knowledge. The occurrence of miracles, which, by definition, fall beyond the realm of science, challenges this paradigm. Here Una Canning, a public health analyst, offers a personal exploration of how these two different ways of looking at the world might be brought into fruitful conversation.