Elements in Transformation/Conversion
[Rosemary Haughton, “The Transformation of Man: A Study of Conversion and Community”, Springfield: Templegate, 1980]
Conversion
comes out of a breakdown of formation
that is a transgression of the law, as it is perceived in this family/community
through some kind of
conflict,
orintervention, (from outside)
orencounter,
which leads to:
- self-discovery
- greater individuation
- deep communication
- real knowing
AND repentance.
not for transgression, but rather, recognising that how I am living, what I am doing, is not the way forward for this new transformed me. I need to CHANGE.
this leads to a release of power
giving the ability to be/do who we authentically are
To carry forward thistransformation/conversion requires:
- A community
- A liturgy (ritual) this is broader than we may think. Ritual has to involve what was
integral to the conversion experience. It is a re-membering.
- A (shared) language to speak of this experience to others who understand and have
had similar experiences.
How is Grace Experienced?
How do we recognize the genuine from the sham?
The Experience of Gracesome characteristics:
received --- we don't make it happen to ourselves, we don’t earn it.
it works on us, leading to transformation over time
gives a sense of oneness, of being united with others, with the cosmos
simple & simplifying
usually takes you by surprise
undeniable — though you might want to deny it!
generative
Formation and Transformation
Formation has to do with learning how to live well: attentively, intelligently, reasonably, responsibly, lovingly. Formation can be associated with the Law, and is important. It can bring about individuals and communities that are really authentic, individuals and communities characterised by a consciousness that is:
truly attentive to data/experience;
intelligently allowing all the relevant questions to arise from that experience, really wanting to understand what is going on;
concerned about truth, about what is real;
responding to situations in a way that is truly moral, really responsible; and
doing so with genuine concern for the well being and happiness of oneself and all the people. Formation of this kind is conducive to well-adjusted individuals, a well-functioning society.
This is already a considerable achievement. The paradox about it is that, not only is it difficult to achieve and to maintain, but that insofar as it is, it still fails to satisfy human beings. Something in the human spirit wants to break free of being nothing more than part of a well-ordered, well-functioning, even well-caring society. Even sustaining the effort to achieve this sometimes seems much more than the result is worth. We need more than just our innate urge to live authentically to enable us to do it.
Formation in this sense is a “first half of life”, building the container, process.
Paradoxically, in the breakdown of the Law, when we fail to live according to our formation, there can be found the very possibility of having the heart to live authentically. It is in the breakdown of formation that transformation can occur.
Why? Well, that's a mystery that can well require a lifetime to even begin to understand, and the understanding comes through the living; it is not something we can reason ourselves into. It is through attending to the occasions of transformation that occur in our own lives that we can begin to understand not only that transformation reforms, renews, revitalises formation, but that it is in itself a new way of being, a new way of being alive, a new way of being in relationship.
In the lives of Henri Nouwen, Geoff Bullock, the prodigal son, we can focus our attention on key elements in the shift from formation to transformation/conversion. In each case there is conflict, intervention and encounter, (involving a failure in their formation, transgression of the Law of their lives), and repentance. (NB the repentance is NOT for the transgression of the Law.) Power is released, leading to self-discovery, discovery of a new self.
Formation is creative, and can be creative of the human good in so many ways. Transformation is healing, liberating, defining, and can lead to a more freely creative, more expansive, 'bolder' formation.
Grace:
“It is as though a room were filled with music though one can have no sure knowledge of its source. There is in the world, as it were, a charged field of love and meaning; here and there it reaches a notable intensity; but it is ever unobtrusive, hidden, inviting each of us to join. And join we must if we are to perceive it, for our perceiving is through our loving.”
Bernard Lonergan, Method in Theology, 290
Some additional thoughts….
- It is very hard to truly be ourselves. To become so we need a reflective, attentive attitude. It requires a continuing process of ‘letting go’.
- Experience of mystery, of love and of awe – can “experience” it but that does not mean we “know” it.
- God takes the initiative. God is there all the time. We are called to grow in our awareness of this. We are not in control. We are simply receiving a gift and living accordingly.
Contact Movie Reflection
- Has anything in your experience made you feel tiny, small and insignificant, yet at the same time, rare and precious?
- Ellie went on her journey alone. Yet her conclusion was that “we are not alone, we belong to something greater than ourselves.” What do you make of this?
- “that everyone, even for one moment, could feel the awe, humility and hope”. What in your experience makes you feel this?
Concerning religious experience...
The dynamic state of being-in-love with God (religious conversion / grace) can be experienced. But do not look for 'something with a label on it'; instead, heighten your consciousness of the power working within you, and advert to its long-term effects.
Being-in-love with God is a process of conversion and development. It is a dynamic state. Traditionally, it is manifested in three ways:
1.the purgative way in which one withdraws from sinning and overcomes temptation;
2.the illuminative way in which one's discernment of values is refined and one's commitment to them is strengthened
3.theunitive way in which the serenity of joy and peace reveal the love that hitherto had been struggling against sin and advancing in virtue.