Living a Spiritually and Materially Integrated Life: Interviews with 12 Christian Mystics (PDF)
By Dr. Stelli Munnis
For my doctoral dissertation, I explored the question, How do Christian mystics who are active participants in the modern world successfully integrate their spiritual and material values? I interviewed twelve individuals (7 women and 5 men, from 51 to 85 years old) who lived in California, North Carolina, New York, and New Mexico. Half of the participants were Caucasian, and the other half included individuals from the Philippines, Greece, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Germany.
Common themes that emerged from the data included having a personal relationship with the Divine, a spiritual ministry of service to God, valuing balance—physically, intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually, seeing all aspects of materiality as a reflection of God, and preferring to live simply with little concern for the acquisition of material things. Most participants described feeling unique as children and sought out spirituality from an early age. All participants experienced one or more of the following: difficult, traumatic, or life-changing experiences, mystical experiences; or interactions with spiritual people, places, or things that had a profound affect on their growth and development in consciousness. Over half described their journey toward greater integration as a difficult but rewarding path. Conflict and struggling were accepted as part of the human condition, as opposed to being considered experiences to be avoided or transcended.
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD (PDF), 232 pages
By Dr. Stelli Munnis
For my doctoral dissertation, I explored the question, How do Christian mystics who are active participants in the modern world successfully integrate their spiritual and material values? I interviewed twelve individuals (7 women and 5 men, from 51 to 85 years old) who lived in California, North Carolina, New York, and New Mexico. Half of the participants were Caucasian, and the other half included individuals from the Philippines, Greece, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Germany.
Common themes that emerged from the data included having a personal relationship with the Divine, a spiritual ministry of service to God, valuing balance—physically, intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually, seeing all aspects of materiality as a reflection of God, and preferring to live simply with little concern for the acquisition of material things. Most participants described feeling unique as children and sought out spirituality from an early age. All participants experienced one or more of the following: difficult, traumatic, or life-changing experiences, mystical experiences; or interactions with spiritual people, places, or things that had a profound affect on their growth and development in consciousness. Over half described their journey toward greater integration as a difficult but rewarding path. Conflict and struggling were accepted as part of the human condition, as opposed to being considered experiences to be avoided or transcended.
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD (PDF), 232 pages
By Dr. Stelli Munnis
For my doctoral dissertation, I explored the question, How do Christian mystics who are active participants in the modern world successfully integrate their spiritual and material values? I interviewed twelve individuals (7 women and 5 men, from 51 to 85 years old) who lived in California, North Carolina, New York, and New Mexico. Half of the participants were Caucasian, and the other half included individuals from the Philippines, Greece, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Germany.
Common themes that emerged from the data included having a personal relationship with the Divine, a spiritual ministry of service to God, valuing balance—physically, intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually, seeing all aspects of materiality as a reflection of God, and preferring to live simply with little concern for the acquisition of material things. Most participants described feeling unique as children and sought out spirituality from an early age. All participants experienced one or more of the following: difficult, traumatic, or life-changing experiences, mystical experiences; or interactions with spiritual people, places, or things that had a profound affect on their growth and development in consciousness. Over half described their journey toward greater integration as a difficult but rewarding path. Conflict and struggling were accepted as part of the human condition, as opposed to being considered experiences to be avoided or transcended.
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD (PDF), 232 pages
