Above All Things Put on Love: Transforming the Emotions of the Mind

Abstract

Emotions appear to be self-evident common sense; however, our understanding of ‘emotions’ carries a history of ongoing debate that persists to this day. This article provides a concise history of emotions, from biblical times to modern-day affective neuroscience. It describes how passions and affections of the soul became emotions of the body, excluding theology in the process. Modern affective neuroscience has yet to yield a universally accepted definition of emotions or a description of their physiology. These historical shifts have resulted in lost knowledge from the Judeo-Christian tradition concerning the soul, will, and love, leaving inadequate guidance for transforming the emotions in Christian spiritual formation. An interdisciplinary approach is suggested, and Dallas Willard’s model of transforming the emotions by cultivating the conditions of love, joy, and peace is presented. A case study on love is given. Christian spiritual formation offers unique and essential knowledge to the study of emotions.