I have reproduced this chart which explains the different emphases in Christian spirituality. It is not my own ideas, its from A History of Christian Spirituality (Urban T. Holmes) The explanation is from David Benner's book Psychotherapy and the Spiritual Quest.
Explanation
The chart has two bipolar scales: A kataphatic/apophatic scale, and a speculative/affective scale. The first describes techniques of spiritual growth, while the second describes the primary effect of these techniques on the spiritual life.
Kataphatic and Apophatic refer to two classic approaches to meditation.
Kataphatic spirituality is based on the active use of the imagination. The Christian identifies positive images of God and uses these images as a tool for meditation. For example, meditation might take the form of visualising Christ as the good shepherd. Additional details in this image could include his carrying a wounded sheep, or his searching the lonely hills for a lost one. Other images that could be used in kataphatic meditation are God as light, as fire, as heavenly Father, or as bridegroom.
Notable traditions and individuals closely identified with kataphatic spirituality: Medieval monastics (Gregory the Great), fourteenth century mystics (Richard Rolle; Julian of Norwich; and sixteenth century Spanish mystics (Ignatius of Loyola; Teresa of Avila; John of the Cross)
Apophatic spirituality in contrast to Kataphatic spirituality, is an "emptying" technique. In stead of focusing on images that symbolise some aspect of God, the apophatic approach emphases what God is not. God is not merely a heavenly Father, he is much more than this. Images are judged to be imperfect and potentially dangerous misrepresentations of his being. In the Apophatic tradition God is encountered as mystery. He is the hidden God who, while having revealed himself to us, is still only encountered in obscure awareness. While Kataphatic spirituality affirms the knowability of God and the intimacy that humans can have with him, apophatic spirituality warns of the dangers of glib overfamiliarity and the idolatrous assumption that the reality of God can be captured in words or symbols. The Goal in this form of spirituality is to experience union with God. What is discovered in this experience with God is not so much knowledge as love. God is found to be incomprehensible to our intellects but not to our love.
Examples of this approach include Eastern Orthodox spirituality, Meister Eckhart, The Cloud of Unknowing.
The second dimension in the chart is the speculative/affective scale. Speculative approaches to spirituality are those traditions that emphasis the illumination of the mind (or intellect), while affective approaches emphasis illumination of the heart (or emotions)
In speculative spirituality God is encountered with the mind, resulting in a rational and propositional theology. Speculative spirituality is characteristic of Eastern Orthodox Christianity and most Western Protestant Christianity. It is developed most clearly by Reformed (Calvinist) Christians who affirm the importance of knowing God through his self-revelation in Scripture. Speculative spirituality tends to emphasize theology to the neglect of mystical intimacy with God.
In affective spirituality God is met in the heart rather than the head. Merely knowing about God is judged to be a poor substitute for a personal relationship. In all it manifestations, affective spirituality emphasizes the experience with God to the neglect of theology or systematic reflection on the experience.
Examples of "heart religion" range from the early desert fathers (4th/5th century) to modern-day charismatics, both Roman Catholic and Protestant.
Benner notes at this point that this second dimension of the model, may be artificial and misleading, pointing out that emotions are matters of both head and heart, feelings are closely related to thoughts. Eastern orthodox Christianity is not devoid of emotion, and Calvin certainly had a religion of both head and heart.
A full orbed spirituality ideally contains a balance of all four ways of knowing God, as represented by the circle in the centre of the chart.
Problems arise when one moves outside this circle of balance. Loss of balance can result in four types of imbalance:
Rationalism results from an exaggerated speculative/kataphatic spirituality.
Pietism results from exaggerated kataphatic/affective spirituality.
Quietism results from exaggerated apophatic/affective spirituality.
Encratism (extreme ascetism) from exaggerated speculative/apophatic spirituality.
Explanation
The chart has two bipolar scales: A kataphatic/apophatic scale, and a speculative/affective scale. The first describes techniques of spiritual growth, while the second describes the primary effect of these techniques on the spiritual life.
Kataphatic and Apophatic refer to two classic approaches to meditation.
Kataphatic spirituality is based on the active use of the imagination. The Christian identifies positive images of God and uses these images as a tool for meditation. For example, meditation might take the form of visualising Christ as the good shepherd. Additional details in this image could include his carrying a wounded sheep, or his searching the lonely hills for a lost one. Other images that could be used in kataphatic meditation are God as light, as fire, as heavenly Father, or as bridegroom.
Notable traditions and individuals closely identified with kataphatic spirituality: Medieval monastics (Gregory the Great), fourteenth century mystics (Richard Rolle; Julian of Norwich; and sixteenth century Spanish mystics (Ignatius of Loyola; Teresa of Avila; John of the Cross)
Apophatic spirituality in contrast to Kataphatic spirituality, is an "emptying" technique. In stead of focusing on images that symbolise some aspect of God, the apophatic approach emphases what God is not. God is not merely a heavenly Father, he is much more than this. Images are judged to be imperfect and potentially dangerous misrepresentations of his being. In the Apophatic tradition God is encountered as mystery. He is the hidden God who, while having revealed himself to us, is still only encountered in obscure awareness. While Kataphatic spirituality affirms the knowability of God and the intimacy that humans can have with him, apophatic spirituality warns of the dangers of glib overfamiliarity and the idolatrous assumption that the reality of God can be captured in words or symbols. The Goal in this form of spirituality is to experience union with God. What is discovered in this experience with God is not so much knowledge as love. God is found to be incomprehensible to our intellects but not to our love.
Examples of this approach include Eastern Orthodox spirituality, Meister Eckhart, The Cloud of Unknowing.
The second dimension in the chart is the speculative/affective scale. Speculative approaches to spirituality are those traditions that emphasis the illumination of the mind (or intellect), while affective approaches emphasis illumination of the heart (or emotions)
In speculative spirituality God is encountered with the mind, resulting in a rational and propositional theology. Speculative spirituality is characteristic of Eastern Orthodox Christianity and most Western Protestant Christianity. It is developed most clearly by Reformed (Calvinist) Christians who affirm the importance of knowing God through his self-revelation in Scripture. Speculative spirituality tends to emphasize theology to the neglect of mystical intimacy with God.
In affective spirituality God is met in the heart rather than the head. Merely knowing about God is judged to be a poor substitute for a personal relationship. In all it manifestations, affective spirituality emphasizes the experience with God to the neglect of theology or systematic reflection on the experience.
Examples of "heart religion" range from the early desert fathers (4th/5th century) to modern-day charismatics, both Roman Catholic and Protestant.
Benner notes at this point that this second dimension of the model, may be artificial and misleading, pointing out that emotions are matters of both head and heart, feelings are closely related to thoughts. Eastern orthodox Christianity is not devoid of emotion, and Calvin certainly had a religion of both head and heart.
A full orbed spirituality ideally contains a balance of all four ways of knowing God, as represented by the circle in the centre of the chart.
Problems arise when one moves outside this circle of balance. Loss of balance can result in four types of imbalance:
Rationalism results from an exaggerated speculative/kataphatic spirituality.
Pietism results from exaggerated kataphatic/affective spirituality.
Quietism results from exaggerated apophatic/affective spirituality.
Encratism (extreme ascetism) from exaggerated speculative/apophatic spirituality.
