SPIRITUALITY

Many years ago, my wife and I attended a concert by Van Morrison in the Greek Theater at Berkeley, where Van was clearly enjoying himself. Toward the end of the evening, he introduced a magical song “No Guru, No Method, No Teacher”. The almost mystical performance invited us into the sacred rain-drenched garden, where we could shed our search for answers, and bask in the presence of the Trinity.

Religion and Faith Today

Clearly, the hold of traditional religious institutions, particularly as a moral force, is losing ground. Theological explanations for important questions, often given by uncertain parents or dogmatic religious authorities, are often dismissed. Myths that formerly held together communities find themselves on shaky ground as bold adventurers in truth push boundaries, to the dismay of elders, teachers and preachers. The very foundations of faith are challenged and, at times, dismissed. Traditionalists blame modern-day reformers – feminist theologians,  scriptural exegetes, sexologists, liberation theologians, ecumenists – for opening the door to a more radical reexamination and denial. Faced with the scandal of sexual abuse, Church leaders rush to reinstate more traditional values and interpretations, rather than open the doors to healing transparency.

I offer no answers. What I want to do is to explore an appreciation of a traditional doctrine, the Trinity, in a nontraditional way. My background is in both ministry and mental health. I bring both disciplines to bear as I develop a Trinitarian spirituality.

xExtending the Analogyx