Cultivating Self-Control: Foundations and Methods in the Christian Theological Tradition

In the New Testament the concept of self-control or voluntary restraint of one’s desires is highlighted as a “fruit of the Spirit,” a trait of the spiritually mature, and a hallmark of Christian leadership. But as a Christian virtue, self-control is a product of spiritual discipline, a trait for which the Christian must engage in “strict training.” This biblical theme has inspired a long history of Christian moral-spiritual practices aimed at cultivating self-mastery or strength of will. Here I discuss several of these as found in the writings of the Desert Fathers, Augustine of Hippo, Julian of Norwich, Thomas Aquinas, John Calvin, Thomas à Kempis, and John Wesley. Despite their theological diversity, these Christian thinkers are united in the belief that self-control can and ought to be intentionally nurtured via the systematic practice of self-denial.

Formasi Rohani

Building intimacy with God is a necessity. Spiritual growth is an acknowledgment of God's weaknesses and grace. An open heart that accepts Christ will be open to those whom Christ has received. The three aspects of Daniel's decision are following God wholeheartedly, establishing a position from the beginning of his life, and Daniel's victory is preparation. The routine time and discipline of spiritual practice must be emphasized by Christians and the beauty of the Christian life. We don't always appreciate growing in grace. the authors conducted a study with a type of qualitative descriptive study. Growth in grace and divine obedience grows in God's favor. Sometimes we replace true spiritual growth with other things that are considered important. We shine from the fruit of the Spirit that is produced to glorify our Father. Obedience is in the life of Jesus to understand all of His works. Application of a life of growth in moral obedience through His understanding of the word of God. Knowledge and understanding of the word of God will always lead us in the life of the Christian faith. Growth in Christian life by enjoying meditation about the greatness of His love.

Spirit baptism and the doctrine of initial evidence in African Pentecostal Christianity: A critical analysis

Pentecostalism is known for the belief in Spirit baptism that is accompanied by the doctrine of initial evidence, that is, speaking in tongues. The practice of the doctrine of initial evidence has become a unique feature of Pentecostalism for many years since its beginning. Similarly, Spirit baptism and the doctrine of initial evidence are practised in African Pentecostal Christianity, especially in classical Pentecostal churches and charismatic movements. However, there are challenges with this doctrine: speaking in tongues is perceived as the only evidence, and there is an emphasis on gifts than fruit of the Holy Spirit and a great emphasis on public spiritual experiences than personal encounters with God. In re-imagining the doctrine of initial evidence in African Pentecostal Christianity, speaking in tongues should not be emphasised or practised as the only evidence of Spirit baptism because there are other evidences that demonstrate the baptism in the Holy Spirit. The emphasis should be on prayer than the speaking of tongues. In addition, priority should be given to the fruit of the Spirit and on a personal encounter with God. Finally, speaking in tongues should be accompanied by interpretation in a public service because the public cannot understand the language.

Joy as a Virtue: The Means and Ends of Joy

To grasp human flourishing and thriving, we must understand joy. However, no theoretical models explain the complexity of joy as a fruit of the Spirit, nor fully account for its impact on human life. We suggest that joy is best conceptualized as a virtue, a psychological habit, comprised of characteristic adaptations and given meaning by transcendent narrative identity. Thus joy involves knowing, feeling, and enacting what matters most. Developmental science and Christian theological approaches to teleology inform the ultimate ends to which joy is aimed. They suggest that telos, the purpose or goal of development, may be understood as a dynamic process that perpetuates human and social thriving and involves (1) the growing self, (2) mutually beneficial relationships, and (3) evolving moral guidelines that ensure an ongoing fit and flourishing of self and society. We synthesize developmental psychology, virtue science, and theology to propose a definition and framework for understanding the development of joy through thriving. In order to promote scholarship on joy and to elucidate its transformative nature, we discuss joy in light of discipleship, vocation, suffering, justice, and eschatology and identify issues for research.

Against Such Things There is No Law: Evangelical College Students’ Perceptions of the Fruit of the Spirit as Primarily Gendered

Although it is clear in Scripture that Christian spiritual growth includes the development of godly characteristics like those outlined in Galatians 5, anecdotal evidence suggests that people view some spiritual characteristics as primarily feminine in nature. In a series of three studies, evangelical Christian college students evaluated gender stereotypes interspersed with characteristics commonly described as “the Fruit of the Spirit” from Galatians 5. Despite a variety of methodological approaches, students consistently rated the Fruit of the Spirit as primarily descriptive of women. Implications of these results for broader issues of gender stereotyping and Christian life are discussed.

Spiritual renewal and the healing of creation

This article is a biblical exploration of the interplay between spiritual renewal of the people of God and the spirit’s work of renewing and healing creation. On the flip side, it highlights the biblical theme of environmental distress as a consequence of human disobedience. Beginning with God’s social covenant with Israel, the article moves to a primary focus on ecological texts in the book of Isaiah. Isaiah’s vision encompasses climactic catastrophes, the plight of animal species, the integrity and pollution of the soil, deforestation, and the languishing and flourishing of the entire created order. Isaiah’s pneumatology uniquely portrays the work of the Creator Spirit as one of renewing and breathing new life into a suffering world. This article offers a fresh exegesis of the ecological texts of Isaiah and considers a number of practical implications for mission in light of the environmental challenges particularly unique to Canada’s province of Alberta. It concludes by charting some of the ways people who exhibit the fruit of the spirit might alter their lifestyles and contribute to the spirit’s work of healing creation.

The Unconstructable Earth

The Space Age is over? Not at all! A new planet has appeared: Earth. In the age of the Anthropocene, the Earth is a post-natural planet that can be remade at will, controlled and managed thanks to the prowess of geoengineering. This new imaginary is also accompanied by a new kind of power—geopower—which takes the entire Earth—in its social, biological and geophysical dimensions—as an object of knowledge, intervention, and governmentality. Far from merely being the fruit of the spirit of geo-capitalism, this new grand narrative has been championed by the theorists of the constructivist turn (be them ecomodernist, postenvironmentalist, or accelerationist to name a few) who have also called into question the great divide between nature and culture; but in the aftermath of the collapse of this divide, a cyborg, hybrid, flexible nature was built, an impoverished nature that does not exist without being performed by the technologies, human needs, and capitalist imperatives. Underneath this performative vision resides a hidden “a-naturalism” denying all otherness to nature and the Earth, no longer by externalizing it as a thing to be dominated, but by radically internalizing it as something to be digested. Constructivist ecology can hardly present itself in opposition to the geo-constructivist project, which also claims that there is no nature and that nothing will prevent human beings from replacing Earth with an Earth 2.0.