Three dimensions of a balanced spirituality

1 Religious conversion
o Specifically Christian Understanding
o Broad/General Understanding
Change of our inner self/ our heart is the result of:
The practice of some forms of spiritual discipline that
allows us to reflect more deeply on our life experiences
o Concluding note
Religious Conversion is "not imposed from without, but
discovered from within."

1 Moral Conversion
o Fundamental "other-centeredness" in human relationships
(versus preoccupation with out "ego projects" and "ego masks")
o Pro-active participation in the growth of communities of authentic
human fellowship
o Faithfulness of our "lifetime commitments" to "significant others"
o Marriage and family as a special vocation -> Providing the
nurturing environment each person needs as a child, so as to enhance the
psycho-emotional wholeness necessary for growth in receiving and giving
love
2 Political Conversion = "CONVERSION TO JUSTICE" OF McVerry
"Conversion to Justice" of McVerry
1 Points of agreement with McVerry
o Conversion is a continuous, lifelong process
2 Points of disagreement with McVerry
o Explicit/implicit one-sided "black and white" argumentation
Basic thesis: "Poverty and suffering is caused by structures that
are imposed by the rich on the poor."
All social structures are unjust/oppressive
Rich are oppressors, poor are victims
Rich are the only ones called to conversion
Poor can do nothing -> they can only wait "for they have little
choice"
o Lack of Nuancing with regard to the reality of social sin
Social sin is not a "black and white" reality in the terms of its
"objective" dimension (= the impact of these structures
on the well-being of people)
"subjective" dimension (= the moral culpability of people
who participate in these structures)
o Conversion involves a "180 degree turn"
We have to give up all desire for material/ financial stability