Biblical Spirituality: “God’s Holiness and Our Spirituality” (Theology in Community)

by Christopher W. Morgan

Publisher:

Crossway

, 2019

Overview

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.

Key Features

• Promotes clear thinking on and godly responses to historic and contemporary theological issues
• Examines issues central to the Christian faith
• Explores related topics including the Trinity, divine sovereignty and human responsibility

Contents

• 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

Top Highlights

“‘Spiritual formation in Christ is an orderly process. Although God can triumph in disorder, that is not his choice. And instead of focusing upon what God can do, we must humble ourselves to accept the ways he has chosen to work with us.” (Page 43)

“So, while the law is good and holy as it reflects God, it also brings us an awareness of sin and the death that comes from breaking it.⁴⁰ In light of these truths, we confess with Paul that sin (and the death it ensures) is absolutely sinful and something we should despise (7:13).” (Page 117)

“spiritual growth existed before and after sin indicates that formation encompasses more than having one’s sins forgiven” (Page 63)

“Genesis 1–2 indicates that spiritual growth through divine revelation and instruction is part of creation’s fabric.” (Page 63)

Contributors

• Gregg R. Allison
• Anthony L. Chute
• Gregory C. Cochran
• Nathan A. Finn
• George H. Guthrie
• Paul R. House
• Justin L. McLendon
• Christopher W. Morgan
• Charles L. Quarles
• Benjamin M. Skaug

Praise for the Print Edition

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, Research Professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School; Cofounder, The Gospel Coalition

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

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

Product Details

• Title: Biblical Spirituality
• Author: Christopher W. Morgan
• Series: Theology in Community
• Publisher: Crossway
• Print Publication Date: 2019
• Logos Release Date: 2019
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subject: Spirituality › Biblical teaching
• ISBNs: 9781433547881, 9781433547911, 9781433547898, 9781433547904, 1433547880, 1433547910, 1433547899, 1433547902
• Resource ID: LLS:BBLCLSPRSPRTLTY
• Resource Type: text.monograph.biblical-theology
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-29T22:05:26Z

About Christopher W. Morgan

Christopher W. Morgan (PhD, Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary) is a professor of theology and the dean of the School of Christian Ministries at California Baptist University. He is the author or editor of over twenty books, including several volumes in the Theology in Community series.

Sample Pages from Biblical Spirituality: “God’s Holiness and Our Spirituality” (Theology in Community)