Living Spirituality - Series 3

By Peter Mudge

The Series 3 Chapters – Selected Topics at a Glance

Chapter 1: A Catholic Guide to Reading and Interpreting the Scriptures – helpful ways to interpret and not interpret the Scriptures; Four senses of scripture; Three worlds of the text; What are your 'texts of terror'?; symbol of the Burnt Book; Patron Saints of biblical writing and exegesis.

 

Chapter 2: Crossing Thresholds and A Spirituality of Pilgrimage – defining Threshold Concepts and Pilgrimage; Symbol – Jesus and God as 'Divine Piano Tuners'; pilgrimage as a metaphor for dying; aboriginal and white crossings and pilgrimage; the Camino de Sydney; the Gift of Tears.

 

Chapter 3: Spiritual Narratives and Virtues that Give Life – interplay between Narratives and Virtues; Indigenous Narratives; Virtues and Vices; SNs & SVs from Christianity, Judaism & Islam; SV of Silence.

 

Chapter 4: Spiritual Disciplines and Virtues that Keep Us Close to Christ – key Disciplines and Virtues for today's world; God as an elusive Fragment and the Jewish Tzim Tzum; SD – teaching students to breathe; SDs & SVs go together – e.g. Haiku poetry with Attention and Brevity; Praying with Icons and Beauty.

 

Chapter 5: The Spirituality of Various Prayer Forms – what is prayer and prayerfulness?; prayer and contemplation; Jesus' prayer; the Annunciation and the Lord's Prayer; avoiding Acedia (listlessness).

 

Chapter 6: Spiritualities of Place: Desert, River, City and Ocean – why 'place' and the body are so crucial for SF; indigenous 'place'; Jesus, Thoreau and place; spiritualities of Australian places.

 

Full versions of the Preface, Afterword and Sources can be found at the author's website and ordered via his email. These are listed in the opening pages of this online book.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Peter Mudge
• Release date: Aug 25, 2021
• ISBN: 9780648932000

Peter Mudge

Dr. Peter Mudge (BADipEd, DTheol, Honorary Research Associate, Sydney College of Divinity) initially taught in Catholic schools for four years, on a retreat team for one year, and then worked across four Catholic education offices in two States for twenty-four years, including two country dioceses. Peter taught tertiary online courses for a further seven years at the Broken Bay Institute/TAITE as a Senior Lecturer in Religious Education and Spirituality. He has worked as a consultant and online lecturer at the Australian Catholic University and as an academic advisor and ‘critical friend’ in R.E and spirituality across many Australian dioceses and archdioceses. He is one of the few academics researching and publishing materials directly for the use of P-12 classroom teachers of spiritual formation, for parishioners, and tertiary lecturers.  

Book preview

Commendation for Living Spirituality – Series 2 and 3

Living Spirituality, Series 2 by Dr Peter Mudge is an invaluable resource in the way that it embraces the original Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander influences and extends its coverage to Abrahamic and other traditions. It was different from anything else that I had read on this topic. I believe that it will be a great resource for teachers and students alike as it provides so many signposts that will support the development of their own spiritual formation. Living Spirituality, Series 3 provides yet another fresh perspective on spirituality and the many challenges that it presents to us in terms of our understanding of how the ‘heart of Christ’ is inextricably linked to our own. In the bible the heart is the sacred centre in our relationships with God and in Series 3 we are led to how this link between the heart of Christ and our sacred centre may be strengthened.

Living Spirituality, Series 2 has become an essential source in supporting Catholic community members in their journey of formation. The metaphor of the four rivers has been particularly appreciated by those who have little experience in exploring their faith in recognising the rich spiritual tradition, narratives, disciplines and virtues associated with it. Sharing extracts from Peter’s work, especially in the areas of Ecological Spirituality and Lectio Divina: Sacred Reading, has led to rich discussions and moments of metanoia. As we move to a change of era, Living Spirituality, Series 3 builds upon the rich foundation that Peter has established to challenge and support individuals in, and leaders of, our communities to seek and enhance spiritual and religious formation through Head, Heart and Hand. The six chapters of Series 3 expands the comprehensive spectrum of the spirituality landscape by widening the horizons envisioned in Series 1 and Series 2 through an exploration of core dimensions of spirituality such as pilgrimages, scripture, prayer forms, narratives, disciplines, and spiritualities of Australian places.

Each chapter in Series 1, 2 and 3 of Living Spirituality provides an opportunity to encounter the beauty of the infinite mystery of God. This is enabled by the conversation between the four Quadrivial foundations identified by Dr Peter Mudge. Be prepared though - in his usual fashion, Peter calls us through discerning questions, to go deeper at every turn: a mature spirituality requires work. In Series 3 he continues the ongoing creation of a dynamic and differentiated experience which facilitates a hospitality between the four foundations, and a companioning of each of us, as pilgrims, on a holistic, spiritual journey, various prayer forms, the imperatives of spiritual disciplines, and interpreting scripture. The complete series acknowledges the complexity and complementarity of the interplay between religion and spirituality in a highly secularised and sometimes dislocated Australian soul-scape. The final chapter of Series 3 invites readers to reflect on how the interaction between ‘place’ and body reinforces the connectivity of all things in creation. A helpful, practical yet often astonishing tool for all formators, this series assists its readers by providing a map from the visible into the invisible.

Living Spirituality is aptly named as it will assist RE teachers in Catholic schools in their work of understanding the profound expanse of spiritual traditions within Catholicism and how these may be simply introduced and offered to their students. This book identifies the richness of the Christian story through its significant mentors in spirituality, its spiritual disciplines and the virtues for living, that Christianity proposes. Furthermore, Aboriginal spiritualities, the wider Christian tradition, the Abrahamic religions and Eastern religions are included, that attest to the evolving spiritual quest in the human experience. The array of resources and ideas in Series 1, 2 and 3 will prompt educators to consider further development of this area of their work. The title Living is apt because the Series is not a presentation of inaccessible spiritualities but grounded in Spirit possibilities. The fruits of Peter Mudge’s study are received with gratitude. Significant conversations between religious educators, catechists, faith and life facilitators and pastors with further study can hopefully be generated from this unique publication.

Dr Kevin Treston OAM, International Consultant, Brisbane, QLD

Series 3

Peter Mudge

––––––––

A Developing Bridging Networks Publication

Baulkham Hills, NSW

2021

First published in Australia by Developing Bridging Networks in 2021

Original formatting by Chris Mudge at Planetary Records. Final formatting and printing by Snap Printing, Suite B3, 12-14 Solent Circuit, Norwest Business Park, Baulkham Hills NSW 2153

Copyright © Peter Mudge 2021

Additional, free materials related to this Series 3 text can be found on the Living Spirituality site listed at the beginning and end of this Ebook. All resources can be ordered through my gmail listed at the same site. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author via the above site. CAL guidelines apply to legal school and tertiary copying.

The author and publisher have made every effort to ensure that the external site and email addresses included in this book are correct and up to date at the time of publication. The author and publisher are not responsible for the content, quality or continuing accessibility of the sites. Readers are encouraged to Search online for the relevant authors and topics should a link be broken.

The author and publisher gratefully acknowledge the permission granted to reproduce copyright material in this book. Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders and to obtain their permission for the use of copyrighted material. The author and publisher apologise for any errors or omissions in the above list and would be grateful if notified via the above site of any corrections that should be incorporated in future reprints or electronic editions of this book.

Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition of the Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books, copyright © 1989 and 1990 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Quotations from the Documents of Vatican II and from papal documents by Pope Francis and others are from St Paul Book and Media. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Qur’an citations are taken from: Ali Unal (2017). The Quran with Annotated Interpretation in Modern English. Paris: Feedbooks. Copyright free. Used with permission. Kindly supplied by ISRA, Auburn, NSW, Australia.

The author and his company acknowledge the Darug nation and its individual Burramattagal and Toongagal clans as the Traditional Custodians of the land that we live and work on. We are committed to the journey towards Recognition, Equality, Justice and Reconciliation as detailed in The Uluru Statement from the Heart or Makarata. Refer to the site using these terms.

Cover and front matter design by Snap Printing.

Written, Edited and Privately Published by Dr Peter Mudge. In memory of my dearest and talented son Chris Mudge (1992-2020). Refer to his ‘In Memoriam’ at the above site.

ISBN: 978-0-6489320-0-0

This book is registered with The National Library of Australia, Pre-Publication Data Service. Publication details appear on the Libraries Australia and Trove sites. Copies are kept in State Library of NSW; and in the Sydney College of Divinity library, Macquarie Park, Sydney.

The eBook version of this publication is available for sale on the Living Spirituality site listed above.

Mudge, Peter. Living Spirituality: A Quadrivial or ‘Four Rivers’ Model for Spirituality – Series 3. Baulkham Hills, NSW: Developing Bridging Networks, 2021.

Copyright © Peter Mudge 2021. All rights reserved.

Cover image: Andrei Rublev, The Holy Trinity, painted c.1411-1425. Source: The Yorck Project (2002) and DIRECTMEDIA Publishing. In the Public Domain.

Dedication – To my creative and dearly missed son Christopher James Philip Mudge (1992-2020)

Since Series 3 signals the formal conclusion of the ‘Living Spirituality’ series, I believe it is appropriate to allude to a number of ‘end of the road’ scripture texts that have proven increasingly significant to me over the past ten years or so. In Chapter One I refer to these as ‘texts of terror’, classic passages if you like that not only put the reader a question but put them in question, in relation to their lives, spirituality, morality and, in general, ‘what matters in the end’. I invite the reader to reflect on their own ‘texts of terror’ and how their lives might be transformed in response to them.

For me, one of the most sobering passages is the Final Judgement in Mt 25. Two more can be found in Luke’s Gospel: ‘For what does it profit a [person] if [they] gain the whole world and lose or forfeit [their soul]?’ (Lk 9:25); and ‘But when you give a feast [don’t invite your friends and those who can repay you but], invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind...’ (Lk 14:13). One of the most chilling passages is when Jesus announces that some who are sure they are ‘in the Kingdom’ will not be recognised: ‘Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but [the one] who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers’ (Mt 7:21-23).

I dedicate Living Spirituality – Series 3 to my family and spiritual ancestors who first formed me, to my own family of Gwendoline, Christopher (+) and Nicola (+), and to my many supportive colleagues in religious education, spiritual formation and theology who continue to guide and inspire me in my writing, especially Michelle Jones, Dan Fleming, Mike Foley, Antoinette Collins, +Noel Connelly SSC, David Hall FMS, Kevin Treston, and many others. You know who you are. Thank you to all who have assisted in any way.

By the same author

Peter’s most recent works are: Living Spirituality: Series 1 (2019); Series 2 (2020); and Series 3 (2021).

He has co-authored: Living Religion (6th and previous Editions) 2021; Out of the Desert (Books One to Four, Years 7-10) 1997 to 2000.

He has written 50+ journal articles, the most recent being: ‘This Changes Everything’: The COVID-19 Pandemic – An Opportunity for Cultivating a Fresh Approach to Spirituality? (Australasian Catholic Record, 2021); ‘God has breathed into us the breath of life’ – Jewish and Christian approaches to breathing meditation in an Australian context (Practical Theology, 2019); and ‘Re-souling daily life’ – Towards a restored spirituality of the Sabbath as a cure for societal madness (International Journal of Children’s Spirituality, 2018).

He has also contributed chapters to numerous collections including: Assessment in Theological Education (forthcoming, 2022), God’s Exemplary Graduates (2021), Justice, Mercy, and Well-Being (2020); Moving from Theory to Practice: Religious Educators in the Classroom (2019); Wondering about God Together (2017): The Routledge International Handbook of Education, Religion and Values (2013); and the Springer International Handbook of Education for Spirituality, Care and Wellbeing (2009).

Finally, he has self-published a two-part convict family history on his mother’s side in 2019: The ‘Conduct Record’ and Life and History of George Phelps (1818-1864); as well as a longer history for each side of his family tree, all stored in the Mitchell Library, Sydney, NSW: A History of the Mudge Family – 1300ff (2002); and A History of the Phelps Family – 1800ff (2002).

Preface

‘Only the hand that erases can write the true thing’ (Meister Eckhart)

Introduction

The full text of this Preface, as well as the Afterword and the Sources for this book, are available as free documents the Living Spirituality site listed at the beginning and end of this Ebook. This is to allow more room for the treatment of foundational Spiritual Traditions, Narratives, Disciplines and Virtues in this final volume of Living Spirituality – Series 3.

The aim of this Preface is to extend and deepen what has already been addressed in Series 1 and Series 2. The first part deals with three preliminary themes, followed by 10 threaded topics. The three preliminary themes are:

COVID-19 and Spirituality

The privileging of Connected Knowing over Separate Knowing

The urgent need for competence in Religious and Spiritual Literacy.

Ten ‘threads’ throughout Series 3

The ten threads explored throughout Series 3 include:

1.   Jesus Christ as the Centre of the Christian’s Life and Spiritual Formation (SF)

2.   The Cosmic Story as the Kernel of the Incarnate SF journey

3.   Incorporation of the Four Elements (Fire, Stone, Air, Water) into SF

4.   The Centrality within SF of Storytelling, Friendship and Intimacy/Community

5.   Addressing a Societal Dysfunctionality - the SF of Work, Leisure & Sabbath

6.   Facing some Difficult SF Topics – Grief and Lament

7.   The Urgent Need within SF for a ‘pedagogy of interiority’

8.   Towards a Renewed SF of Friendship and Intimacy – overcoming a Dominant Technology

9.   A Spirituality of ‘Homecoming’ to balance a pervasive sense of ‘Exile’

10. Claiming your Sacred Face within Sacred Space – Foundations for an Integrated SF.

How to use this book (Part 3)

Note and Warning: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that some chapters in this book contain words and images of people who have died.

This compact book is designed for ‘hands on’ people working in the area of ‘spirituality’ or ‘spiritual formation’, such as teachers, students, adult educators, parishioners, online students and educators. It is not an academic book in the strict sense but rather a book that employs straightforward, practical language which in turn is supported by solid academic references. It summarises the views of key authors as well as citing them directly. The book points its readers in the direction of what I consider to be the best, accessible sources so that they can locate these and apply them. In so doing, it indicates some of the most apt references for teachers and senior students. Each chapter, topic, and even feature box, together represent ‘the first floor’ for readers to investigate inside a fifty-storey plus building. All such topics are ‘nested’ like Russian babushka or matryoshka dolls – they lead to other topics-within-topics to be explored further.

What is described below is, in my view, the most effective way to derive the maximum benefit from this book. It contains explanations that guide the reader in ways to engage with each section.

Four Symbols for the Quadrivial Model of Spirituality

At the beginning of each chapter, you will see the four graphics reproduced on the following pages. These are the elements that constitute the ‘Quadrivial Model’ on which this book is based. Quadrivial not only means ‘four parts’ but ‘four rivers or pathways flowing together’. I would argue that these are the four foundations of the spiritual (and religious) life – Spiritual Traditions (STs), Spiritual Narratives (SNs), Spiritual Disciplines (SDs), and Spiritual Virtues (SVs).

Here is a brief explanation of each of these acronyms:

ST = Spiritual Traditions: The first foundation of the spiritual life is its traditions, which in an interfaith context range across the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, with the principal focus on Catholic Christianity. These feature in all chapters.

SN = Spiritual Narratives. The second foundation of the spiritual life, SN refers to stories that can be found within the relevant traditions, such as the stories of the Bible, Julian of Norwich, Ephrem the Syrian or Thomas Merton. A key narrative appearing in Chapter 1 is that of St Jerome. They are listed in this section but also threaded throughout each chapter, especially Chapter 3 on Narratives and Virtues. Sadly, such narratives are often left out in school syllabi and programs, or otherwise reduced to bullet points – born, died, etc. This is comparable to associating a spiritual luminary with a ‘1965–2012’ gravestone descriptor without considering the contents of the em-dash, which is the spiritual substance or essence of their lives and contribution – their entire existence. It is tantamount to ignoring ‘the main game’ and ‘the key messages’!

SD = Spiritual Disciplines. The third foundation of the spiritual life incorporates the spiritual disciplines or practices which sustain daily contemplative life. These include: lectio divina, the Jesus Prayer, breathing meditation, reflection on selected scripture passages, mindful walking, mantra prayer, journalling, the Examen, and many more. All are simple to teach and practise. Sometimes we make such practices too verbose, erudite and complicated. The discipline of ‘Crossing Thresholds’ is included in Chapter 2.

SV = Spiritual Virtues. The fourth and final foundation of the spiritual life includes, in the current Series 3, virtues such as generosity (Chapter 3) and acedia (listlessness or sloth) in Chapter 5.

The most important of all according to the Dominican mystic Meister Eckhart (c.1260 – c.1328), the virtue of detachment. This section is designed to broaden readers’ understanding of the virtues and provide concrete ways in which to practise them. Each of the elements of ST, SN, SD to SV will be addressed at some point in every chapter.

The Eight Feature Boxes

The reader will also encounter eight other important symbols in the form of ‘feature boxes’. However, all eight symbols are not included in every chapter, but are spread across the full six chapters. The first feature box is called ‘Teacher Tip’. This provides the spiritual formation teacher with a thought, question or idea on how to apply the ideas under discussion or how to apply the Quadrivial Model in general. These are supplemented throughout each chapter with another regular feature called: Personal Reflection and Practical Response.

The second is the ‘Did you know’ (DYK) feature box, which seeks to provide sometimes hidden insights on the topic. These are often accompanied by additional teaching strategies.

The third is ‘Scholars Corner’ and directs readers to some of the latest indepth, academic insights on the topic at hand. One of these boxes appears in each book chapter. For example, Series 3 contains a ‘Scholars Corner’ on prayer styles (Ch 5), and on the spirituality of place (Ch 6).

Five new feature boxes make their debut in Series 2 and Series 3 of Living Spirituality. These include the fourth icon of ‘Biblical Spirituality’, symbolised by the Sacred Scriptures set alight by a flame. For example, in Chapter 3 on ‘Spiritual Narratives and Virtues that Give Life’ one of the scripture passages chosen is Jesus’ visit to the home of Martha, Mary and Lazarus (Lk 10:38-42). Its focus is on ‘the one virtue necessary’.

The fifth icon is ‘Spiritual Profile’, symbolised by a figure with a halo, in turn referencing the aim of the Christian life – to become a ‘saint’ or a person leading a life of integrity and holiness. St Jerome is the focus of Chapter 1 while St Brendan features in Chapter 2.

The sixth icon is ‘Spiritual Symbol’ which is represented as a Trinitarian triangle within which is drawn the all-seeing Eye of God. For example, ‘The Storyteller’ is the focus in Chapter 3 on Spiritual Narratives and Virtues.

The seventh icon is ‘Arts & Spirituality’, symbolised by a paint palette and brush, although it refers to the full spectrum of the arts – dance, architecture, sculpture, literature, the visual arts, performing arts, and so on. For example, artistic images of the Virgin Mary constitute the focus of Chapter 4 on Spiritual Disciplines and Virtues. They are also spread throughout the remaining chapters.

The eighth and final icon is ‘Music & Spirituality’, symbolised by a treble clef nested within a human heart. Like the arts in general, music is a unique, apophatic (wordless) ‘language system’ with the power to communicate spirituality, religion, aesthetic sensibility and power. Music can provide a unified voice that revolutionises and revitalises the spirit of any community. For example, the spirituality of music is considered in Chapter 5 on the spirituality of prayer – in the form of sung psalms, classical and other art forms that nurture prayer.

Final note on terms and abbreviations: In the chapters that follow the term ‘First Testament’ refers to the Old Testament, while ‘Second Testament’ refers to the New Testament. DYK is the abbreviation for ‘Did You Know?’; CCC for the Catechism of the Catholic Church; and SF for Spiritual Formation. LS-S1 refers to Living Spirituality – Series 1; and LS-S2 refers to Living Spirituality – Series 2. Series 3 cross-references are inserted in the standard manner as, for example: (see pp.20-25).

Chapter 1 – A Catholic Guide to Reading and Interpreting the Scriptures

Spiritual Traditions (ST): Jewish and Christian traditions; some insights from Buddhism and Aboriginal traditions;

Spiritual Narratives (SN): Aboriginal narratives with insights from Larissa Behrendt and others; Jewish oral tradition and Talmud; Jesus, ‘I am the true vine’ and winepress metaphors; Paul; Pope St Clement of Rome, St Jerome and other patron saints of biblical interpretation; Meister Eckhart, Nahman (Nachman) of Bratslav, Benedict XV, Dei Verbum and Vatican Council II, Benedict XVI, Buddhist monk Thây Thich Nhat Hanh; Bishop Robert Barron, connected and holistic narratives; the four senses of scripture and the Three Worlds of the text; Brown & Maloney, Barr and other scripture scholars; Gerald O’Collins SJ, Pope St John XXIII, The Poor Clares of Arundel, UK; Genesian Theatre Company, Sydney; ‘Texts of Terror’; the Burnt Book, Stories linked to music, the arts and the Simplicity of the Gospel; Covid-19 and biblical spiritualities, the parable of the car mechanic and the owner;

Spiritual Disciplines (SD): Exploring the Three Worlds of the Text;

Spiritual Virtues (SV): Living the Simplicity of the Gospel.

Introduction

I’m not completely certain, but I once heard this exchange either at a mechanic’s garage, or perhaps I read it in a book. Or was it a dream? Regardless, it is a dialogue that I would like to ‘unpack’ and allude to in the course of this chapter. I have reproduced it in the form of a robust conversational exchange.

But first, let me set the scene. A person owns an old car that is still drivable. However, he/she senses that the vehicle is ‘on its last tyres’ – not starting properly, making strange noises, gurgling near the petrol tank, plus it veers to the left like a Marxist car when the steering wheel is given free reign at low speeds. The person’s normal recuperative tactic for the underperforming car is to open the bonnet and hit the battery terminals with a sturdy shoe heel. However, this no longer works. The car is taken to the local mechanic. The person returns there after allowing a couple of days