– 2014 Best Book of Spirituality—Academic, from Byron Borger, Hearts and Minds Bookstore Ever since Richard Foster wrote Celebration of Discipline in 1978, evangelicals have hungered for a deeper and more historic spirituality. Many have come to discover the wealth of spiritual insight available in the Desert Fathers, the medieval mystics, German Pietism and other traditions. While these classics have been a source of life-changing renewal for many, still others are wary of these texts and the foreign theological traditions from which they come.The essays in this volume provide a guide for evangelicals to read the Christian spiritual classics. The contributions fall into four sections. The first three answer the big questions: why should we read the spiritual classics, what are these classics and how should we read them? The last section brings these questions together into a brief reading guide for each of the major traditions. Each essay not only explores the historical and theological context, but also expounds the appropriate hermeneutical framework and the significance for the church today. Together these essays provide a comprehensive and charitable introduction to the spiritual classics, suitable for both those who already embrace them and those who remain concerned and cautious. Whether you are a newcomer to historic spirituality or a seasoned reader looking to go deeper, you will find this volume to be a reliable resource for years to come.
Tabla de materias
Section I: Approaching Spiritual Classics
Steve L. Porter, Why Should We Read Spiritual Classics?
John H. Coe, Temptations in Reading Spiritual Classics
Betsy Barber, The Value of Spiritual Classics in Soulcare
Section II: The Spiritual Classics Tradition
Evan B. Howard, The Schools of Christian Spirituality
Greg Peters, Spiritual Theology: An Historical Overview
James M. Houston, Engaging ‘Classic’ Literature: Genre, Use, Value
Section III: Reading Evangelically
Bruce Demarest, Reading Catholic Spirituality
James R. Payton Jr., Reading Orthodox Spirituality
Fred Sanders, Reading Spiritual Classics as Evangelical Protestants
Section IV: How to Read the Spiritual Classics
Michael Glerup, The Church Fathers and Mothers
Gerald L. Sittser, The Desert Fathers
Greg Peters, The Medieval Traditions
Timothy George, The Reformation Traditions
Tom Schwanda, The Puritan and Pietistic Traditions
Sobre el autor
Kyle Strobel (Ph.D., Aberdeen) is the cofounder and director of Metamorpha Ministries (metamorpha.com) and the editor of Charity and Its Fruits by Jonathan Edwards.
