Edited by Christopher W. Morgan, Contributions by Nathan A. Finn, Paul R. House, George H. Guthrie, Anthony L. Chute, Gregg R. Allison, Gregory C. Cochran, Justin L. McLendon, Benjamin M. Skaug, Charles L. Quarles
What is spirituality? For some, it means nothing more than vague self-improvement pulled from the latest best-selling self-help book. For others, it refers to some generic religious practice. Shedding life-giving light on what often remains ill-defined and unclear, this book sets forth a vision of biblical spirituality—“a renewed sense of the momentousness of being alive in God’s world as God’s people are led by God’s Spirit through God’s Word unto godly, Christlike character.”
With careful exegetical work and theological reflection, the contributors—pastors and scholars such as Christopher W. Morgan, Paul R. House, Nathan A. Finn, and Gregg R. Allison—address spirituality from the perspective of the Bible, exploring topics such as the Trinity, divine sovereignty and human responsibility, the “already” and “not yet,” and the church. This book also addresses practical questions about spirituality related to the workplace, disciplines of the body, and more.
304 pages
View an excerpt here.
“For some, spirituality is driven by technique; for others, it is the pursuit of direct and unmediated connection with the divine; for still others, it is a label that covers experiences of the ill-defined numinous. Indeed, today’s ‘take’ on spirituality perfectly reflects the personal autonomy found in Judges: everyone does that which is right in his or her own eyes. To think clearly about spirituality as it emerges from serious Bible study, however, is to enter a world where one really does grow in knowledge of the living God, but by the means God has ordained, by the power of the Spirit, with transformed conduct the inevitable result. Christopher Morgan and his colleagues have enriched our grasp of biblical spirituality by their biblical, theological, and historical probings.”
--- D. A. Carson, Emeritus Professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School; Cofounder, The Gospel Coalition
“As Francis Schaeffer taught us, the Lord’s work must be done in the Lord’s way. In every generation, therefore, we face no more urgent question than the meaning of true spirituality. The excellent team of scholars writing in Biblical Spirituality combines academic gifts with personal wisdom to show us, from the whole of the Bible, how God has put his glory on the whole of life. Is there a more wonderful reality for us to consider together?”
--- Ray Ortlund, Lead Pastor, Immanuel Church, Nashville, Tennessee
“This is a biblical theology of biblical spirituality. And it’s the best I’ve read. As a bonus you get a survey of various forms of spirituality in the Christian tradition, especially within evangelicalism. If you want to see how biblical theology works and what biblical spirituality is, read this book.”
--- Donald S. Whitney, Associate Dean and Professor of Biblical Spirituality, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; author, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life and Praying the Bible
Table of Contents:
List of Abbreviations
Series Preface
Acknowledgments
Contributors
- A Trajectory of Spirituality
Christopher W. Morgan and Justin L. McLendon
- Shaped into the Creator’s Image: Spirituality and Spiritual Formation in the Old Testament
Paul R. House
- New Creation: Spirituality according to Jesus
Charles L. Quarles
- Tensions in Spirituality: Spirituality according to Paul
Benjamin M. Skaug and Christopher W. Morgan
- Integrated Spirituality: Spirituality according to James
Christopher W. Morgan
- Holiness in the Biblical Story
George H. Guthrie
- A Heritage of Evangelical Spirituality
Anthony L. Chute
- Spiritualities in the Christian Tradition Nathan A. Finn
- Spiritual and Embodied Disciplines
Gregg R. Allison
- Spirituality and Our Work
Gregory C. Cochran
Selected Bibliography
Name Index
Subject Index
Scripture Index
Biblical Spirituality is in the following collections: