If you ever feel like spirituality  (the lived experience of faith) and theology (the study or knowledge of God, especially as articulated by scholars and intellectuals) inhabit two entirely separate worlds, you might be interested in an upcoming conference.

The Episcopal School for Ministry and the Diocese of Missouri will hold the third annual Making Disciples conference on Saturday, September 13, at Christ Church Cathedral. The conference will feature the Rev. Mark A. McIntosh, Ph.D., on the theme of “Discerning God’s Delight: A Theological Life of Spiritual Discernment.” More information, including registration details, fees, and deadlines, is available on the Dicoese’s website.

The Rev. Dr. McIntosh is an Episcopal priest, scholar, and a longtime theology professor at Loyola University. His numerous books and articles include Christology from Within and Mystical Theology: The Integrity of Spirituality and Theology. As that subtitle indicates,bringing the spheres of spirituality and theology back into contact with one another is a major concern of his.

A review of Mystical Theology calls it”one of the most sustained, systematic and impressive attempts at uniting spirituality and dogma, and demonstrating the necessity of this union, that I have encountered.” Another review asserts that

McIntosh aptly shows that the mystical tradition, which has received comparatively little attention by modern theologians, can and must be an important source for postmodern thinkers. Those who are concerned to address the role of Christian theology in the postmodern age will find this book an important contribution.

I haven’t read his work yet (looks like I’ve got another book or two to add to the stack on my nightstand!) but his approach sounds intriguing. If anyone out there has read McIntosh’s work or heard him lecture it would be great to hear from you.  And I hope to see some of our Civil Religion community at the conference.

(By the way, the inclusion of the Diocese of Missouri’s logo above is just my effort at adding some visual interest to my post, and does not in any way imply a stamp of approval of what I write here!  All the contributors to this blog were invited to write from their own personal perspectives, and not as official representatives of an organization, and that’s what I try to do.)