English Spirituality

An Outline of Ascetical Theology According to the English Pastoral Tradition

Wipf and Stock Publishers

199 W 8th Ave, Suite 3

Eugene, OR 97401

English Spirituality

An Outline of Ascetical Theology According to the English Pastoral Tradition

By Thornton, Martin

Copyright©1986 by Thornton, Martin

ISBN 13: 978-1-62032-053-2

Publication date 1/23/2012

Previously published by Cowley Publications, 1986

with affection

and gratitude to

the dean

faculty

students and

alumni of

the general

theological seminary

new york

CONTENTS

preface

part one: preliminary surveys

1. The Pastoral Situation To-day

i. The demand for Spiritual Guidance

ii. Social Factors in Modern Religion

iii. The Spiritual Temper of the Age

iv. Spiritual Theology in the Church To-day

v. The Ecumenical Movement

2. The Meaning and Purpose of Ascetical Theology

i. Terminology

ii. Ascetical Theology

iii. The Use of Ascetical Theology

iv. The Reading and Writing of Ascetical Theology

3. Spirituality and the New Testament

i. The Open Bible

ii. The Biblical Basis of the Ascetical Categories

iii. Minor Ascetical Classifications

iv. The Sermon on the Mount: An Experiment in “Ascetical Thinking”

v. The Fourth Gospel: An Experiment in Ascetical-Theology

4. The English School: Its Development and Character

i. The Catholic Schools of Spirituality

ii. The Development of the English School

iii. The English School and the Creed

iv. The Character of the English School

v. Dangers in the English School

vi. Omissions from Catholic Spirituality

vii. “The English Temperament”

part two: the english school: patristic and medieval development

5. Catholic Ascetic: St Augustine

i. The Origins of Catholic Ascetic

ii. St Augustine’s “Occasional” Theology

iii. Basic Principles

iv. Manichaeism

v. Donatism

vi. Pelagianism

vii. Curiosities and Conclusions

6. St Benedict

i. The Catholic Rule

ii. The Doctrine of the Church Militant

iii. The Counsels

iv. The Daily Minutiae

v. The Benedictine Spirit

7. The Cistercian Reform: St Bernard

i. Affective Christology: De Diligendo Deo

ii. The Blessed Virgin and St Joseph

iii. De Consideratione and Holy Scripture

iv. Puritanism

v. The Double Development of Cistercian Spirituality

8. William of St Thierry

i. Psychology

ii. “External” and “Internal” Faith

iii. Oboedientia Necessitatis and Oboedientia Caritatis

iv. The Eucharist

v. Moral Theology

vi. The Speculative—Affective Synthesis

vii. The Eremitical Ideal

viii. St Aelred of Rievaulx

note: The Authorship and Validity of the “Golden Epistle”

9. The School of St Victor

i. The Austin Canons Regular

ii. The School of St Victor

iii. The Ascetical Theology of Hugh of St Victor

iv. Richard of St Victor

10. The Franciscans

i. St Francis of Assisi

ii. St Bonaventure

iii. Conclusion

11. St Thomas Aquinas

i. Creation

ii. Man and Perfection

iii. The Ascetical Map

iv. Temptation and the Passions

v. Moral Theory

vi. Further Dominican Ascetic

12. Conclusion ...