Misconceptions in understanding spiritual life.

A mistake is not the same as the wrong thing. It is usually characterized by emphasizing one aspect of the matter, one perspective that has been neglected. However, it will emphasize it so that it exceeds the right rate and falls into unilateralism. Perfect spiritual life is a harmonious cooperation of all the components of our life: physical, mental, spiritual, social, all in their place and in reasonable value. One-sided exaggeration of this or another ability can be schematically divided into several groups. 1. Materialism. Christians are fundamentally opposed to it. They corrected the exaggerated «spiritualism» of Plato and all idealists. Matter is not evil, but the work of a good Creator. The body did not attach to the soul by sin, but belongs to our «self». Nonetheless, we can never accept that mental and spiritual activities are merely the result of material conditions. Older authors were opposed to this concept; it seemed to them a weak and undignified free man that they did not exaggerate the independence of the spirit from the body and material surroundings. Everything had to be corrected in this respect, but not merits of soul and human freedom.M2. Psychologist. But God’s Life Resides Above All In The Soul It then maintains its basic characteristics, its regularity. Psychology has advanced considerably in modern times. It turned out to be able to explain anything from what seemed to be «supernatural» as the work of the Spirit. Christian asceticism must therefore be grateful to the psychologist for their cooperation. Nevertheless, he fundamentally defies the effort to explain “psychologically” everything and translate the whole activity of the Holy Spirit into a category of mental action, into human abilities. Psychology has different shades, it is primarily of a triple kind. (a) Rationalism, intellectualism. Man is a reasonable creature. He tries to understand . Even Christian is obliged to enhance his judgment by education and personal reasoning. The Christian faith must be reasonable and theology is a constant effort to better understand and explain it. It is not the one who uses reason in religion but who abuses it. Reason recognizes reality. Scholastic philosophy believes that every reality is reasonably achievable. (Ens est intelligible, being understandable). However, we must not forget that our human reason is only partial, and therefore imperfect. Rationalism admits that there is only what it understands by reason. He resembles a little boy who thinks the whole world is just what he can see. Rationalism also manifests itself in religious intellectuals. The message of Christ and His coming to the world appeared to St.Paul was something intrusive that he remained in trance over the incomprehensible judgments and devious ways of God’s action (Rom 11: 33). However, theologians, moralists and thinkers have been working for 2000 years to express the gospel message in concise principles, instructions, moral precepts. Many people today think that Christianity is one of the great systems, programs, theories to make the world. Even opponents recognize that it is a “very solid system” when it has survived nations and ages. Yet Christianity is not merely doctrine, it is only a part of it, but life in Christ, with the Holy Spirit.In a rush of reluctance, Soloviev did not hesitate to call Antichrist and LN Tolstoy precisely because of this misconception of Christianity, as if everything was merely a moral principle of the Gospel. Then we would really question what is so amazingly new here. After all, many of the gospel prescriptions can be found elsewhere! Moreover, (and in this follows Solo’s Church Fathers) Christ’s coming to earth himself would be completely useless. A book of the Gospels without the death and resurrection of the Redeemer would suffice. Indeed, many of those who want to compare Christianity with other “world views” still do this rationalist unilateralism. Already St. IRENA points out that Christ did not bring much in the doctrine as we would think. Much of what we read in the gospel was also preached by the prophets of the Old Testament. Yet he brought “all newness” because he “brought himself”, was born, died, rose from the dead, and this life gave us that we too should live forever (cf. John 10:28) .b) Voluntarism. Human will be a great force. He can do a lot. Without it we would not have saved. «He who created you without …» Augustine, “You won’t be saved without you.” However, even this power must not be overestimated if it was enough for everything (so-called pelagianism), or if Christian perfection was judged solely because of performance, especially external. Passive virtues with active virtues.We are supposed to worry less about humility, contemplation, adoration, denial, but rather all we can do for the Church, for social justice, for the law. Often these councils have been well-intentioned, and there is some truth in them. By their one-sidedness, however, they easily lead to the consequences that conflict with the life of Christ and the teaching of the Gospel. Voluntarism is also related to the so-called. Moralism. He who loves God keeps the commandments (John 14:21). People who have true will better observe the laws of morality, the prescriptions of the Church, are faithful in duty. Can they be said to be truly holier, better than others? We are sure that the observation of God’s laws sanctified man. The life struggle of Christ against the Pharisees shows how easy it is to go astray and how external integrity can become a mask that masks the fundamental shortcomings of many and real values. c) Sentimentalism. The presence of the Holy Spirit cleanses all our abilities, including our feelings. The ear of a trained musician becomes sensitive to the harmony of tones, the slope of the melody. Religious life awakens the sense and sense of what it is, as Paul, above (Col. 3, 1), for God’s world, for piety. There will be inner joy, comfort, peace that the world cannot give. This is the fruit of the Spirit in the words of Apostle (Gal 5:22). The Slope Of The Melody Religious life awakens the sense and sense of what it is, as Paul, above (Col. 3, 1), for God’s world, for piety. There will be inner joy, comfort, peace that the world cannot give. This is the fruit of the Spirit in the words of Apostle (Gal 5:22). The Slope Of The Melody Religious life awakens the sense and sense of what it is, as Paul, above (Col. 3, 1), for God’s world, for piety. There will be inner joy, comfort, peace that the world cannot give. This is the fruit of the Spirit in the words of Apostle (Gal 5:22). Spiritual authors have always wondered whether such inner states are necessary, whether they are an infallible sign of the grace and presence of the Spirit. What if someone completely misses and feels comfortless, full of contradictions, temptations, dislikes? The issue of “The Grace Awareness” is now addressed again by theology, even though it is aware of difficulties. Long-convicted mistakes should be avoided, eg. of Messianic ism (4th century) who claimed to have grace only when we feel it. Temptation, restlessness is said to be a symptom of sin. Even at the beginning of the modern era there are several important statements of the Church. Feeling and convinced of our justification is not enough to be saved. It was again emphasized (against Bai) that ” died and sanctified human activity and values. Spiritual life is in the Holy Spirit. But he “spiritualizes” the whole human person. So, it really makes sense to disdain exaggerated spiritualism: daily life, its worries, interests, feelings, relationships. In contrast to God, however, the world is nothing, nor does it deserve attention. However, the world in and with God is the beginning of the heavenly Jerusalem, to which the evolution of history is heading. Excessive spiritualism manifests itself in many ways. There are those who overestimate miracles, await extraordinary intervention of God’s power, and do not sufficiently use the means at our disposal to achieve good. It is good to think of eternal bliss, but one must not forget that it is a reward of love. Nothing is more holy to a Christian than prayer, but it also includes work, as symbolically expressed by the two sisters in the Gospel, Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38, n.). The right principle is: To save the soul, no matter what else! Nevertheless, we cannot be exalted to throw our hands over poverty and the needs of a neighbor, over social injustice, over oppression. Called. Flower-making (from the Latin word quies – peace) longs for God’s grace to penetrate the heart of man. However, he forgets that God is an activity, and therefore God’s life also supports an activity. Spiritual experiences are not meant to get drunk and fall into passivity, inactivity. 4. Unilateral Christian sociologist. But love for God is realized through love for one’s neighbor. It should then meet the needs of modern life and be organized. Christians as a whole cannot move away from public life, politics or culture. Yet, even in the heat of enthusiasm for the good cause, the words of Christ cannot be forgotten: My kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). The Gospel is not just a social program.