Founder of the modern discipline of Psychology, William James gave the classic descriptions of religious experiences. He used such phrases as “an incomparable feeling of happiness which is connected with the near presence of God’s spirit,” and “a sense of presence, strong and at the same time soothing, which hovers over me.” Add to these …
The Importance of Naming the Spirit Working in Our Lives Read More »
Anthropologist T. M. Luhrmann concluded from her study of two Vineyard Fellowships, “Coming to a committed belief in God was more like learning to do something than to think about something. I would describe what I saw as a theory of attentional learning—the way you pay attention determines your experience of God. Clinical Psychologist J. …
Consider fresh perspectives on the challenge of re-tooling our inherited ministries. And the emphasis is indeed on ministries, not just academic theology alone. Theologians like to make distinctions, but if a distinction doesn’t make a difference in ministry, why pursue it? Social anthropologists define a culture as a set of beliefs, values and behaviors passed …