Question:

"Paul's whole thing in I Corinthians 7 is just discouraging and it's been no small stumbling block to my view of marriage in the past. I guess I'm just wondering why he took such a negative view in the light of what you present in your book [Sacred Marriage]. I know you spoke a little of this at the beginning but it still doesn't answer why Paul didn't speak of the virtues and good of marriage---except to prevent fornication?? Would you please help me a little more if you would?"

Answer:

Since you've read Sacred Marriage, I won't repeat what I've already said there. What follows is in addition to that and builds on that. One thing to keep in mind is that though the Bible is the inspired word of God, it is still written through human vessels. Every word is still true, but I think you see certain emphases that come out of certain writers. If Paul's perspective was sufficient, he could have written the entire New Testament. As it was, God saw fit to employ several different writers to give us a full account of his will.
Though Paul was probably married as a young man, either his wife died or he lived the latter half of his life as a single man, and I think he saw the work God called him to do as incompatible with the married station. The demands of his travel, the accepted danger, and the need to stay emotionally and spiritually involved with so many churches in so many different locales would have made giving attention to a wife and kids very difficult, at best. Clearly, in Paul's situation, singleness was the best route. The same thing was true for John the Baptist and Jesus. It was not true, however, for Peter, and yet Jesus calls Peter the Rock on whom he would build his church.

I think it comes down to accepting God's call and our station in life. There is room for Paul and there is room for Peter. As a married man, I can't do everything that Paul did. But also as a married man, I can be disciplined in ways that weren't applicable to Paul. Thankfully, God is a creative God and is well able to discipline, prune, and mature the married and the singles.

Question:

When I read the definition of spiritual theology and the definition of spiritual formation, I am not sure I see a great difference. I realize there is a difference in theologies, but they both seem to address the issue of being formed into the image of Christ. Are they the same thing, only Protestants call it spiritual formation and Catholics call it spiritual theology?

Answer:

I think you've hit it exactly--most Protestants speak of spiritual formation while many Catholics prefer the phrase spiritual theology. Though not everyone gives each phrase the same meaning (two protestants could mean two different things while both using spiritual formation, for instance), in general, you'll be correct far more often than not by seeing the two as identical. The "formation" phrase seems to emphasize actual application and transformation, while the "theology" phrase lends itself more to study and intellectual pursuit--but I think this has more to do with communication than with literal differences.

Question:

Sacred Pathways. I'm just about finished with the book and just wanted to let you know how refreshed I feel after discovering some of my natural bents toward worship. It's been quite liberating to know that it's o.k. to have these tendencies - it's easy to feel guilty about how God has made us (if we're not excelling in certain areas due to the way we're wired). Here's how I scored, just for your information:
Ascetic - 26 (This one had the most impact on me)
Intellectual - 26
Contemplative - 20
Enthusiast - 20
Naturalist - 18
Activist - 17
Sensate - 14
Caregiver - 11
Traditionalist - 10

I would be very curious to know which books of the Bible are most intriguing to each person according to their types of worship. For example, I have found Ecclesiastes and Job to be very influential in really grabbing my attention. Let me know what you know on this. Thanks!

Answer:

I suspect that it is your intellectual bent that has most captured you through Ecclesiastes and Job--those may be two of the most intellectually inclined books of the Bible.
Enthusiasts are often big fans of the Psalms; Caregivers may lean toward John's first epistle, or perhaps Ruth or Esther--though Esther can fall in the Activist camp as well. Contemplatives, surprisingly enough, often really enjoy the Song of Songs, reading it as an allegory of their love relationship with God. Keep in mind, however, that some spiritual types won't readily identify with any written material--though they respect and love the Scriptures, they may not be the type to have a "favorite" book.