Anglican Spiritual Direction

Anglican Spiritual Direction, Peter Ball, 2nd Edition, Morehouse Publishing, 2007 In the last 40 years numerous books appeared on the practice of spiritual direction, along with the rise of Spiritual Directors International and their publications. Some started with the Jesuit Jean LaPlace's 1967 book Preparing for Spiritual Direction or with Merton's book discussed below. The 1980's saw new Roman Catholic books, particularly, Carolyn Gratton's Guidelines for Spiritual Direction (1980), and William Barry's and William Connolly's book The Practice of Spiritual Direction. Well-known Anglican and Episcopalian volumes were: Kenneth' Leach's 1977 Soul Friend; Tilden Edward's Spiritual Friend (1980); Morton Kelsey's Companions on the Inner Way (1983); and Martin Thornton's Spiritual Direction (1984). I highlight six books here as a group which, collectively, might be used in this era to both deepen awareness of the Christian tradition in particular and to see spiritual direction in the context of the contemporary multiplicity of interfaith synergies. Norvene Vest's Tending the Holy: Spiritual Direction Across Traditions, 2003 (another SDI book) is an anthology which introduces the reader to spiritual direction as it is conceived and practiced in Buddhist, Sufi, Hindu, and Jewish traditions. A second section introduces Ignatian, Carmelite and Benedictine traditions, adding a piece on spiritual direction for Evangelicals. The final section includes special perspectives: spirituality of nature and the poor (Franciscan), institutional levels of spiritual direction, the Gen-X soul, and Vest's own innovative writing on feminist direction. A highly informative book Relating to a Spiritual Teacher: Building a Healthy Relationship, Alexander Berzin, (2000) provides excellent East-West perspective for Americans in particular. Berzin offers a huge, in depth ethical corrective to the influx of "Cadillac gurus" while at the same time introducing the reader to the entire context of Tibetan Buddhism. If there is a single book which frames the Merton, Main, Le Saux, Griffiths and Centering Prayer Western response from Christianity as a spiritual path, this book is it. There is no discussion of these Christian writers; the reader will see how highly developed the Tibetan tradition is, why many Western seekers have sought to transplant themselves outside their own traditions, and why the desert tradition in the West has been the primary source for all subsequent Christian streams of guidance for sanctification/union with God. The desert is Christianity's key point of interaction with the East. Here Western Christians might go directly to 5th century Neilos the Ascetic's "Ascetic Discourse" in volume I of the Philokalia. Neilos discusses spiritual direction as charism. He is unambiguously Christo-centric, as is Julian of Norwich. Here we encounter spiritual elder as spirit bearer as distinguished from method-teacher. (There remains the strategic question of Chr

Peter Ball gives us a very comprehensive overview of Spiritual Direction from an Anglican perspective. He looks primarily on the different schools and their contributions. This book is not about technique, but about the values, attitudes and pastoral perspective that Anglicans have contributed to the work of Spiritual Direction. It is a helpful tool for those who wish to know more about this important work.