Biblical spirituality, thematically approached: methodological considerations around 'discernment'

Christo Lombaard
2012 Nederduitse Gereformeerde Teologiese Tydskrif  
In this paper on methodology, dedicated to Vincent Brümmer, the nature of Biblical Spirituality as nascent academic discipline is summarised as facing two ways: that of the ancient biblical text, and that of the modern person engaging with the Bible -in both instances with an explicit interest in matters of faith. Discernment is chosen as a topic around which in this way to explore the methodology of the discipline of Biblical Spirituality, expanding on the influential work of McGrath in this
more » ... gard, but also linking to the recent research interest in this topic, in addition to discernment by its inherent nature being topical for the methodology and the identity of the discipline of Biblical Spirituality. FOR VINCENT BRÜMMER It is an honour to dedicate this study to the life and continued work of Vincent Brümmer, who has over decades been one of the internationally most recognised faces of South African theological scholarship. To pay tribute to him from the perspective of the discipline of Christian Spirituality is particularly apt: much of Brümmer's work (e.g. Brümmer 2010:1-5, 2006:317-331, 1992 and more popularly: Brümmer 1988) has been of great importance to the discipline. He has been involved both personally with leaders of the Spirituality Association of South Africa (SPIRASA) and institutionally, with his work having been formally reviewed at a special SPIRASA meeting in which he participated. Personally, I remain grateful too that, though I am still a relative newcomer to the discipline of Christian Spirituality, he had sought me out in Pretoria to discuss prayer in preparation for what would become his prize-winning Wat doen ons wanneer ons bid? Oor die aard van gebed en geloof (2011; cf. its precursors Brümmer 1984 cf. its precursors Brümmer & 2008. It is thus with great appreciation for his person and work that I dedicate this study to Vincent Brümmer. BIBLICAL SPIRITUALITY: ITS TWO FACES / MIRRORS / OUTLOOKS The academic discipline of Biblical Spirituality has a valuable contribution to make in analysing the ways in which people relate and relay their lives in an understood relationship with the Bible. Precisely because of its methodological situatedness somewhere between the refined exegetical techniques of Bible scholarship and the broader, more vague approaches of the Spirituality discipline (cf. Lombaard 2011:211-225), Biblical Spirituality faces two ways. The one outlook of the discipline is historical, namely on the spiritualities that came to be reflected in the biblical texts; the other outlook is experiential, namely on later, including modern, spiritualities as they relate (themselves) to these Scriptures. This dual outlook is an emerged consensus within Biblical Spirituality on its disciplinary vantage point (cf. such publications as Lombaard 2012b; De
doi:10.5952/53-0-222 fatcat:f6x3qd3axbhenauy56o73d2rvu