Eucharist as Meaning: Critical Metaphysics and Contemporary Sacramental Theology Joseph C. Mudd

Abstract

about linking spiritual practices to core beliefs. Of course, as he notes, this is less significant in Hinduism, which sits loosely with established or even foundational beliefs, and even less so in Buddhism, where the Buddha is understood to have consciously rejected the idea of doctrines and dogmas. The final chapter is equally extensive and draws attention to the wide presence of the phenomenon and various discourses of spirituality in the secular context. Again the four-fold typology helpfully sets the scene for the discussion. The ‘ascetical’ type is manifest in the widespread interest in meditation and in sport and its disciplines. The ‘mystical’ type is found in, for instance, ‘some modern understandings of encounters with wonder in science’ (p. 168). The ‘practical’ can be seen in some strands of social work. The ‘prophetic’ type is located in health professions – via a ‘renewed vision of human care’ (p. 168) – as well as in business, economics, and urban planning – via the ‘emphasis on public virtue’ (p. 168). But the range of spiritualties discussed in this chapter would ultimately appear to break out of this typology as Sheldrake explores such topics as ‘feminist’ and ‘men’s’ spiritualties, cyberspace as a new location for spiritual development, and the discussions amongst architects and urban planners around the phenomenon of ‘awe’ generated by buildings and spaces. As a Christian systematic theologian whose discipline frequently encounters spirituality and its exponents in a relationship of mutual suspicion, I found this book to be a very welcome and nuanced overview of this broad and demanding topic. I was drawn to a more empathetic engagement with the scholarly study of spirituality and greatly appreciated Sheldrake’s consistent sensitivity to the complex relationships between spirituality, thought and practice. The key question (although not one the book set out to answer) I am left with is just where and how Christian theologians might engage most productively with the ever-widening range of discourses and practices which self-identify as ‘spiritual’. Partly because it poses this challenge, I will certainly be including it in the reading lists of my introductory units in systematic theology as a way of helping students locate their theological study in the wide and overlapping spiritual, religious and cultural contexts which Sheldrake outlines so well.