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 PrintableVersion Spirituality old and newQuirky workoutSPIRITUALITY OLD AND NEW Spirituality, one of the buzz words of the 90s, has a somewhat slippery feel to it, acting like an invisibility cloak that conceals 1001 ideas, good, bad and ugly! It was, therefore, with a mixture of interest and caution that I began to read this relatively slim volume by Donald Bloesch; a highly regarded and prolific systematic theologian. The author defines spirituality as, ‘inseparable from theology. Indeed, it could be defined as living out of theology’. In a Schaeffer-like echo, Bloesch talks of ‘true spirituality’. I guess we are all interested in that. Bloesch’s method is to reflect on three distinct streams of spirituality, which he compares and contrasts. There is no suggestion that these streams have equal merits; rather that we tend to shape our spirituality within a crowded marketplace of ideas. The three streams explored by Bloesch are: Mystical Religion, Biblical Religion, A New Spiritual Vision (Secular Mysticism). Negative commentsThis is a brief book; at times this leaves the reader wanting a little bit more. In part this apparent deficiency is offset by ample pointers to other resources that can provide a fuller and more detailed picture. Some readers may baulk at the choice of conversation partners used by Bloesch in this book: Barth, Kierkegaard, Therese of Lisieux, etc. Positive commentsThe strength behind this book’s brevity is that a lot of ground is covered quickly; this author does not waste words. What we have here is a Google Earth snapshot of the terrain rather than an Ordinance Survey Map. There is also some value in using such a wide sweep of thinkers to highlight ‘true spirituality’. It is an important reminder that evangelical spirituality has been challenged, nourished and developed by a multitude of diverse voices. Bloesch seems to take the view that if a theologian has something true and valuable to say, they should be heard regardless of other things they might say or not say. In summary, this somewhat quirky book provides a brisk intellectual work out on the subject of spirituality. Bloesch has managed to write a book of contemporary relevance; a book that could serve as a useful primer on the subject for pastors or students. Bloesch manages to combine a firm commitment to a spirituality firmly rooted in scripture with a willingness to be honestly self-critical of the traditional within which he stands. That is a rare combination today; it may well be worth reading the book, if only to observe that rare quality! John Woods,
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