Peterson is eager to recover the adjective "spiritual" in a more defined and richer sense, and he has done this by pairing it with the noun "theology." By using the term "spiritual theology," he wants to call our attention to the fact that true spirituality always begins in theology—the revelation and understanding of God—and must always be lived out in the dynamic circumstances of our lives. A spiritual life is nothing less than a whole and satisfying life, a life that confirms the spirit within us, and that conforms to the Spirit who made us. "Spiritual theology" is Eugene Peterson's term for the work of thinking about and living out our lives in light of our knowledge of God.

The first of five books by Peterson detailing his vision of spiritual theology was published in 2005; its title (borrowed from Gerard Manley Hopkins) was Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places: A Conversation in Spiritual Theology. In the preface to that book, Eugene Peterson explained the origins and ends of his writing. "Two fields of work converge in these pages, the work of pastor and the work of professor. Most of my vocational life has been conducted as a pastor in a congregation. That is where most of the 'field work' took place that has been written out here as an extended conversation in spiritual theology, the lived quality of God's revelation among and in us. . . . But my work as a professor has also been formative. As a visiting or adjunct professor throughout the years that I was a pastor, I often spent time with students and pastors to reflect on the intersection of the Scriptures, theology, history, and congregation in the work of getting the gospel lived in the actual conditions we face in North American culture."

In this wide-ranging MARS HILL AUDIO Conversation, Eugene Peterson talks with Ken Myers about the challenges of remaining faithful in that culture, stressing the theme of the "livability" of the Bible's message. "None of it is esoteric. None of it is a specialized, compartmentalized thing. It's all lived." Just as the redemptive work of God is lived out in the grand story of Scripture, so our lives are stories about God's work. "One of the wonderful things about being a pastor is that your whole work takes place in a 'storied' context. . . . Nothing is mere doctrine. . . . It's all embedded in this narrative way of living."

Hovering around the themes of God's work in creation, in history, and community (the organizing ideas of Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places), Peterson discusses the necessity of taking time in worship; the benefits and liabilities of small groups; the delightful gifts of language; and the centrality of "fear of the Lord" in describing our response to God's initiative in salvation.
73 minutes.

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This is one of a series of Conversations produced by MARS HILL AUDIO. To see a list of other available recordings, see our online catalog. If you like, you may download an free demonstration issue (ZIP, 33.5MB, containing MP3 files) of the MARS HILL AUDIO Journal, our bimonthly audio magazine.