There are Other Ways to Know: The Role of Spirituality in Theological Research for Gaining Understanding and Attaining Personal Transformation

Abstract

Theological research typically pursues knowledge acquisition without the explicit integration of spirituality as a legitimate source and process of gaining understanding. This historically evolved assumption tacitly presupposes that spirituality may impede rational objectivity and thereby delegitimize some of the research findings. There is also a resolute presumption that cognitive forms of appropriating knowledge are inherently superior to all other forms of procuring comprehension. This paper argues that such a bifurcation is unwarranted, and that lived spirituality does indeed have an important epistemological function. Aspects of practiced spirituality, which are here explored through a Christian lens, offer multiple possibilities for knowledge augmentation. Motivated by love for God and neighbour, researchers can employ various epistemic methodologies for gaining greater discernment, which include embodiment, spiritual practices, religious experiences, and pneumatological insights. A deliberately spiritual approach to research provides new avenues for understanding, while at the same time inviting the researcher on a holistic journey of personal transformation.