
Perceiving Things Divine
Towards a Constructive Account of Spiritual Perception
Oxford University Press
Published on 6. January 2022
Book
Hardback
268 pages
978-0-19-880259-4 (ISBN)
Description
Sensory language is commonly used to describe human encounters with the divine. Scripture, for example, employs perceptual language like 'taste and see that the Lord is good', 'hear the word of the Lord', and promises that 'the pure in heart will see God'. Such statements seem to point to certain features of human cognition that make perception-like contact with divine things possible. But how precisely should these statements be construed? Can the elusive notion of 'spiritual perception' survive rigorous theological and philosophical scrutiny and receive a constructive articulation?
Perceiving Things Divine seeks to make philosophical and theological sense of spiritual perception. Reflecting the results of the second phase of the Spiritual Perception Project, this volume argues for the possibility of spiritual perception. It also seeks to make progress towards a constructive account of the different aspects of spiritual perception while exploring its intersection with various theological and philosophical themes, such as biblical interpretation, aesthetics, liturgy, race, ecology, eschatology, and the hiddenness of God. The interdisciplinary scope of the volume draws on the resources of value theory, philosophy of perception, epistemology, philosophy of art, psychology, systematic theology, and theological aesthetics.
The volume also draws attention to how spiritual perception may be affected by such distortions as pornographic sensibility and racial prejudice. Since perceiving spiritually involves the whole person, the volume proposes that spiritual perception could be purified by ascetic discipline, healed by contemplative practices, trained in the process of spiritual direction and the pursuit of virtue, transformed by the immersion in the sacramental life, and healed by opening the self to the operation of divine grace.
Perceiving Things Divine seeks to make philosophical and theological sense of spiritual perception. Reflecting the results of the second phase of the Spiritual Perception Project, this volume argues for the possibility of spiritual perception. It also seeks to make progress towards a constructive account of the different aspects of spiritual perception while exploring its intersection with various theological and philosophical themes, such as biblical interpretation, aesthetics, liturgy, race, ecology, eschatology, and the hiddenness of God. The interdisciplinary scope of the volume draws on the resources of value theory, philosophy of perception, epistemology, philosophy of art, psychology, systematic theology, and theological aesthetics.
The volume also draws attention to how spiritual perception may be affected by such distortions as pornographic sensibility and racial prejudice. Since perceiving spiritually involves the whole person, the volume proposes that spiritual perception could be purified by ascetic discipline, healed by contemplative practices, trained in the process of spiritual direction and the pursuit of virtue, transformed by the immersion in the sacramental life, and healed by opening the self to the operation of divine grace.
Reviews / Votes
This is a rich and stimulating collection, which deserves to be widely read. * Rik Van Nieuwenhove, International Journal of Systematic Theology * Readers and students interested in what it means to live and think as a Christian in the age after secularism or materialism will find much to appreciate in these pages. . . . The authors take a salutary approach to intertwining doctrinal, biblical, metaphysical, epistemological, phenomenological, and ethical perspectives - recognizing the value of each and the hazards of leaving out any one of them. * Alex Fogleman, Reading Religion * Perceiving Things Divine offers a spiritual vision that does not lead one to avoid the world seen with our eyes, but invites the reader to have eyes to see this world as one beheld by God. Scholars doing work in spiritual formation, the visual, and aesthetics will all find this to be both important and meaningful for their work. * Adam Brown, Journal of Spiritual Formation and Soul Care * This is a rich and stimulating collection, which deserves to be widely read. * Rik Van Nieuwenhove, International Journal of Systematic Theology *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 236 mm
Width: 162 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
540 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-880259-4 (9780198802594)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Frederick D. Aquino | Paul L. Gavrilyuk
Perceiving Things Divine
Towards a Constructive Account of Spiritual Perception
E-Book
01/2022
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€62.99
Available for download

Frederick D. Aquino | Paul L. Gavrilyuk
Perceiving Things Divine
Towards a Constructive Account of Spiritual Perception
E-Book
12/2021
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€62.99
Available for download
Persons
Frederick D. Aquino is Professor of Theology and Philosophy at the Graduate School of Theology, Abilene Christian University. He specializes in religious epistemology, the epistemology of theology, John Henry Newman, and Maximus the Confessor. He is the co-editor of The Oxford Handbook of John Henry Newman (2018), The Oxford Handbook of the Epistemology of Theology (2017), and Receptions of Newman (2015).
Paul Gavrilyuk holds the Aquinas Chair in Theology and Philosophy at the University of St Thomas. He specializes in Greek patristics, modern Orthodox theology, and philosophy of religion. His publications include Georges Florovsky and the Russian Religious Renaissance (2013) and The Suffering of the Impassible God (2004).
Paul Gavrilyuk holds the Aquinas Chair in Theology and Philosophy at the University of St Thomas. He specializes in Greek patristics, modern Orthodox theology, and philosophy of religion. His publications include Georges Florovsky and the Russian Religious Renaissance (2013) and The Suffering of the Impassible God (2004).
Editor
Professor of Theology and PhilosophyProfessor of Theology and Philosophy, Graduate School of Theology, Abilene Christian University, US
Aquinas Chair in Theology and PhilosophyAquinas Chair in Theology and Philosophy, Theology Department, University of St. Thomas, US
Content
Part I: Facets
1: John Greco: The Possibility of Spiritual Perception: Objections and Replies
2: Paul L. Gavrilyuk: Developing Spiritual Perception: Lessons from Claude Monet and Wassily Kandinsky
3: Frederick D. Aquino: Training Spiritual Perception: A Constructive Look at John Cassian
4: Mark Spencer: Value Perception and Spiritual Perception in Max Scheler
5: William J. Abraham: Radical Evil and Spiritual Perception
6: Boyd Taylor Coolman: Spiritual and Sensuous: Spiritual Perception, Eschatologically Considered
Part II: Intersections
7: Sameer Yadav: Scripture as Signpost: A Perceptual Paradigm of Biblical Interpretation
8: Catherine Pickstock: Spiritual Perception and Liturgy
9: Boyd Taylor Coolman: Sensus Christi: A Liturgico-Sacramental Therapy for a Pornographic Sensibility
10: Sarah Coakley: Spiritual Perception and the Racist Gaze: Can Contemplation Shift Racism?
11: Paul K. Moser: Divine Hiddenness, Agape Conviction, and Spiritual Discernment
12: Douglas E. Christie: Healed and Whole Forever: Spiritual Perception in Nature
13: Mark McInroy: Spiritual Perception and Beauty: On Looking and Letting Appear
John Cottingham: Afterword
1: John Greco: The Possibility of Spiritual Perception: Objections and Replies
2: Paul L. Gavrilyuk: Developing Spiritual Perception: Lessons from Claude Monet and Wassily Kandinsky
3: Frederick D. Aquino: Training Spiritual Perception: A Constructive Look at John Cassian
4: Mark Spencer: Value Perception and Spiritual Perception in Max Scheler
5: William J. Abraham: Radical Evil and Spiritual Perception
6: Boyd Taylor Coolman: Spiritual and Sensuous: Spiritual Perception, Eschatologically Considered
Part II: Intersections
7: Sameer Yadav: Scripture as Signpost: A Perceptual Paradigm of Biblical Interpretation
8: Catherine Pickstock: Spiritual Perception and Liturgy
9: Boyd Taylor Coolman: Sensus Christi: A Liturgico-Sacramental Therapy for a Pornographic Sensibility
10: Sarah Coakley: Spiritual Perception and the Racist Gaze: Can Contemplation Shift Racism?
11: Paul K. Moser: Divine Hiddenness, Agape Conviction, and Spiritual Discernment
12: Douglas E. Christie: Healed and Whole Forever: Spiritual Perception in Nature
13: Mark McInroy: Spiritual Perception and Beauty: On Looking and Letting Appear
John Cottingham: Afterword