Kwon - Power And Spirit The Politica

2015·11.9 MB·English

by  Kwon, Jingu

POWER AND SPIRIT: THE POLITICAL DIMENSIONS
OF POPULAR SPIRITUAL PRACTICES AS ILLUMINATED
THROUGH LECTIO DIVINA, JESUS PRAYER, PILGRIMAGE, AND LABYRINTH
A Dissertation
presented to
the Faculty of
Claremont School of Theology
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
by
Jingu Kwon
May 2015
This dissertation completed by
JlNGU KWON
has been presented to and accepted by the
faculty of Claremont School of Theology in
partial fulfillment of the requirements of the
Doctor of Philosophy
Faculty Committee
Frank Rogers, Jr., Chairperson
Sheryl A. Kujawa-Holbrook
Santiago Slabodsky
Dean of the Faculty
Sheryl A. Kujawa-Holbrook
May 2015
ABSTRACT
Power and Spirit: The Political Dimensions of Popular Spiritual Practices as Illuminated
through Lectio Divina, Jesus Prayer, Pilgrimage, and Labyrinth
by
Jingu Kwon
This dissertation analyzes the political dimensions of Christian spirituality and the
four popular spiritual practices of Lectio Divina, the Jesus Prayer, pilgrimage, and
labyrinth by studying the birth and revival of these practices in the history of the early
church, in the modem and postmodern western political history, and world globalization.
This dissertation seeks a political and historical interpretation of Christian spirituality and
the popular spiritual practices. The primary method the dissertation employs is a
political-historical approach to analyze the political influences found in the birth and
revival of the spiritual practices along with an anthropological approach to examine the
political influences of the current globalizing political world on the spiritual practices and
the ability of Christian spirituality and practices to respond to that progressing world. For
these aims, this dissertation studies the history and the political thoughts of the Ancient
Greek philosophers and the contemporary political events. Political ideas of the
philosophers, theologians, and scholars have been applied to interpret the political
dimensions of Christian spirituality and the four popular practices. The insights of
scholars of history, philosophy, politics, theology, globalization, spirituality, and
geography have been utilized in order to constmct a history of the four practices.
The main argument of this dissertation is that Christian spirituality and spiritual
practices are sensitive to political changes. This sensitivity could be called the political
nature of Christian spirituality and spiritual practices. Sensitivity first means that
Christian spirituality and spiritual practices embrace spiritual-political ideas. Second,
these generate and pursue authority and power with which the Church can function as a
government for the spiritual well-being of its members. Third, these are capable of
creating a new political culture in the Church. Fourth, these help Christians to resist or
support political activities of power. Fifth, these provide spiritual shelter and territory.
Sixth, these have the capacity to transform themselves for new political situations.
Seventh, these are indicators of the influences of political activities. Eighth, these change
the body, mind, spirit, and the world. Ninth, these are the means for unity, identity, and
citizenship. Tenth, these can be used for politics, and vice versa. Eleventh, these are
power.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter Page
1. Introduction: Politics, Spirituality, and Spiritual Practices
Thesis..................................................................................................................................1
Discussion and Formulation of the Issue......................................................................2
Audiences...........................................................................................................................4
Literature and Limitations...............................................................................................4
Methodology, Methods, and Limitation.......................................................................5
A Preliminary Lens to See: Political Themes as Methods..........................................7
Political Themes in Ancient Western Thoughts and Politics........................8
Political Themes in Plato and Aristotle
Political Themes in Cicero
Plato, Aristotle, and Cicero
Political Themes in Medieval Western Thoughts and Politics
Before the 16th Century...............................................................................20
Political Themes in Augustine and Aquinas
Political Themes in Dante and Marsilius of Padua
The Ancient Political Thoughts and After
Political Themes in the 16th to 18th Century.............................................34
Political Themes in Machiavelli
Political Themes in Luther and Calvin
Political Themes in Grotius, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, and the
Revolutions
After the 19th Century and the Definitions of Politics.................................47
Conclusion: Political Dimensions of Spirituality....................................................55
2. Jesus Prayer and Lectio Divina: Birth and Political Dimensions....................................67
Monasticism, Church, and Empire: Background.................................................67
Jesus Prayer: Origin and Development.....................................................................78
Lectio Divina: Origin and Development.................................................................82
Political Themes, Elements, and Influence in the Birth of the Two Practices in
the Catholic Church....................................................................................................85
The Birth Place of Two Spiritual Practices....................................................85
Political Themes, Elements, and Influence in the Birth of Two
Practices.........................................................................................................100
Ideal City, Citizen, Ideology, and End and Means
Government: Policy and Law
Government: Legitimacy or Orthodoxy
Economy: Labor, Property, Distribution, and Resource
Territory: Location, Conflict, and Warfare
Public Support, Freedom, and Rights
Conclusion: Politics of the Desert City and the Spiritual Practices.....................114
3. Pilgrimage and Labyrinth: Origin, Development, and Political Dimensions.............119
Pilgrimage: Origin and Development......................................................................119
Labyrinth: Origin and Development........................................................................124
Pilgrimage and Labyrinth: Walking the Empire as the Land of the Christian
Heroes and the Holy Land as the Territory of the Roman Emperor...............127
The Building Mission of Constantine
Sacred Place and Territory: Political Meanings of the Constantine’s
Mission from a Contemporary Perspective
The Roman Christian Labyrinth: A Theory
Conclusion: Walking and Territory.......................................................................152
Ideal City, Citizen, Ideology, and End and Means
Government: Policy, Law, and Legitimacy
Economy: Labor, Property, Distribution, and Resource
Territory: Location, Conflict, and Warfare
Public Support, Freedom, and Rights
4. Globalization, Christian Spirituality, and the Four Popular Spiritual Practices..........166
A Short Story about Globalization and the Big Writers of Globalization............166
Globalization Matters..................................................................................................172
Christianity, Politics, and Globalization...................................................................182
Conclusion: Christian Spirituality, Spiritual Practices, and the New Political
World...................................................................................................192
Ideal City, Citizen, Ideology, and End and Means
Government: Policy, Law, and Legitimacy
Economy: Labor, Property, Distribution, and Resource
Territory: Location, Conflict, and Warfare
Public Support, Freedom, and Rights
5. Conclusion of Dissertation: Spirit and Power, 212
CHAPTER 1
Introduction: Politics, Spirituality, and Spiritual Practices
Thesis
Christian spirituality has embodied political aspects throughout its history,
conceptualization, and practice. The political dimensions of Christian spiritual practices,
however, have been overlooked or unrecognized by Christian leaders, scholars, and
average Christians. The social and communal dimensions of Christian spirituality have
been emphasized and studied. Yet, scholars have not concretely examined the political
dimensions of Christian spirituality and practices. This study presupposes that Christian
spirituality includes a political nature. This historical and political study of Christian
spirituality and spiritual practices will bring surface the political nature and dimensions of
Christian spirituality as illuminated through the four popular spiritual practices of Lectio
Divina, the Jesus Prayer, pilgrimage, and the labyrinth, by exploring the history, the
significant figures, the content of the practices, the spiritual and political texts and
contexts, and the history of influential non-Christian practices of each. The study will
then provide a suggestion for spiritual formation in the globalizing world. The final
purpose of this study is to reflect on the political nature and dimensions of Christian
spirituality and spiritual practices to find the meanings in the political nature of Christian
spirituality and to define the relationship between Christian spirituality and politics in our
globalizing world.
1
Discussion and Formulation of the Issue
Christian spirituality has its origins in Jesus, his first followers, and their social,
political, and religious contexts; it has a pre-history in ancient religions and cultures. The
primary texts of Christian spirituality are the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. Also
included are thick volumes of books and writings by saints, church leaders, monks and
nuns, and lay Christians; all utilized as core texts. As the contexts of Christian spirituality
were social, political, and religious, its texts reflect the social, political, and religious
contexts of each historical period. Therefore, we should be able to find the political
dimensions of Christian spirituality in the texts and contexts. Christian spirituality does
not limit its resources to Christian texts and contexts. It has adopted, transformed, and
developed spiritual practices and ideas from other religions and cultures. Walter Principe
noted in his essay Broadening the Focus in Minding the Spirit that “to read a text in all
these context is to situate an author’s spirituality in a way that will lead to critical
judgment and assimilation of this spirituality.” Sandra Schneiders stated that “one of the
objects of spirituality is the spiritual life.”1 Christian spirituality is contextual and life-
centered, both spiritually and politically. Christian spirituality is a living entity that
interacts with various groups of people, theologies, historical events, social and political
changes, and cultures and religions.
If Christian spirituality is contextual, it should contain political elements from its
beginning in its political contexts. Gutierrez wrote that, “Every great spirituality is
1 Sandra M. Schmeiders, “A Hermeneutical Approach to the Study of Christian Spirituality,” in
Minding the Spirit: The Study of Christian Spirituality,ed. Elizabeth A. Dreyer and Mark S. Burrows
(Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005), 51.
2
connected with the great historical movement of the age in which it was formulated.”2 If
Christian spirituality had a political motive for formation, we will see the motive in the
texts, contexts, and practices. We should see the political dimensions in the historical
process of change and transformation of its practices. For this, we first need to study how
the spiritual practices like prayer, pilgrimage, and monastic life were formed and have
changed. Through this, we will find the political meaning of the formation and
transformation of the spiritual practices.
The spiritual practices have been formed and changed by spiritual leaders. The
practices did not spring up from nowhere. The practices have origins and histories. We
cannot clearly trace the origin, but we have enough sources to reveal the process of
transformation in the practices. Here we should study the spiritual leaders, political
leaders, and political events during the process of transformation.
This study also needs to clearly show how Christian spirituality and the practices
are political. What political dimensions can we observe from each spiritual practice and
event? What political dimensions should be described and analyzed? I will briefly
summarize the political dimensions of Christian Spirituality in the chapter below as a
preliminary study and to develop my ideas throughout this study.
Finally, if Christian spirituality is political, we should talk about why we need to
discuss this. If its practices have political dimensions, this should mean that we can
develop and use these. If practices have changed in different contexts, this should mean
that we can change these in our political context. We eventually need to talk about the
2 Gustavo Gutierrez, We Drink from Our Own Wells: The Spiritual Journey of a People
(Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2003), 26.
3