If you are at all interested in Christian spirituality as both personal discipline and intellectual interest, then this is a book you might want to have on your desk, rather than the shelf – it's way too big for reading in bed. There are now several text books on Christian Spirituality, suitable for class use or personal study, offering breadth but not always depth. What makes this book worth buying and working through is the obvious virtue of its having grown in dialogue with students, being refined through collaboration with other scholars, and the alert attention the author has paid to his own spiritual development; and all this taking over thirty years of slow and healthy gestation towards publication.
At 500 pages, double columns and hardback, the book has every appearance of meaning business. Each chapter begins with a clear outline and aim, then ends with a section on Christian spiritual practice, a chapter summary, several focused questions and a section for further study with suggested resources. There are sidebars developing content, excerpts from classic texts and figures in Focus boxes and illustrations which aren't there simply to break up the text.
All in all I reckon this is the most user friendly substantial Introduction to Christian Spirituality now available, and one mercifully free from the desire to be comprehensive at the cost of depth. I've spent time on and off over the past few days reading, browsing, getting a feel for the overall schema and discourse level. My feeling is that the book still reads as a substantial handbook on Christian Spirituality which balances essential information and analysis of key theological concepts and disciplines, with practical focus on the personal and formative implications of spirituality. At around £15 Hardback and high quality production, the book is good value – and in more ways than the near giveaway price.
This isn't a review – just a mention of a book I bought on the recommendation of friend and colleague, Deans Buchanan – who knows a thing or two about Christian Spiritual development. Have a look for yourself at the Brazos Press website here. .
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