Spiritual Traditions for the Contemporary Church - Review

Robin Maas and Gabriel O'Donnell paint a comprehensive picture of Christian spirituality. They have collected and written insightful essays on iconic figures of Church history. Each of the fourteen chapters takes a close look at major contributions to the spiritual living. Readers of Spiritual Traditions for the Contemporary Church will gain an appreciation for the Christian tradition. Each chapter is followed up with a practical application to be done alone or in a group. Spiritual Traditions helps readers understand the original intent behind a myriad of movements and orders. I would recommend this book to some people. It is nearly 500 pages of history and theology in practice. Hundreds of years and dozens of cultures have contributed to Christian spirituality. Seeing the value in these ancient traditions can be challenging. The book is well written and is possible to consumable bit by bit. Some chapters come across stronger than others but the general consistency of the book is strong. Above all, we gain an understanding of the human drive to regain what was lost. Each major movement in Christian spirituality has this as its major claim. Even the monastic orders, with hundreds of years of tradition and literature, are trying to become the Cro-Magnon Christian. Read this book if you are up for a marathon of challenging articles on ancient spirituality.

For those interested in a more accessible read on Christian spirituality, take a look at my review of The Divine Embrace by Robert E. Webber.