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Books > Christianity > Christian life & practice > Christian religious instruction
In this study, Michael Hryniuk develops a full phenomenological,
psychological and theological account of spiritual transformation
in the context of L'Arche, a federation of Christian communities
that welcome persons with learning disabilities. The book begins
with a critical examination of current perspectives on spiritual
transformation in theology and Christian spirituality and
constructs a new, foundational formulation of transformation as a
shift in consciousness, identity and behavior. Through extensive
analysis of the narratives of the caregiver-assistants who share
life with those who are disabled, this case-study reveals an
alternative vision of the "three-fold way" that unfolds through a
series of profound awakenings in relationships of mutual care and
presence: an awakening to the capacity to love, to bear inner
anguish and darkness, and to experience radical human and divine
acceptance. The book examines the psychological dimensions of
spiritual transformation through the lens of contemporary affect
theory and explores how care-givers experience a profound healing
of shame in their felt sense of identity and self-worth.
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