Abstract
Contemplation is at the heart of the Christian faith, and, more specifically, is the driving mechanism of both theology and prayer. Unfortunately, theologians and writers on the Christian life have often succumbed to the temptation to utilize a “secular” or commonsensical notion of contemplation rather than one forged in the context of Christian belief. In response, this essay delineates the possibility and ground of contemplation, looking to the doctrine of God to provide the necessary contours for Christian rationality and spirituality. In so doing, particular attention is paid to the work of Son and Spirit, and the truth of the Christian person who is caught up in God's work of grace. Contemplation, it is suggested, must be determined within this reality rather than a general notion of focused intellection.
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