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Spiritual Taxonomy

As a public educator and on top of that a special education teacher, I am sometimes the object of an opinion of those critical of public education. During my college preparation to become a teacher, I was introduced to Bloom’s Taxonomy, a system that classifies learning objectives within three learning domains, affective, psychomotor, and cognitive.
The affective domain shows increasingly complex methods how emotions are used by individuals as a response to the world around them, and their ability to understand the emotions of others. Within this domain are five levels. At the lowest level, receiving, an individual passively is aware of what is around them. A person at this level might hear a person cry in sadness and the other person’s sorrow would not elicit a response. At the highest level, characterizing, the person would not only elicit a response, but would react in a way required by individual values and beliefs.
The psychomotor domain describes the ability to manipulate to control a tool, such as the screwdriver I was using earlier today to install a new blind in one of the bedrooms. While Bloom’s taxonomy does not record increasingly difficult levels of performance, child development experts recognize that psychomotor skills become increasingly more complex as a child develops.
The cognitive domain shows increasingly complex levels of learning. Within this domain there are six levels. At the lowest level, knowledge, a person is able to recall facts and figures and even has knowledge of structures and theories. As a person’s learning increases, the individual is able to demonstrate comprehension through the organizing of ideas. Next, knowledge can be applied in a new way. The person then becomes adept at analysis when able to determine causes or motives. Synthesis is the fifth level and is characterized by the ability to propose alternative solutions, to develop a plan. Evaluation is the highest level of the cognitive domain. When skills are in this domain, a person is able to judge the information and its validity based on as set of criteria.
So the question I have today is did I see an example of spiritual taxonomy in the second epistle of Peter?

2 Peter 1:4-8
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue;  and to virtue knowledge;  And to knowledge temperance;  and to temperance patience;  and to patience godliness;  And to godliness brotherly kindness;  and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Peter shows in these verses that our journey of salvation begins at the lowest level with faith. Without faith, we cannot please God. Added to our faith is virtue. Virtue is the desire to make right decisions at the right time. Knowledge is the next level of spiritual taxonomy because we must also know what God needs us to do in order to make the right decisions. As we make right decisions, we cannot become arrogant in our abilities. Temperance is the level of spiritual taxonomy that keeps our ego in check and our mind aware of our place compared to the greatness of God. Once we understand how insignificant we are compared to God, we develop patience. This includes patience with others and patience with ourselves as we observe our own shortcomings. Patience gives us a good measure of self-control and we develop what the King James translators called godliness and today would be called respect. We are able to value others. Beyond the ability to value others, to respect them, is brotherly kindness. The bond between siblings behind a marriage is the strongest bond that two adults may have. And at the most advanced level of spiritual taxonomy is charity, or love.
Perhaps this is why Paul agreed with Peter.

1 Corinthians 13:13
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Is there a test we can give ourselves to see where we are on this spiritual taxonomy? I think the first epistle of John provides such a test.

1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

Before his passing, a colleague at work and I would discuss the Bible. He would often say how hate was not the opposite of love, but that the opposite of love was fear. Not only was he correct, Peter shows that love is the highest level of spiritual taxonomy.

All verses are from the King James Version.
This site provided by Tom Laign. To all who may believe differently, I also extend peace and love.
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