through his enemies during the Civil Wars to strip his soul and first break and then
elevate his heart to heaven. Rather than becoming bitter and attacking those who
opposed him Ambrose was cheered by the sweetness of God and lifted his heart in
contemplative gratitude towards God. Significantly through all of these experiences
he discovered an inner freedom that encouraged him to continue his ministry.
Geo-Environmental Dimension
Ambrose also experienced the presence of God through the Geo-
Environmental dimension of life. This category is frequently ignored because many
people are not conscious of how spiritual reality can be manifested in nature or
through the uniqueness of place. However, Sheldrake contends “it is appropriate to
think of places as texts, layered with meaning.” 199 Therefore, for Ambrose as well
as for many others this is a dimension that must be considered. Gordon Rupp was an
early advocate to detect a connection between environment and prayer when he
asserted, “[o]ne fine day, somebody will write about the relation between spirituality
and geography. There seems to be places in the world with an affinity for
contemplative men, like the deserts of Libya or Goreme, or the northeastern corner of
Scotland which in the seventeenth century produced Samuel Rutherford, Henry
Scougal, Patrick Forbes.” 200 While Rupp largely focuses upon the Puritans he does
not make any further connections between geography and piety. Belden Lane has
explored the specific connections between the landscape of the New England Puritans
199
Sheldrake, Spaces for the Sacred, 17. cf. Sheldrake, Spirituality and Theology,(^165200) Rupp, “Devotion of Rapture,” 115.-95. (^)