Apostolic Spirituality

The Pauline tradition begins with the man, Saul of Tarsus. His story is told to us in the Acts of the Apostles, with its dramatic conversion scene. Paul's story is of transformation from hater and persecutor of Christians to the foremost apostle of Christ in the new millennium.

Who is Paul in the New Testament? There continues to be controversy about his contribution to the New Testament canon. Luke Johnson (1986) noted that there are at least three major issues that relate to Paul. The first basic issue is the question of where is the real Paul located. In which of the letters is the voice that of Paul, in which instances is the voice that of his followers? This is the question of authenticity, which is fundamentally irresolvable. It requires almost a prior decision about who Paul is in order to determine what writings belong to him.

The second issue that Johnson emphasized was Paul's historical importance for early Christianity. Johnson asks, is Paul's dominance of the New Testament canon a historical reality or a theological decision? Was it mere accident that his writings were the ones preserved? How did his influence continue past his death? There is a difference between Paul the Apostle and the Pauline tradition, or school.

Finally, the third issue for Johnson is Paul's religious significance as an individual. The primary question is whether Paul faithfully interpreted Jesus' method in changing circumstances or whether Paul's influence represents a

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but by love alone that the Christian is united to the mission of Christ. A Spirituality in Constant Dialogue with God As Paul followed Jesus in expressing his spirituality through constant dialogue with God, the priestly vocation today demands this same kind of constant connection and communion. Fr. Robert Schwartz (Cozzens, 1996) expressed this in a very homely way in his discussion of prayer and the aftermath of prayer. He noted that he does not always recognize the message of God during his formal prayer time, but that this attention to God allows him to recognize God's self-revelation in ordinary life. For him, that self-revelation would not occur without a regular discipline of prayer that centered on meditating on Scriptures each day. He noted that he put the readings into the crock-pot of his heart so they could cook there during the week, gradually becoming fully available to him. Dialogue, in other words, is not a few moments of flung conversation, but an ongoing connection to God that depends upon regular commitment to prayer and study. Williams Barry (1996) provides an even more profound discussion of this ongoing dialogue. As both priest and spiritual director, he had longed assisted others in developing th

Category: Philosophy - A