Contemplation and Freedom: The Liberating Power of Spiritual Practice

by Benedict R Shoup (Editor), Mary Frohlich (Editor)

Overview

How does prayer shape action? How does sustained engagement in deep prayer shape our very freedom to act? This volume explores the relationship between Christian contemplative prayer and the exercise of freedom. Over the past half century, the desire for a better integration of spirituality and theology has emerged as a significant theme in theological writing. While the question of freedom has not been absent from this discourse, this volume highlights it by bringing it to the very center of the conversation. Eleven theologians explore the dialectical relationship between contemplation and freedom by engaging with a wide array of sources ranging from Maximus the Confessor to Edith Stein, from Howard Thurman to Bernard Lonergan, from the Tibhirine martyrs to M. Shawn Copeland. This symphony of voices unveils the methodological fruitfulness of placing contemplative prayer at the center of life, theory, and practice.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798385216024
Publisher:	Pickwick Publications
Publication date:	04/22/2025
Pages:	210
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.44(d)

About the Author

Benedict R. Shoup is a doctoral candidate in systematic theology at the University of Notre Dame with a subspecialty in historical theology. He is currently completing his dissertation, “The Breath of the Word: John of the Cross’s Theology of the Holy Spirit.”



Mary Frohlich is professor emerita of spirituality at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. Currently she is a visiting scholar at the Clough School of Theology and Ministry at Boston College. She is noted for her work on methodology for the study of spirituality and on Carmelite spirituality. Her most recent book is The Heart at the Heart of the World: Re-Visioning the Sacred Heart for an Ecozoic Era (2024).

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“‘Contemplation’ is traditionally paired and contrasted with ‘action.’ This wonderful collection of eleven original essays pairs ‘contemplation’ instead with ‘freedom’—a neglected, middle term naming both the transformative effect of the contemplative life and the necessary condition for a person’s virtuous action and suffering in the world. At the beginning and end of the collection, the martyred monks of Tibhirine stand as exemplars for a liberation of mind and soul that is rooted in contemplative spiritual practice.”

—Ann W. Astell, professor of history of Christianity, University of Notre Dame



“Contemplation and Freedom is a wonderful collection of essays by a stellar group of scholars. Each chapter reveals how diverse contemplative practices liberate minds, hearts, and societies, while contesting shallow, individualistic conceptions of freedom. It is a great resource for all students and practitioners of Christian spirituality.”

—Andrew Prevot, Amaturo Chair in Catholic Studies, Georgetown University



“Recently, theologians such as Sarah Coakley and Andrew Prevot have argued persuasively for the integration of prayer, especially the mystical, into the work of theology, contending that such an interweaving provides indispensable resources in struggles for a world at once more human and more divine. This collection shows the reach and fecundity of such a project, with forays into thorny yet fascinating theoretical problems and conversations with and between a broad range of figures. For all of this, it does not sacrifice unity of theme for the sake of diversity of topic and interlocutor, making it ideal for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses. Offering profound meditatio on living the contemplative and active lives under the conditions of modernity, I will return to these essays often.”

—Matthew Ashley, professor of Christian spirituality, Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University

Editorial Reviews

‘Contemplation’ is traditionally paired and contrasted with ‘action.’ This wonderful collection of eleven original essays pairs ‘contemplation’ instead with ‘freedom’—a neglected, middle term naming both the transformative effect of the contemplative life and the necessary condition for a person’s virtuous action and suffering in the world. At the beginning and end of the collection, the martyred monks of Tibhirine stand as exemplars for a liberation of mind and soul that is rooted in contemplative spiritual practice.”

—Ann W. Astell, professor of history of Christianity, University of Notre Dame



“Contemplation and Freedom is a wonderful collection of essays by a stellar group of scholars. Each chapter reveals how diverse contemplative practices liberate minds, hearts, and societies, while contesting shallow, individualistic conceptions of freedom. It is a great resource for all students and practitioners of Christian spirituality.”

—Andrew Prevot, Amaturo Chair in Catholic Studies, Georgetown University



“Recently, theologians such as Sarah Coakley and Andrew Prevot have argued persuasively for the integration of prayer, especially the mystical, into the work of theology, contending that such an interweaving provides indispensable resources in struggles for a world at once more human and more divine. This collection shows the reach and fecundity of such a project, with forays into thorny yet fascinating theoretical problems and conversations with and between a broad range of figures. For all of this, it does not sacrifice unity of theme for the sake of diversity of topic and interlocutor, making it ideal for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses. Offering profound meditatio on living the contemplative and active lives under the conditions of modernity, I will return to these essays often.”

—Matthew Ashley, professor of Christian spirituality, Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University

From the Publisher