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Who, from a scientific perspective, could possibly accept the idea of a virgin birth, or any of Christ's miracles, much less his death and resurrection? Only a child, or a Christian possessed of a considerable degree of discernment.
This enthralling book reveals how we may develop from childhood innocence to spiritual maturity, via a series of psychological stages, through constant (but often unconscious) communication with the Holy Spirit.
Growth will most often occur through adversity and the emotional healing that accompanies acceptance of God's Will. Such experiences encourage the letting go of juvenile attachments and aversions, so we are free to live with increasing spontaneity 'in the moment' - wiser, and more compassionately attuned to the sufferings of others.
1 Much ado about something 5
Something or nothing? 5
Shakespeare's genius 6
The arc of life 8
'Unitary' thinking 10
The Holy Trinity as an arithmetic problem 11
Truth 13
Maturity 14
Does the Holy Spirit exist? 16
Notes 21
2 Members of the body of Christ 22
Flesh and spirit 22
Five seamless dimensions 22
The spirit within 29
The body of human knowledge 31
The divided brain 33
Notes 41
3 Growing through adversity 43
The challenge 43
Natural laws 44
The psychology of emotions 46
What is it like in heaven? 51
Attachment, threat, loss, grieving and healing 53
Growth 56
The nature of belief 58
The psychology of sin and repentance 60
Notes 63
4 The arc of life 65
Going with nature's flow 65
Traffic lights 65
Psychologist pioneers 68
The value of a map 72
The bottom line 74
Trajectories 75
Lady Luck - a story 77
Fatal attraction 79
Changing trajectory 81
Stages of spiritual development 82
A scientific revolution 85
Notes 86
5 Childhood spirituality 88
Suffering little children 88
Maternal love 90
Holy Baptism 91
Conditioning 93
Feeling unlovable 94
Children as teachers 97
The miracle of rain and other stories 97
Investigating childhood spirituality 100
More types of children’s spiritual experience 103
Fading spirituality 107
Meaning-of-life priorities 109
Transition and getting stuck 110
Notes 111
6 Adolescent religion 113
Tribal origins 113
Conforming - into a comfort zone 118
Religion's big mistakes 121
The problems of rigidity 123
The Amish experience 124
No one can do the spiritual work of another 127
The psychology of transition 128
The dangers of liberal alternatives 131
The individual stage - responsibility and the threat of isolation 132
Notes 136
7 Turnaround 137
Ambivalence 137
Secularism’s big mistake 139
Contemplation 140
The example of Thomas Merton 142
Turnaround 146
Post-traumatic growth 148
The homecoming journey 152
New priorities 154
Notes 156
8 Mature faith 159
Universality 159
The paradox of darkness 161
The case of Etty Hillesum 163
Heaven and hell 165
The life, death and resurrection of Jesus 167
Heavenly joy 170
Pilgrimage 172
Notes 174
9 Towards spiritual maturity 176
Worship 176
Scripture and sacred music 179
Prayer 180
Seasonal patterns of worship 181
Fellowship and charity 182
Retreats and keeping the Sabbath 183
The example of Quaker Christianity 184
Meditation 184
Meditation and other religions 191
Notes 198
10 Conclusions 201
Everyday spiritual practices 201
Universality 202
Afterword: My Christian journey 206
References, further reading and other sources 228
Index 235