61%
Confidence
Belief overview
Primacy of spiritual reality over material
Spiritual reality is treated as more fundamental than material appearance.
3
Supportive
1
Contrary
0
Neutral
What it is: The tradition maintains that true reality is spiritual and founded in God.
How the tradition understands it: Materiality, as it appears to common human consciousness, does not possess the same status of ultimate reality as divine spiritual truth.
Basis and context: This conviction is one of the most important bases of its doctrine and practice of healing.
Debates and variations: This point generates strong strangeness in more sacramental, realistic, or strongly incarnational Christian traditions.
Documentary evidence
Supportive
John 4:24
God is Spirit.
Reference: John 4:24.
Content: Jesus affirms that God is Spirit.
Use in debate: One of the most cited bases for the primacy of spiritual reality.
John 8:32
The truth sets free.
Reference: John 8:32.
Content: Jesus affirms that knowledge of truth brings liberation.
Use in debate: Frequently used in connection with healing and spiritual correction of error.
Romans 12:2
Transformation by renewal of the mind.
Reference: Romans 12:2.
Content: Paul speaks of transformation by renewal of the mind.
Use in debate: Used in relation to spiritual correction of thought.
Contrary
Luke 24:39
Risen Jesus speaks of body and tangibility.
Reference: Luke 24:39.
Content: Jesus invites the disciples to perceive his risen presence in tangible way.
Use in debate: Frequently remembered in debates about highly spiritualized readings of the resurrection.