Knowledge and Discernment: Reflections on the Integration of Biblical Studies and Spirituality

In the introduction to The Violence of the Lamb: Martyrs as Agents of Divine Judgment in the Book of Revelation, Paul Middleton recounts that at the 2008 annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature, he was asked about the possible connections between John’s letters to the seven churches of Asia and modern ecclesiastical practice. Finding himself unsettled by the question, Middleton remarked, “It had genuinely not occurred to me that anyone at an SBL conference would make such a direct link from an argument about what John may or may not have thought when writing his Apocalypse to seven first-century churches in Asia Minor, to hearing an instruction about the behavior of a twenty-first-century audience at an academic conference in North America” (Middleton 2018, pp. 1–2). Why would Middleton assume that no one would make that connection between what Revelation meant and what Revelation still means?

The disconnect is not novel. Nearly a decade prior, Leslie Houlden believed that the establishment of nearly seventy posts for New Testament studies in the universities of Great Britain had led to little visible piety in the academy. “Go to any gathering of British New Testament scholars, and you would be hard put to it, not only to distinguish denominational loyalties, but also to tell Christian believers from non-believers (Houlden 2000, p. 79; see also Tamez 1989). There is a historical disconnect in the academy between the study of the New Testament and the study of spirituality in the Christian tradition born from a cool “theological detachment” (Kapic 2012, pp. 9–10). Dejan Aždajić traces the origin of such detachment to a “seemingly necessary separation between pure objectivity and positivist rationalism on one hand and subjective embodied experiences, and divine illumination on the other” (Aždajić 2024, p. 437). The structures and methods used to interpret the New Testament are largely concerned with the cognitive sphere while ignoring any affective and behavioral import. Biblical studies concerns itself primarily with history (what can be proved and what cannot), linguistics (what words mean and what they do not), and the processes that lay behind the formation of the canon. And since spirituality is centered largely on what is unseen, it remains subjective and unprovable and as such lies outside the realm of rational research. According to these definitions, biblical studies is, by its very nature, “non-spiritual”.

But the fault is not to be placed squarely on the shoulders of those doing the work of biblical studies (among whom are many conscientious and spiritual giants). Part of the fault lies within the field of spirituality. Defining the terms “spiritual” and “spirituality” is notoriously difficult. Carl F. H. Henry once lamented this lack of clarity:

Yet if one asks what spirituality is, one is likely to be met by a sidelong stare, as if this question would be raised only by a religious nincompoop, or could be answered by an assortment of examples without any clear definition.

To be sure, so we are told, spirituality has something to do with spirit, but just what is intended by spirit in this context is often obscure. Talk of spirituality will evoke such identifiers as the sacred, the religious, the transcendental, the charismatic, the saintly, the pious. Semantic multiplication does not stop there either. Verbally, all is fuzz.

(Henry 1992, p. 8)

Within the discipline of spiritual formation, M. Robert Mulholland’s definition has stood the test of time. Mulholland defines spiritual formation as “the process of being conformed to the image of Christ for the sake of others” (Mulholland 1993, p. 13). He describes it as a process, lifelong and not at all instantaneous; a process of “being conformed”, rather than self-transformation to the image of Christ; and for the sake of others, not self-serving and idolatrous (as are so many trends in Chrisitan spirituality). But even in Mulholland’s definition there is only an assumed understanding that Christian spirituality is formed by a careful reading of the biblical texts. He notes that we are transformed “to the image of Christ”, but the question must be asked: whose image of Christ? After surveying the landscape of a hundred and fifty years of research into the historical Jesus, Albert Schweitzer concluded that even those who searched Jesus historically tended to create written images of him that were nothing more than self-reflections imposed upon the image of Christ. “But it was not only each epoch that found its reflection in Jesus; each individual created Him in accordance with his own character” (Schweitzer [1910] 1948, p. 4). The question confronts us: how do I know I am being conformed to the image of Christ and not my own self-projection of Christ? This is the point of biblical studies, and the question with which the study of spirituality has yet to come to terms. The study of Christian spirituality tends to denigrate historical–critical inquiry. A search of articles published in the last decade on the intersection of biblical studies and spirituality (across several major databases) resulted in fewer than a handful of articles. Most publications on spirituality are concerned with mind–body wellness and the holistic integration of psychology and lifestyle. Very few seek to build authentic spirituality from the platform of biblical studies. According to these definitions, spirituality studies is, by its very nature, “non-biblical”.

Isolating these disciplines is not the answer. Kapic cautions that “To separate theology and spirituality is to misunderstand, and eventually damage, both” (Kapic 2012, p. 47). Serious investigation into the author’s intended meaning is vital to having a significant (even true) understanding of the biblical texts. Spiritual reflection is vital to provide such research a venue to nourish the soul. Without reflection, the study of the New Testament descends into “an arid, exhausting desert of futile detail” (Merton 1970, p. 35). Without the study of the New Testament, spirituality descends into superstitious understandings and imaginary constructions (Casey 1996, pp. 63–70). Both are necessary.

At its core, authentic Christian spirituality is a holistic endeavor. When asked about his summation of the Law (which, in context, has the ring of “how can a person be authentically spiritual?”), Jesus responded by reciting The Shema: “Listen, Israel: YHWH is our god, YHWH alone. Love YHWH your god with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mark 12:29–30; trans. mine). The integration of the faculties of the mind (serious inquiry) and the attention of the heart and soul (the centrality of personhood and identity) when done with all one’s strength is the warp and woof of both biblical studies and spirituality. Paul’s prayer for the Philippians was “that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:9–11). For Paul, a trained scholar in his own right, “knowledge [alone] puffs up” (1 Cor. 8:1), and apart from the Spirit, “gramma kills” (2 Cor. 3:6). But the integration of both knowledge (ἐπίγνωσις) and “moral discernment” (αἴσθησις) ultimately leads to purity and righteousness (Phil. 1:10–11). Knowledge and spirituality are not to be divorced from one another. Spirituality is not a condiment added only after the dish is cooked and served. It is the broth in which biblical studies marinates. Its purpose, by design, is to flavor the entire meal.

1. The Scope of This Special Issue

This Special Issue of Religions attempts to address this very problem and, for a brief moment, connect biblical studies (specifically New Testament studies) with the spiritual insights it might (and ought to) invoke. “Restoring our Spirits with the New Testament: Spirituality in Biblical Research” provides a platform for several experts in New Testament studies and spiritual formation to bring the fruit of their research to bear on the piety of the church, both corporately and individually. This Special Issue is not interested in or concerned with niche spiritualities but in that which is foundational to all believers in the Christian tradition, irrespective of time and place. This is not to eschew those special interests. Rather, our task has been to ascend from a micro-study of spirituality to a more aerial view.

Given the comments above, an endeavor like this would have lacked integrity if each of these contributors had remained entrenched in the disciplines of their respective fields. What you will find here is a set of authors who are both seriously trained and engaged in Christian spiritual formation. The vast training represented by these exegetes is set against their service to the local church as pastors, teachers, disciple-makers, and servant leaders. The intersection of New Testament studies and spirituality is evident in their lives and ministries, not just in their publications. They provide several paradigmatic examples of the integration of New Testament studies and spirituality, each bringing a wealth of knowledge of the background, culture, linguistics, and theology in which the New Testament documents are set to a reflection of how that research helps inform a well-lived life in Christ Jesus and the tradition of the Apostles.

2. Summary of Contents

At the fore is a reflection upon the spirituality of the Lord’s Supper by Jon Weatherly (Ph.D., University of Aberdeen), Associate Pastor at Twin Cities Bible Church (Urbana, Illinois). “The Lord’s Supper as a Spiritually Formative Experience of Scripture” explores the historical and biblical themes behind Jesus’ last supper with his disciples and the subsequent ritual that led to the liturgy of the early church. The Lord’s Supper is a reenactment of the Exodus, reminding congregants that YHWH is the God who delivers his people from their sin, even when they are rebellious, and as such anticipates the great eschatological banquet in which people from all nations gather to celebrate their redemption.

Judith Odor (Ph.D., Asbury Theological Seminary), Director of Operations, Elemental Group (Cincinnati, Ohio), brings her research focus to bear on a simple yet complicated question: What is the relationship of memory to authentic spirituality? Within the Western Christian tradition, salvation is usually assumed to indicate the redemption of the soul or spirit alone. However, Paul’s reference to the whole person as a “new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17) affirms the redemption and transformation of the whole identity, inclusive of embodied experience. Since our identities are intricately tied to our memories and self-perception, is it possible for memory to also be redeemed? For those suffering from memory disorders the call to “remember what you once were” (1 Cor. 1:26) can seem particularly cruel. Odor’s focus on “Restoring the Spirit through the Redemption of Memory” offers fascinating insight into the New Testament’s call to “remember” the work of Christ and the new covenant promise that God will “remember their sins no more” (Jer. 31:34; Heb. 8:12).

Deok Hee Jung (Ph.D., University of Sheffield), Associate Professor of Christian Studies, Hannam University (Daejeon, Republic of Korea), explores the “Markan Spirituality of The Way”. Mark notes that after blind Bartimaeus was healed he “was following him [Jesus] on the way” (Mark 10:52). The way of Jesus leads to the cross, and Bartimaeus not only followed Jesus as he traveled but understood that his “way” would lead him to identifying with Jesus in his sacrifice. Exploring the deep connections between Bartimaeus, the disciples of Jesus (who, in Mark, also follow “on the way”), and those who follow Jesus in the present, Dr. Jung concludes that true disciples follow Jesus down the path of self-sacrifice. Consequently, their reward also leads to an identification with Jesus in his resurrection.

Dawn Gentry (M.Div., Emmanuel Christian Seminary), Executive Director of Adult Ministries and Residency Director, Christ Community Church (Omaha, Nebraska), takes her cues from Paul’s letter to the Romans as she reflects about shared life in the community of faith. For Gentry, it all starts with theology: the sinfulness of the world, the grace of God in Christ, and the indwelling of the Spirit to empower faithful living. Theology leads to praxis, embodied practices (spiritual disciplines) that shape the life of the church. Praxis then leads to community, a shared sense of living as the People of God for the work he has prepared for them to do. “Spirituality in Practice: Paul’s Call Toward a Pastoral Theology of Relationships” is a rumination upon more than just the epistle to the Romans. It is a reflection on Paul’s vision for communal life—shaped by love of God and neighbor—in the Kingdom of God.

Leslie T. Hardin (D.Min., Ashland Theological Seminary), Professor of New Testament, Kentucky Christian University (Grayson, KY), examines the purpose of Jesus’ parables. When asked why he spoke in parables, Jesus (in all three strands of the synoptic tradition) quoted Isaiah 6:9–10: “so that they might turn and be healed” (Mark 4:11–12; Matt. 13:14–15; Luke 8:10). Most research on the parables concerns itself with either form and classification (what exactly is a παραβολή?) or their obfuscatory nature (did Jesus speak in riddles to hide the meaning from his hearers?). Here, I argue that Jesus, as a teacher, expected to be understood and that his parables, rather than hardening the division between the elect and the obdurate, functioned as prophetic speech-acts calling hearers to repentance. The piece is appropriately titled, “‘So That They Might Turn’: The Possibility of Repentance in Jesus’ Parables”.

Serious historical, linguistic, and theological research on the Lord’s Supper, the work of the Spirit, the redemption of memory and identity, the community of faith, repentance, and following Jesus into his obedience and vindication—these are the spiritual fruits of New Testament research. Toward this end, we hope that what you find here is not only informative about the backgrounds and authorial intent of the New Testament texts, but helpful in discerning how to live the Christ-life well as we wait for the Parousia.

Special thanks are warranted for the editorial team at Religions. Most deserving is Violet Li, managing editor for this special edition. Violet is the one who first contacted me about the possibility of a volume on the intersection of biblical studies and spirituality and has been a most kind, gracious, and patient editor “on the way”, shepherding this project into reality with professionalism and compassion.