We are excited to announce a trilogy and video series on spiritual and moral conversion. Fr. Spitzer has been busy writing the following books:
Book I: “Christ Versus Satan in our Lives: The Cosmic Struggle between Good and Evil”
Book II: “Escape from Evil’s Darkness: The Light of Christ in the Church, Spiritual Conversion, and Moral Conversion”
Book III: “Principles of Personal and Social Ethics: Moral Wisdom and Catholicism”
In addition, our creative team is currently finishing a seven-part video series called “Virtue and Freedom.”
We have already delivered the first two book manuscripts to our publisher, Ignatius Press, and the final book and production of the video series is nearly complete. Release dates will be available soon. In the interim, look out for early release content (written and video) in blog posts—starting with this post on the three types of conversion.
The Importance of Understanding Conversion
Conversion has the power to lead us into ever new horizons of transcendence and happiness. Fr. Spitzer tells us that conversion is “essential to our battle with evil and our progress in appropriating and living ever deeper authenticity and love.”
In other words, conversion is for the sake of something truly noble and good, namely, our fulfillment and flourishment as human beings.
Three Different Types of Conversion
There are three different kinds of conversions as formally articulated by Bernard Lonergan.
Intellectual Conversion
Intellectual Conversion deals with external evidence for God, the soul, and Jesus. This development of exterior evidence reasonably and responsibly grounds our interior awareness of God and the desires God awakens.
Click here to read more on intellectual conversion.
Spiritual/Religious Conversion
Spiritual/Religious Conversion is concerned with grounding and deepening our relationship with the Triune God through prayer and worship as well as the graces and guidance Jesus bestowed on us through the sacramental life, mystical life, and teaching authority of the Catholic Church.
For an article on prayer that leads to deeper spiritual conversion, click here.
Moral Conversion
Moral Conversion focuses specifically on the discipline of self-transformation through the appropriation of moral teaching, virtue, and what we shall call, “higher identity.”
Click here to read more on moral conversion.
The complementary of the three types of conversion
If we are to progress in sanctity, all three types of conversion are important. For different people, and at different times in their lives, one may be a higher priority. Besides Lonergan and Fr. Spitzer, other writers have delved into the topics of conversion, such as C.S. Lewis and Karol Wojtyla, who both wrote on intellectual, spiritual, and moral topics.
As pointed out, intellectual conversion helps in our knowledge of God, spiritual conversion strengthens our love for God, and moral conversion enables us to live an actively virtuous life for God. All three conversions complement each other and all three are instrumental in our ascent to union with God.
Be on the lookout for more spiritual and moral conversion posts and the upcoming release dates for Fr. Spitzer’s trilogy and the “Virtue and Freedom” video series.
Read More:
The 3 Levels of Conversion: Intellectual Conversion
