Spiritual Emotions: A Psychology of Christian Virtues - Robert C. Roberts

Roberts argues for the importance of emotions in spiritual development. It is "important not to feel strongly, but to feel strongly about what matters most" (119). Having established the necessary role of the emotions, he provides extended reflections on contrition, joy, humility, compassion, hope, and others. His reflections on compassion are reason enough to buy this book. In compassion "the beloved is viewed in terms of a fellow-suffering (actual or potential) or a fellow-deficiency… Not just anybody is my friend, a member of my family, my spouse, or a fellow Christian… But a vulnerability to suffering, weakness, and death and a participation in dysfunction are things I have in common with every human being, and a fellowship based on this feature is one I can have with anybody who comes along" (180). If we take suffering seriously, we all can identify with one another. The greatness, goodness, and glory of God is revealed in God's willingness to identify with our sufferings as well: "From the Christian point of view, only God chooses to identify with the weak and sinful. For in his case he who was not weak and not sinful became weak and became like a sinner for the sake of the weak and sinful. In compassion the Christian does not become weak and sinful for the sake of some fellow human being; instead she acknowledges a commonality between herself and this sufferer, a commonality of which there is abundant evidence for anyone with eyes to see" (190).