exegetical foundation elevates the importance of Scripture and a strong Pauline theme
is evident throughout his writings. This is manifested in two specific ways; on one
hand Bernard is very fond of St. Paul’s metaphor of union with Christ. This is
understood as a union of wills (1 Cor 6:17) and never becomes a union of essence or
indistinction that created confusion and suspicion among later observers in both
Catholic and Reformed traditions regarding mysticism. On the other hand, Bernard’s
Pauline dependency reflects an Augustinian piety that is attentive to sin, grace, and
experiencing God. Bernard valued both the intellect and affect in relationship to
one’s experience of God and also recognized the importance of both love and faith.
This combined with his strong christocentric emphasis made him very appealing to
Reformed Christians. Additionally, while he was a monastic, Bernard was still active
in traveling beyond his monastery to engage in ministry.
Therefore, by asking the question why Isaac Ambrose matters today for the
Reformed tradition seven principles are revealed that can inspire and guide Reformed
theology and piety. The first three themes provide a theological foundation and
structure from which the remaining four principles of spiritual practice can emerge.
First, as chapter 2 demonstrated, unio mystica is central to Ambrose’s theology and
parallels both the Reformed principle of God’s nature and covenant making.
Although the Reformed tradition has always emphasized the importance of union
with Christ as the beginning of a person’s relationship with God it has rarely been
understood as fully as in Ambrose. Frequently, the contemporary Reformed tradition
focuses upon the forensic themes of justification and sanctification with little regard