Soul care principles according to Peterson Eugene

Peterson Eugene’s principles of SoulCare

Contents

Introduction ...............................................

................................................. 3

Historical Context of Peterson Eugene

………….................................... 4

Basic Theological Orientation of Eugene

................................................. 5

Principles for Spiritual formation

………................................................ 6

Eugene Peterson has defined

spirituality…...................................... 12

Conclusion .................................................

.................................................. 13

Bibliography................................................

................................................. 14

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Introduction

Spiritual Formation and Soul Care are two things that much

of them never thought ten years before, except Presbyterians and

Catholics. Especially Evangelical churches, seminaries focused

more on theology, which is good but they completely neglected

this area of spiritual formation. Their understanding is entirely

different, let’s see what it is first and then I present this

paper on the basis of Peterson Eugene’s principles of Soul Care

which helped some to see some of the issues of spiritual

formation.

First, Spirituality according to Oxford Dictionary of

Christian Church, “A vague term now used to refer both to

people’s subjective practice and experience of their religion,

and to the spiritual exercises and beliefs which individuals have

regarding their personal relationship with God. It is usual to

regard prayer, meditation, contemplation and mysticism as major

factors in spirituality”.1 It explains simply of a large and

1 Livingstone E. A. Oxford Concise Dictionary of the Christian Church. Great Clarendon Street: Oxford University Press, UK. 2013, 532

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potential journey of spiritual formation, the main objects are

prayer, meditation and contemplation.

Secondly, Spiritual formation is a process, a process of

being converting confirming in to image of Jesus Christ not just

for one’s own good but also for the sake of others. This should

be inspired and guided by Holy Spirit and grounded on Holy

Scripture. Seminarians get some understanding of it when they are

learn different theology, prayer and etc, but they need to be

practiced while they are in seminary. This formation will help

believers, pastors and seminary students to understand various

paths, not just the academic content but the formational

experience.

Thirdly, why now? That’s a rhetorical question everyone asks

or thinks. This is not new, it is in the church from centuries

even from early centuries, mostly the vocabulary is used in

academic circles not in general circles that might one reason

some may not know what it is exactly. Now, spiritual formation

can be penned as a reference or means of sanctification, a

sanctification form our deep senses. It is an ongoing work of the

4

Holy Spirit, He uses various methods to bring back or to grow

more in spiritual growth in each and everyone’s lives. This is a

kind of movement, this movement stress the need of

interpretations spirituality, movement encourages meditation in

silence, solitude and prayer in contemplation etc. Sometimes it

may not be found in scripture but one should be careful not lost

their theological ground and lost into it.

Historical Context of Peterson Eugene

Peterson Eugene, born in 19322 became a pastor, poet, writer

and professor. Now he is 78 and pastoring a church…. His book A

Long obedience in same direction made him popular. He authored 35 books

and number of articles for the magazines. His book The Message

which he wrote with the pastoral sensitivity only used Greek text

made controversy in theological circles. Apart from that his

focus on spirituality made him more popular among pastors. For

Peterson, the seminary is no more or no less a nurturing

environment for spirituality than any other place. The seminary

2 http://www.christianbook.com/html/authors/1481.html5

is a world of words, but sometimes the words about God upstage

the divine word. Using the approach of Evagrius Ponticus,

Peterson writes that seminarians need to take captive every word

about God and bring it before the living God in prayerful

obedience.3

Basic Theological Orientation of Eugene

Peterson’ theology is really not good, he completely messed

up some of the scriptures. He wrote a book called Message, this is

New Testament, and he translated with only Greek Bible in hand

without using any references and dictionaries. This made some

ripples in Christian circles, some stood by him some not. This

made lot of theological and translation errors. In a particular

way there is no such theological base for Peterson. When Peterson

asked about the Holiness, he answered as “Holiness is the

Christian life mature. It's gathering all the parts and pieces of

your life into obedience and response to God, and living with

some energy. Holiness is a blazing thing, it's an energetic

3 Peterson, Eugene. Subversive Spirituality, Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. 1997, 54-60.

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thing. Part of the reason the modern church has lost its taste

for holiness is that it was engineered. Although we were really

firm about the fact that justification is by faith; holiness was

by disciplines, work, arranging. So it became hedging around the

rules, hints, regulations, and technology. Therefore, it became

very boring and claustrophobic.”4 He never took name of Jesus, he

never said it is not by works but he proposes it through works.

There are several issues that differentiate his theology with

Evangelistic beliefs, especially on Hell, Angels, Salvation,

Holiness and even on God. But he believes on basic principle of

salvation that it is through Jesus and believes that Bible is the

ultimate authority but with different revelations.

Apart from his theology, he looked into spiritual formation

need in believers. Theologically he is just a common believer but

his spiritual principles or formation methods are good, they are

helpful for pastors and churches especially here in USA. I

totally disagree with his theological understanding but I can

accept his soul care teachings.

4 http://www.leaderu.com/marshill/mhr03/peter1.html7

Principles for Spiritual formation

A. Exploration of Spirit

This section focuses on finding the healthy soul and to

maintain it. Peterson says that present “interest in spirituality

is sick. The interest itself is not sick, but sickness has

provoked the interest.”5 So, the sick souls needs treatment;

sometimes it needs to cure, a cure for/from our deeper senses.

Holy Spirit God helps to find the roots of our depressed souls,

as he says “arrogant rationalism and bullying technology can

hardly believe…they ask questions about meaning and purpose,

right and wrong, heaven and hell.”6 Peterson is not against the

technology or on asking questions but his point is that a

person’s soul and spirit are missing the importance of its growth

in between reasoning and logic. Peterson argues that spirituality

is misunderstood, he says that it’s a kind of specialization form

of being a Christian that you have to have some kind of in. Many

5 Peterson, Eugene. Subversive Spirituality, Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. 1997, 32.

6 Ibid, 33.8

people are attracted to it for the wrong reasons, others are put

off by it as “I am not spiritual.”7

Atheistic carelessness, new age stuff all are old age in

Peterson’s thoughts. He accuses that new age movements and world

views are just taken into grant and missing the point of

spirituality. Furthermore he says they are parts of Gnosticism,

it has a terrific appeal because it’s a spirituality that doesn’t

have anything to do with doing the daily work. According to him,

there’s not much integration with work, people, sin, trouble and

inconvenience. Spirituality may not be recognized in the terms of

regular usage but the presence and activity of God the Spirit,

the awareness and hunger is there in every man.

Now a day’s spirituality is just laying around laity. Along

with theology, right interpretation it is time to focus on

spirituality, it is never late. Catholics are somehow right at

this area, spirituality needs more focus, focus on Christ

accuracy in the Scriptures and origins in to a useful traditions.

He says that “the strength and impact of evangelism has often 7 Merritt Jonathan,

http://jonathanmerritt.religionnews.com/2013/09/27/faithful-end-interview-eugene-peterson/

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been in its laity, transcending denominational divisions,

subverting established structures, working behind the scenes,

beginning at the bottom.”8 Peterson Eugene suggested Five areas

or steps needs for counseling for those who are hunger in

spirituality. These steps are might met the quest of one’ spirit

or soul. They are

1. Discover what Scripture says about spirituality

and immerse yourself in it

2. Shun spirituality that does not require commitment

(this one tricky, I suggest this one with little conscience

and care)

3. Embrace friends in the faith wherever you find

them

4. Return home and explore your own tradition

5. Look for mature guides, honor wise leaders9

8 Peterson, Eugene. Subversive Spirituality, Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. 1997, 37.

9 Peterson, Eugene. Subversive Spirituality, Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. 1997, 37-40.

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These five are suggested by Eugene, I request any one to

think twice when you do second and fourth. Find them in scripture

base and ask someone to check them for your benefit.

B. Treating three threats:

When anyone who is looking for spiritual formation they

should be careful of several things. I thought these three

are serious and easy pitfalls for any one so I pick them up

from Eugene idea.

i.) Threat one: Gnosticism

It comes from the Greek word ‘gnosis’ means to know, it was

a philosophical thought that built on Greek philosophy, but when

Christ made ripple in first century thinkers they got saved and

joined the Christian movement. They brought this Greek

philosophical ideology into the church and Paul dealt with it

through his letters. Now present twenty first century is still in

this Gnosticism chains, “the churches themselves are filled with

it.”10 Eugene says that “Gnostic is the term we often use to

10 Peterson H. Eugene, Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places: A Conversation in Spiritual Theology. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company:

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designate this most attractive but soul-destroying

spirituality,”11 and he took Philip Lee’ five elements to explain

how it is a threat to present Church.

1. Gnosticism works out of a deep metaphysical alienation.

He means that God has nothing to do with our soul, He

just created it but he is not taking care of it as long

as we live.

2. There is a secret lore, a knowledge that can save us from

this hopeless condition. Which is wrong there is no such

knowledge that saves human. Spiritual maturity through

right aptitude can make difference not the knowledge

itself.

3. Escapism is the strategy of survival. Which is highly

impossible no one can escape from God. The best way to

know and understanding with our souls that what God

intended for each individuals lives.

Grand Rapids, 2005, 62.11 Ibid, 61.

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4. The few souls who learn this secret lore and embark on

this escapist life constitute an elite, each a divinity

in herself or himself.

5. Each person is free to assemble any ideas or stories or

techniques at hand to accomplish this way of life.12 Free

to think and know what is God, how He works and other

stuff but not to question His authority.

Gnosticism is a kind of spreading virus, Eugene says that it is a

“virus in the bloodstream of religion and keep resurfacing every

generation or so advertised as brand new, replete with a new

brand name.”13 Which is exactly right it may change its form but

not the core, so, to face this Gnosticism the way is to face it

with spiritual formation and soul care. Knowledge is not just the

answer for this life there is more than it, salvation

righteousness and friendship or relationship with heavenly Father

is most important.

ii.) Threat two: Moralism

12 Ibid.13 Ibid, 62.

13

This is a bit surprising, morality is one of the character

or the part of a body if Christianity is a person. Eugene though

it different, he started with Jesus death, “The most common way

that we in the Christian community have a avoiding or

marginalizing Jesus death is by constructing a way of life that

is safe and secure and guilt-free.”14 His argument is that

Christians are accumulating wisdom from Bible which is just for

moral living sack and doing other deeds as a believers just for

living a moral life but neglecting others. He has some point in

it, Christianity is not just living moral life, it is more than

it is and if any believer thinks that they are living in will of

God because they are living a moral life may not be the right to

way to think.

Eugene asks that what if things go wrong, any ware it is

easy to find a moral reason, “disobedience or ignorance of the

biblical commandments is obviously at the root of a lot of what

is wrong with the world.”15 Eugene claims that he used a

14 Peterson H. Eugene, Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places: A Conversation in Spiritual Theology. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company: Grand Rapids, 2005, 144.

15 Ibid.14

‘moralism’ term as “to designate this common seemingly

inoffensive, but in fact disastrous betrayal of Jesus.”16

Morality is necessary, it is fundamental and non-negotiable but

it is not just that the only thing in Christianity. Moralism is

different as constructing a life for God, “Moralism is dead

morality is alive,”17 morality will protect people from

punishments in both lives, it is a strength and “moral codes are

used as stepping stones to independence from God.”18 Moralism

should become a stepping stones to see more and more into God and

grow spiritually instead of satisfying with moral life.

iii.) Threat Three: Sectarianism

Eugene has a different ability to looking into things, he

picked Sectarianism or groups as another threat for spirituality,

whereas most of the churches try to form groups for spiritual

maturity. Everyone knows that we are a community, we are not

ourselves and we are made for one another, we born, we share, we


17 Ibid.18 Ibid.

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live and die in communities. Eugene thinks that Sectarianism is

something to do with ‘self ism’, “The impulse to sectarianism has

its roots in self ism, the conceit that I don’t need others as

they are but only for what they can do for me.”19 Self ism

reduces any one’ life to their needs and them and them always.

This can be trace back to Eden garden,20 whereas us ness brings

souls of community together alive and brings life one another and

it shares life with one another. Which is true, making one self

as one sect is not at all healthy especially in believers life,

God gave us community to guards us, encourage us to live for Him.

‘Self’ brings more problems than ‘us’, ‘us’ brings more peace

than ‘self.’

Eugene Peterson has defined spirituality


20 Ibid, 242.16

Spirituality is the attention we give to our souls, to the

invisible interior of our lives that is the core of our identity,

these image-of-God souls that comprise our uniqueness and glory.

Spirituality is the concern we have for the invisibility that

inheres in every visibility, for the interior that provides

content to every exterior. It necessarily deals much with

innerness, with silence, with solitude. It takes all matters of

soul with utmost seriousness.21

When Peterson asked about the spirituality and intense

interest in spiritual direction, he responded saying that it is

started because it the end of so called modern era. He adds to it

“Rationalism just doesn't work. And activism doesn't work. So the

evangelical church is trying to recover its holiness. We have

started paying a lot more attention to the older traditions of

prayer, spiritual direction, and liturgy. They are not being left

as an individualistic thing that can be reduced to whatever you

do in your quiet time.”22

21 Eugene Peterson, “St. Mark: The Basic Text for Christian Spirituality,” in Crux, XXIX, 1993, 4.

22 Interview with Eugene Peterson, 1995. http://www.leaderu.com/marshill/mhr03/peter1.html

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Conclusion

From Eugene’ point of view, Gnosticism is the standard

threat to living receptively and admiration in the creation, and

moralism is the ever present threat to living sacrificially and

sectarianism is the sin leaving the large communities or leaving

the fellowships.

This definition of spirituality is particularly focused on

interiority. It speaks of a concern for the generative core of

the “soul.” Again, obviously, this short definition leaves much

unsaid. It is a helpful perspective in lifting up the value of

silence, solitude, and contemplative “being in the presence” of

God. Assessment of these dimensions of a discipline or practice

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becomes more complicated and dependent upon self-assessing. After

interrogating Eugene it is to know that simple and strong points

of Church doctrine, personal character may become stumbling

blocks for spiritual maturity or for soul care. One’ have to open

the heart and eyes of senses to know what and how to improve our

spiritual relation more and more with God to see what we are. It

is that God wants from us to grown like Him into His image of

Christ with help of Holy Spirit, Amen.

Bibliography

Fenelon Francois, ed. Hal M. Helms, Christian Classics: The Royal

Way of the Cross. Brewster, Massachusetts: Paraclete Press, 1982.

19

http://www.leaderu.com/marshill/mhr03/peter1.html

Merritt Johnathan,

http://jonathanmerritt.religionnews.com/2013/09/27/faithful-end-

interview-eugene-peterson/

http://www.bereanresearchinstitute.com/02_Bible_Versions/

BV.0101_04_Is_Eugene_Petersons_book_The_Message_Gods_Word.html

http://www.seekgod.ca/drpeterson.htm

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/paperbacktheology/2012/10/

eugene-peterson-the-difference-between-reading-the-bible-and-

studying-the-bible.html

Livingstone E. A., Oxford Concise Dictionary of the Christian Church.

Oxford University Press: Oxford, England; 2013.

Peterson H. Eugene, Subversive Spirituality. William B. Eerdmans

Publishing Company: Grand Rapids, 1997.

Peterson H. Eugene, Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places: A Conversation

in Spiritual Theology. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company: Grand

Rapids, 2005.

Peterson H. Eugene, Five Smooth Stones for Pastoral Work. William B.

Eerdmans Publishing Company: Grand Rapids, 1980.

20

Peterson H. Eugene, “St. Mark: The Basic Text for Christian

Spirituality,” in Crux, XXIX, 1993,

21

Soul care principles according to Peterson Eugene

Documents