This study’s main contribution is its aim to reorient the common perception surrounding M’Cheyne’s pursuit of holiness. It argues that rightly understanding M’Cheyne’s spirituality must begin with the fundamental issue of why he pursued the means of grace as he did, before reckoning with how he used those means. Such a reorientation reveals that loving communion with Christ was the driving force for M’Cheyne’s vision of the Christian life. Chapters 1 through 5 lay the foundation for understanding M’Cheyne’s spirituality. Chapters 6 through 10 expand on that foundation by demonstrating how M’Cheyne’s piety manifested itself in various spheres of his life and ministry. Chapter 1 states the project’s thesis and surveys the history of studies on M’Cheyne. Chapter 2 offers an overview of M’Cheyne’s life and ministry. Chapter 3 places M’Cheyne in the various contextual streams of his day. Understanding the ecclesiastical, philosophical, cultural, and pastoral contexts in which M’Cheyne lived aids an understanding of M’Cheyne’s spirituality and its subsequent appeal. Chapter 4 analyzes the essential contours of M’Cheyne’s theology. Importantly, his theology was that of the Westminster Standards. Chapter 5 systematizes M’Cheyne’s key thoughts on devotion to Christ. The Song of Songs provided the grammar that marked his conception of pursuing holiness. To grow in Christ is to know the Rose of Sharon, and to commune with the Beloved. Chapter 6 considers M’Cheyne’s practice of communion with Christ through the means of grace, specifically God’s Word, the sacraments, and prayer. Chapter 7 examines M’Cheyne’s preaching of Christ. His sermons exalted Christ, focusing on Christ as our Surety, Savior, and Judge. Chapter 8 shows M’Cheyne’s dedication to evangelism through his work with children, method of visitation, longing for revival, and strategies for church extension. Chapter 9 highlights an oft-neglected pillar of M’Cheyne’s pursuit of holiness: his Sabbatarian zeal. Chapter 10 assesses M’Cheyne’s eschatology and its effect on his spirituality.

This dissertation seeks to retrieve a crucial aspect of the spiritual heritage of Anne Dutton, her Trinitarian spirituality as it was developed in the historical context of eighteenth-century Trinitarian controversies in England and especially the Particular Baptists’ defense of the Trinity. It argues that Dutton’s Trinitarian spirituality is not only doctrinally orthodox, but also full of doxological devotion and practical comfort. It typifies the 1689 London Baptist Confession’s statement about the Trinity being the foundation of “communion with God and comfortable dependence on him.” The first three chapters serve introductory and biographical purposes. Chapter 1 introduces the purpose of the thesis, the primary sources to be examined, and the organization of the dissertation. Chapter 2 presents a historical literature review of Dutton and her works. Chapter 3 sketches a portrait of Dutton in the four biblical images of the sinner, sojourner, servant and saint. Chapter 4 supplies the historical context for Dutton’s Trinitarian spirituality. It attends to both the Trinitarian controversies in eighteenth-century England and the defense of the Trinity by such Particular Baptist ministers as John Gill, Benjamin Beddome, Benjamin Wallin, and Andrew Fuller. Chapters 5 and 6 focus on the nature and work of the Trinity. Chapter 5 presents Dutton’s thought about the ontology of the Trinity, which highlights the co-deity and co-equality of the Father, Son, and Spirit. Chapter 6 studies her doctrine of the work of the Trinity. In addition to the tripartite work of the Father in election, the Son in redemption, and the Spirit in particular application, attention is also given to Dutton’s expostulations of the adoption of the Father, advocateship of the Son and the sealing of the Spirit. Both the distinctive work of the triune God and their unity are underscored in the economy of human salvation. Chapters 7 and 8 deal with Dutton’s application of the Trinity in Christian experience. Chapter 7 examines her view of communion with the triune God primarily from her work, Walking with God and from comparison with John Owen’s work on the topic. The ways of this communion, which entail the primary way of Christ and the derivative ways of faith, worship, providence, and holiness are then illustrated by her spiritual autobiography. Chapter 8 discusses Dutton’s use of the Trinity in her epistolary counseling of the afflicted souls. They were directed to depend on the sovereign grace of the Father, the love of the Son, and the comfort of the Spirit. This dissertation concludes with a call for re-centering Christian devotion and practices, such as worship, education, and counseling, on the Trinity as the way to revive the Christian life in praxis as well as in doctrine.

This thesis offers a development of work on and with L. J. J. Wittgenstein by R. Bambrough (1969 etc.), S. Cavell (1979 etc.), J. C. Edwards (1982), P. Hacker (1986 etc.), F. Kerr (1986), N. Lash (1988), N, Malcolm (1960 etc.), D. Pears (1987 etc.), D. Z. Phillips (1965 etc.), R. White (1982), P. Winch (1972 etc.) and others. It is argued that all Wittgenstein's philosophical work coheres with his inclusive spirituality, Jewish and Christian, in seeking to express the dialectics of the sublime in the pedestrian. The most important chapters (one, seven and eight) cannot be fully understood without the others. Wittgenstein's inclusive concern with transforming philosophy, himself and all friends within reach, expresses his sense of responsibility for the language that we use and have, share and actively are. This intensive and comprehensive responsibility, with eschatological and apocalyptic affinities, shows in his ethics of descriptive grammar. Since languages and concepts are ways and means for procedural knowledge, his ethics of description is also an ethics, aesthetics and theology of perceptive equilibration in understanding, interpretation and family-resemblances. Inclusive spirituality involves Anselmian transcendence. Wittgenstein's inclusive spirituality is maintained to be a revised and radicalised version of Augustine's regulative dialectics of inclusive grammar, free from his exclusive theories of language-development and predestination. Wittgenstein's simplest and potentially most powerful presentation of Augustine's grammar is the third "great difficulty" in his ethics of 1929. This integrates Wittgenstein's work as a vital open system, akin to eastern trinitarianism. His dialectics of the sublime are related to William James, Tolstoy, Emerson, Pascal, Hamann, Kant, Schopenhauer, Kierkegaard, Kraus, Weininger, Dostoevsky, Barth and others. Convergences between Wittgenstein and Barth are considered, particularly with regard to the letter's lecture on ethics, published in 1924 (1928 in English), and the beginning of Church Dogmatics (1932 onwards). Wittgenstein's theological and religious reticence is finally argued to be his way of leaving his gift before the place where sacrifice was once offered, as he works on his remembering of unreconciled others. (Matthew 5:23-24). His "third (greatest) difficulty" is the greatest difficulty.

Contemporary pastoral counselling has many unresolved problems associated with its practice, causing frustration for both counsellors and counsellees. This thesis suggests that such problems are related to the fact that pastoral counselling is overshadowed by the dominant schools of psychology, to the detriment of its spirituality. Furthermore, by attending to both its "values" and its "aims", contemporary pastoral counselling is shown to lack a distinctive theoretical base. This thesis proposes that pastoral counselling is, in fact, the reparative dimension of spiritual direction. Referring to such counselling as " therapeutic spiritual direction" best expresses this concept. Some of the ways in which this redefinition of pastoral counselling may alleviate problems which are currently experienced, particularly by counsellors, are highlighted. A spirituality appropriate to this discipline is outlined. Both Keating's life in general, and eight anthropological models used in conjunction with his teaching on Centering Prayer, are examined to provide a theological foundation for therapeutic spiritual direction. Utilising a conflation of Keating's models, supplemented by insights from his spirituality, individuals are located within an evolutionary-developmental context, within which the reality of sin is acknowledged. Attention is given, in a holistic fashion, to the physical, emotional, and spiritual faculties, and to relationships with both the world at large, and God in particular. Real and potential problems in emotional and spiritual formation are explained with reference to four "energy centres". Therapeutic spiritual direction is characterised by the environment within which it is conducted, and SLX identifiable stages through which it passes. Based on Keating's models, an Instrument is developed to facilitate such counselling, particularly in its diagnostic phases. Use of the means of grace and traditionally Christian disciplines and forms of ministry are emphasised for healing, and a spectrum of suggested treatment modalities is generated. The place of other health-care disciplines and social-care agencies is recognised, and discriminating co-operation and dialogue with them and with other faith traditions is encouraged This thesis has profound significance for the way in which pastoral counselling should be practised. In the light of these insights, some implications for the training of counsellors and for ministry in South Africa are noted.

James Hudson Taylor is often proclaimed the Father of the Modern Faith Mission Movement. As the founder of the China Inland Mission (or modern day OMF International), it would seem that much of Taylor's legacy is indeed his pioneering work in missions and missiology. This is well worth the time and attention of researchers and students, as there is at least an assumption that many modern mission practices are patterned after Taylor's innovations. However, Taylor's life and legacy leaves the modern student with more than missiological principles. He also personally developed a unique and peculiar brand of biblical spirituality in the process of founding and leading one of the first modern faith-based, interdenominational mission societies. This research will seek to find connections between Taylor's peculiar brand of spirituality and his unique missiological leadership along with applications for the modern context. This will result in a qualitative description of Taylor's spirituality, missional leadership style along with connections with implications. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Christian Spirituality)

This dissertation explores the relationship between Christian spirituality and the general wellbeing of the individual. To this end a literature review is conducted, as well as qualitative interviews with eleven individuals in the Cape Town area (South Africa). Snowball sampling was used to gain access to these eleven research participants who fitted the criteria of adults exhibiting a particular Christian lifestyle. The literature review revealed that nurturing, non-punitive religion has been associated with mental and physical health and that active participation in church activities that enhance a person’s social support system is beneficial. The qualitative interviews yielded the finding that those interviewees who had positive experiences with Christian spirituality during their childhood regard it as a significant contributor to meaning, hope and happiness in their lives. / Christian Spirituality Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Christian Spirituality)

This dissertation explores the relationship between Christian spirituality and the general wellbeing of the individual. To this end a literature review is conducted, as well as qualitative interviews with eleven individuals in the Cape Town area (South Africa). Snowball sampling was used to gain access to these eleven research participants who fitted the criteria of adults exhibiting a particular Christian lifestyle. The literature review revealed that nurturing, non-punitive religion has been associated with mental and physical health and that active participation in church activities that enhance a person’s social support system is beneficial. The qualitative interviews yielded the finding that those interviewees who had positive experiences with Christian spirituality during their childhood regard it as a significant contributor to meaning, hope and happiness in their lives. / Christian Spirituality Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Christian Spirituality)

The Scriptures, as found in the Old and New Testaments, are foundational to a genuine Christian spirituality. Among the different existing approaches to spirituality, the evangelical and charismatic churches in South Africa today need to rediscover a distinctive biblical approach to spirituality for themselves in order to facilitate the discipleship of their own members. A holistic biblical spirituality can also serve society in practical ways and challenge the perceptions and practices of a South African society which is seeking to advance without religious foundations. / Philosophy and Systematic Theology / M.Th. (Christian Spirituality)

“How does one develop an appropriate urban Christian Spirituality?” is the question this study asks. First, I develop a rigorous, yet open, theoretical framework with which to describe Christian Spirituality’s complexity: a description focused primarily on constraining the markers of Biblical Spirituality and City Spirituality. Within the limits placed on the complex system of Christian Spirituality, I begin exploring various, mostly minor, tropes of urban biblical spiritualities in the “Old” and “New” Testament. From these analyses, I evince the implications of these biblical spirituality tropes for the current city theater, and also construe a set of questions evaluating the appropriateness of mitigating urban communities. The study culminates in an imagined ideal mitigating urban community named an ekklesiastes: a wisdom teaching technology of urban meaning, complexity, and resistance. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Christian Spirituality)

Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D. Th (Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology)