Spirituality as a discerned experience : the Maltese contribution

Abstract

For much of the twentieth century, spirituality within Catholic theological faculties occupied an ambiguous academic position. While spiritual traditions, mystical authors, and devotional practices were widely studied, they were o!en treated as supplementary to the core theological disciplines rather than as constituting a field with its own methodological integrity. Spirituality was frequently located at the intersection of dogmatic theology, moral theology, and pastoral formation, without clearly articulating its own object of study or research methodology.

This situation was not unique to Malta. Across many theological faculties, spirituality long remained a loosely defined area concerned primarily with the historical study of saints, spiritual writers, and devotional practices. Only gradually did scholars begin to argue that spirituality should be recognised as a distinct theological discipline concerned with the interpretation of lived faith and the processes through which human beings respond to the self-communication of God.