Cook-the formation of the people of God

Posted on July 6, 2015 by jamesbradfordpate

theoutwardquest

Spiritual formation is a term for the use of disciplines to advance religious or spiritual growth and sanctification . I have seen the term used by Catholics, Evangelicals, Mainline Protestants, Jews, and even new age Pagans. But I think it may have originated with the Catholic, Henri Nouwen. It usually refers to the use of things like set prayer, meditation, silence, readings, fasting, etc. to help people move to a more focused and mature spirituality.

In the introduction to Reading Deuteronomy, Stephen Cook suggests that Deuteronomy is about spiritual formation. He notices that the intended audience of Deuteronomy is the common people of ancient Israel. This contrasts with a book like Leviticus (although the Holiness Code in Leviticus 16 ff. is sometimes different) whose intended audience is a priestly elite. Deuteronomy is mostly about how ordinary Israelites and their families are supposed to practice devotion to YHWH. It occasionally…

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About jamesbradfordpate

My name is James Pate. This blog is about my journey. I read books. I watch movies and TV shows. I go to church. I try to find meaning. And, when I can’t do that, I just talk about stuff that I find interesting. I have degrees in fields of religious studies. I have an M.Phil. in the History of Biblical Interpretation from Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, Ohio. I also have an M.A. in Hebrew Bible from Jewish Theological Seminary, an M.Div. from Harvard Divinity School, and a B.A. from DePauw University.
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