Abstract
I develop a spiritual theology of the physical act of sleep. The spiritual significance of the physical act of sleep ought to be a relational trust that recognizes my place as a creature that depends on the grace of a self-sufficient provider. After distinguishing this topic from other related themes, I develop a theological anthropology of sleep by considering how sleep brings glory to God and by placing sleep within the redemption narrative. I explore sleep as a spiritual practice and investigate the theme of sleep as trust in Scripture. I exposit a spiritual danger associated with sleep, the capital vice of sloth, and show how the traditional conception of this vice further illumines the spiritual significance of sleep.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.