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In The Spiritual Way: Classic Traditions and Contemporary Practice, Philip Sheldrake aims to make the wisdom of Christian spirituality better known to contemporary readers. After an introductory chapter on the foundations of Christian spirituality, Sheldrake describes its diverse riches through the centuries in terms of five distinctive types of Christian spiritual wisdom, illustrated by a rich selection of classical examples. The five types are “The Way of Discipline,” “The Contemplative-Mystical Way,” “The Way of Practical Action,” “The Way of Beauty,” and “The Prophetic Way.” This book also briefly explores the contemporary interest in spirituality within and beyond conventional religion and suggests how we might engage with these five types on our spiritual journeys in today’s world.
Philip Sheldrake is professor and director of the Institute for the Study of Contemporary Spirituality at Oblate School of Theology, San Antonio, Texas. He is also senior research associate of the Von Hügel Institute, St Edmund’s College, University of Cambridge, and senior research fellow in the Cambridge Theological Federation. Philip Sheldrake trained in history and theology and was awarded the DD (Higher Doctorate) in 2015 by the University of Oxford. He has taught and written extensively on Christian spirituality, is author or editor of seventeen books, and is past president of the international Society for the Study of Christian Spirituality.
