An A to Z introduction and resource for curious newcomers and novice students of spirituality.

Table of Contents

• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Biblical References and Abbreviations
• A
• abandonment, spiritual
• Abba (Aram., “father”)
• abiding in Christ
• absolution
• activist spirituality
• ACTS (prayer)
• administration, gift of
• adoration
• Advent
• affection
• agapē
• amen
• amulet
• angels
• antinomianism
• apologetic spirituality
• apostleship, gift of
• arts
• asceticism
• ashram, Christian
• assurance of salvation
• Augustinianism
• B
• baptism
• baptism, believer's
• baptism, infant (or paedobaptism)
• baptism with the Holy Spirit
• basic prayer
• beatific vision
• beatitude, beatitudes
• bedtime prayer
• belief
• Benedictine spirituality
• benediction
• Bible
• biographies, spiritual
• black spirituality
• blessing
• bondage
• Book of Common Prayer
• bread
• breath prayer
• C
• calendar, Christian (Christian Year, Church Year, or Liturgical Year)
• calling
• calling, effectual
• candles, prayer (or votive candles)
• canticle
• Carmelite spirituality
• catechism
• celebration
• celibacy
• centering prayer
• cessationism
• chalice
• chant
• charism
• charismatic movement
• chrismation
• Christ, Jesus
• Christ-centered prayer (or Christocentric prayer)
• Christian
• Christian year
• Christlikeness
• Christmas
• Christology
• church
• church walk (or cross walk)
• Church year
• collect
• commissioning prayer
• Communion (Holy Communion)
• communion of saints
• compassion
• Compline
• concert of prayer
• conference, Christian
• confession (of belief)
• confession (of sin)
• confessional
• confidentiality
• confirmation
• congregational prayer
• consecrate
• consolation and desolation
• constant prayer
• contemplation
• contemplative spirituality
• contextuality of spirituality
• continuationism
• conversational prayer
• conversion
• corporate prayer (or collective prayer, group prayer)
• courage (or fortitude)
• covenant
• covenant prayer
• creation-centered spirituality
• creed
• cross
• cross, sign of the (or crossing oneself)
• crucified with Christ
• crying prayer
• D
• dance, liturgical
• dancing prayer
• dark night of the soul
• day of obligation, holy
• day of prayer
• dedication
• deification
• demon
• desert elders/fathers
• desolation
• detachment, spiritual
• Devotio Moderna (modern devotion)
• devotion
• devotional
• devotions
• discernment
• discernment, gift of
• disciple
• discipline of the secret (Lat., disciplina arcani)
• disciplines, spiritual
• divine appointment
• Divine Liturgy
• dying, art of
• E
• Easter
• ecstasy
• ecumenism
• edification
• encouragement
• enthusiasm
• eschatology
• eternal life
• eternity
• Eucharist
• evangelical
• evangelism, gift of
• evil
• examen (or daily examen)
• exhortation, gift of
• exorcism
• experience
• extrasensory perception
• F
• faith
• faith development
• faith, gift of
• familial spirituality
• fasting
• feast
• feast days
• fellowship
• feminist spirituality
• fervent prayer
• festival
• fire
• five-finger prayer
• flagellation
• flesh, in the
• footwashing
• formation, spiritual
• four-stranded garland, the
• free prayer
• freedom, human (or free will)
• friendship
• frugality
• fruit of the Spirit
• G
• gentleness
• genuflection
• geography, spiritual
• gift of the Holy Spirit
• gifts of the Holy Spirit
• giving, gift of
• giving aid, gift of
• Glory Be
• glory, glorification
• glōssolalia
• gnosticism
• God
• godliness
• golden rule
• gospel
• grace
• grace, common
• grace, effectual
• grace, irresistible
• grace, justifying (or saving grace)
• grace, means of
• grace prayer (or saying grace)
• grace, prevenient
• grace, resistible
• grace, sanctifying
• Great Commission
• grieving
• group prayer
• H
• habit
• hagiography
• Hail Mary
• hands, laying on of
• healing
• healing, faith
• healing, gifts of
• helps, gift of
• “Here I am.”
• hesychasm
• high church, low church
• higher life movement
• holiness movement
• holiness spirituality
• holistic spirituality
• holy
• holy day
• Holy Spirit
• Holy Week
• hope
• hospitality
• hourly prayer
• Hours (canonical Hours, liturgy of the Hours)
• human, humanity
• humility
• humor
• hymns
• I
• icon
• icon prayer
• Ignatian spirituality
• ignorance, spiritual
• illumination
• image, imagery
• image of God (Lat., imago Dei)
• imagination, spiritual
• imitation of Christ
• imprecatory prayer
• in Christ
• incarnation
• inclusive-language prayers
• infused prayer
• inner light
• intellect
• intercession
• interreligious prayer (or interfaith prayer)
• J
• Jesus Christ
• Jesus, in the name of
• Jesus Prayer (Prayer to Jesus)
• journal, spiritual
• journaling prayers
• journey, spiritual
• joy
• justice
• justification
• K
• kenosis
• kingdom of God, kingdom of heaven
• kiss, holy
• kneeling
• knowledge, gift of
• koinōnia
• L
• labyrinth
• ladder, spiritual
• lament
• law
• lectio divina
• lectionary
• Lent
• liberation
• listening prayer
• litany
• liturgical spirituality
• liturgical year
• liturgy
• “Lord have mercy.”
• Lord's Prayer
• Lord's Supper
• Lordship of Jesus Christ
• love
• love, disinterested
• love feast (or agapē feast)
• love, overflowing (Ger., quellende Liebe)
• love, perfect
• low church
• M
• Magnificat
• mapping a spiritual journey
• Marian spirituality (or Marian devotion)
• marriage
• marriage, spiritual
• martyr
• Mary
• Mass (or Holy Mass)
• Matins
• maturity, spiritual
• meditation
• memorization
• mendicant spirituality
• men's spirituality
• mental prayer
• mentor, spiritual
• mind
• miracle
• miracles, working of, gift of
• monasticism
• monk
• mortify, mortification
• music
• mystery
• mystic
• mysticism
• N
• naming and claiming
• new birth
• new self
• Nicene Creed
• numerology
• O
• obedience
• Offices
• oil, anointing with
• open theology (or open theism)
• ordination
• Our Father
• Oxford movement
• P
• passion
• patience
• peace
• Pelagianism
• penance
• penitence
• Pentecost
• Pentecostal spirituality (or Charismatic spirituality)
• Pentecostalism
• perfect, perfection
• perfection, counsels of
• perseverance of the saints
• petition
• Pietism
• pilgrimage
• poetry
• popcorn prayer
• poverty
• practice of the presence of God
• praise
• pray, prayer
• pray and work (Lat., ora et labora)
• prayer, affirmative
• prayer alerts
• prayer as thanksgiving
• prayer, asking
• prayer at mealtime
• prayer bench
• prayer chain
• prayer closet
• prayer education
• prayer, extemporaneous
• prayer for healing
• prayer for the dead
• prayer language, private
• prayer list
• prayer meeting
• prayer of aspiration
• prayer of blessing
• prayer of forgiveness
• prayer of silence
• prayer partners
• prayer positions (or postures)
• prayer, remembering
• prayer, repetitive
• prayer request
• prayer room
• prayer, sensual
• prayer, singing
• prayer time
• prayer, twenty-four-hour
• prayer, unanswered
• prayer, vocal
• prayer walk
• prayer, welcoming
• prayer without ceasing
• praying in tongues
• praying the alphabet
• praying the Bible
• praying the Hours
• preaching
• predestination
• prophecy
• prophecy, gift of
• prophetic prayer
• prosperity theology
• prostrate prayer
• providence
• prudence
• psalm/psalms
• Psalms, book of
• purgatory
• purification (and purgation)
• Puritans
• Q
• questioning prayer
• quietism
• R
• reading, spiritual
• reason
• recitation
• recollection
• reconciliation
• redemption
• regeneration
• relaxation exercises
• relics
• repent, repentance
• repentance after justification
• responsive reading
• resurrection
• retreat (and advance)
• revival meeting
• rite
• ritual
• rosary
• rule of life
• Rule of Benedict
• S
• sacrament
• sacred
• Sacred Heart
• sacrifice (or self-sacrifice)
• saint
• saint, patron
• saints, communion of
• salvation
• salvation, order of (Lat., ordo salutis)
• sanctification
• sanctification, entire
• sanctification, initial
• Satan (or devil)
• Scripture (or Scriptures)
• Scripture, meditation on
• Scripture, rereading
• secrecy (or confidentiality)
• See You at the Pole
• self-control
• self-examination
• semi-Augustinianism
• senses (sensate spirituality)
• Serenity Prayer
• servant
• service
• service (or serving), gift of
• sex, sexuality
• shalom
• Shema
• shepherding, gift of
• silence
• simplicity
• sin
• sing, singing
• sins, seven deadly
• solitude
• song, spiritual
• soul
• Soul of Christ (Lat., Anima Christi)
• space, sacred
• spirit
• Spirit, filled with the (or Spirit-filled)
• Spirit, full of the
• Spirit, Holy
• Spirit, in the
• spiritual
• spiritual direction
• spiritual director
• spiritual disciplines
• spiritual exercises
• spiritual exercises of Ignatius
• spiritual formation
• spiritual warfare
• spiritualism
• spirituality
• stations of the cross (or way of the cross)
• story
• studious spirituality
• study
• suffering
• suffering, prayer in
• Sunday
• supplication
• symbols
• T
• Taizé
• teaching
• temperance
• temptation
• testimony
• thanksgiving
• thanksgiving prayer
• theosis
• time, sacred
• tongues, gift of
• tongues, interpretation of
• tongues, interpretation of, gift of
• tongues, speaking in (or tongues speaking)
• tradition, traditions
• transfiguration
• trial
• trinitarian formula
• Trinity
• twelve-step spirituality
• U
• union with Christ
• unitive way
• V
• Vespers
• via media (Lat., “middle way”)
• Virgin Mary
• virtue
• virtues, cardinal
• virtues, seven (seven heavenly virtues)
• virtues, theological
• vision of God
• vivification
• vocation
• volition
• W
• war, holy
• warfare, spiritual
• water
• What would Jesus do? (or WWJD)
• wilderness
• will of God
• wine
• wisdom (or prudence)
• wisdom, gift of
• women's spirituality
• word of faith
• work
• worship
• Z
• Zion
• About the Author