Conformed to His Image: Biblical and Practical Approaches to Spiritual Formation
by Kenneth Boa
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Book Summary Information
Author: Kenneth BoaEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2001-08-01
ISBN: 031023848X
Number of pages: 544
Publisher: Zondervan
Book Reviews of Conformed to His Image: Biblical and Practical Approaches to Spiritual Formation
Book Review: Conformed To His Image: A Review and Proposal
Summary: 5 Stars
I am going to be extravagant and almost hyperbolic in what I say in this review. Even though there is the danger of me over-promising on something and it under-delivers, I ignore that possibility and I make a bold proposal and a heartfelt request
Read this book - for it can change your life.
This book can help you discover the life you have always wanted.
It can do that, if you use this book in the right way which I (happily) will just happen to describe in some detail.
First I'll tell you what the book is and what it contains.
Then I'll give you my recommendation on how to use this book.
This is a big book. It can be a bit daunting looking at its size and thumbing through its pages.
This book is a labor of love from Ken Boa.
(Ken - a personal thank-you. I am sure you will write many more books and add them to your list of publications, but this one may be your Magna Opus. If you surpass it with a later book... !).
Boa has sweepingly studied and understood the wide gamut of Christian spirituality in all its many traditions and expressions. And he has nicely summarized his findings in a well organized, biblically rich, pastorally sensitive, spiritually wise offering.
Make no mistake, this book is solid theology and savory spirituality. Boa invites you to think wisely and experience widely of God's manifold richness. It is always grounded in the Scriptures and yet always oriented toward the practical expression of truth.
This book is substantially informed with nuggets of gold from the great spiritual writers and devotional classics, both ancient and contemporary. it is warmly Evangelical and widely Ecumenical in its scope.
Every single page, in fact (really) every single paragraph, and (truly) almost every single sentence is a stepping stone for reflection and prayer.
Boa has woven together the traditions of sacra pagina and lectio divina (read Chapter 15 to see what I mean).
This book (if you let it) will undo you and be used by the Spirit of God to remake you from the inside out (Larry Crabb) and reorder your disordered world (David Naugle)
I don't know what else I can say to entice you to read this book.
Organizationally, it has twelve sections which Boa calls "facets." Metaphorically, he is describing Life With Christ as the gem/pearl of great price and uses 12 facets to explore the depth and breadth of that life. They are:
Relational Spirituality
Paradigm Spirituality
Disciplined Spirituality
Exchanged Life Spirituality
Motivated Spirituality
Devotional Spirituality
Holistic Spirituality
Process Spirituality
Spirit-FIlled Spirituality
Warfare Spirituality
Nurturing Spirituality
Corporate Spirituality
Then, each facet or section of the book is further divided in to several chapters, for a total of 36 chapters, of 12-18 pages in length for each chapter.
Gary Thomas talks about the Spiritual Pathways, Richard Foster discusses the six (or seven) Streams of Christian Spirituality, numerous authors write about 10 or 15 or 30 Spiritual Disciplines. Ken Boa's approach is different. He uses the word "facet" and I might use the word "theme" or "approach" to spirituality.
That is what the book is.
Now, the next important question is - how to use this book? And this is a crucial question.
(Please Note for Review Readers: I have stopped reviewing the book and what follows are my suggestions for how to read and use the book for personal transformation.)
You should have a copy of this book, a good Bible, preferably one without study notes, a notebook or journal and several pens/highlighters.
You are going to do two readings.
The First Time Reading Through the Book I suggest you read one chapter a day. Aim to read 4-5 chapters a week. That is doable. You can miss a day or two and still keep to your schedule. You will read through the book in 6-8 weeks at this rate. A little faster if you read one chapter every day. NOTE: Do not read more than one chapter a day.
Your Goal in This is to gain a general familiarity with all the facets of spirituality as well as seeing the big picture of spirituality.
Another Goal is to note the key themes and issues in each chapter that are of interest to you. You won't have time to really think about them or explore them (yet), but you can make a note of them in your journal. And if there is anything that really grabs your attention, make a note of that as well. Remember, right now, the big goal is overall familiarity.
Now, you are ready for the Second Reading and this is where the real benefit will come. This reading will last longer and be more interactive for you.
Here is the Method: You will read one chapter per week, at the beginning of the week. You will read the chapter paying attention to main things that stir within, that move you, that grab your attention, that seem to be addressing the needs and interests of your current journey. From your first day of reading, you will have a number (and maybe quite a few) things that are of interest and worthy of deeper reflection. This is the raw material and launching pad you will use the rest of the week.
The Method Continued: For the rest of the week, however many days you are able to set aside for reading, reflecting and praying about those launching pad ideas, you do that. You may have five ideas from your reading that you sense are important for you... or you may have fifteen ideas. Just begin to reflect on them. It may be a Scripture verse, a quote, a prayer, a well said phrase or sentence... but you will find many things that get your attention. There is so much in Boa's writings that you will have to be selective. Pick the stuff that really grabs hold of your heart and mind.
Important Suggestion: What I am asking you to do is use Boa's writings as a devotional/theological source for lectio divina reflections. You may want to begin with chapter 15 first, just to become even more acquainted with this lectio divina process.
A Personal Recommendation: There is so much loaded into every chapter, that you could spend a month doing reflections that arise out of each chapter. If you did that - it would take you three years to go through the book. Most of us are simply not wired to sustain interest and focus for that long. So, my recommendation is that you definitely try to do one chapter per week. One day read the chapter. Then for three or four (or more) days, reflect on the most noteworthy, up-to-date, current journey ideas you find.
Your Goal is to allow the Spirit of God to lead you much deeper into the spiritual life with Christ. The Spirit of God is your teacher and your goal is to keep in step with the Spirit in your daily or regular devotions. So, don't be afraid to deviate from my recommendation. If you need to sit with a chapter longer than a week - that is fine. Also, there is no requirement to work sequentially through the chapters. You may be interested in a particular facet. Begin there if you like.
A Major Enhancer to the Entire Process would be to have a friend or two or three, maybe even four, but no more for spiritual friendship conversations or a very small group dialogue about what you are learning. I would recommend that if you do a group, then you have to be working through the same chapter together.
Here is my final word.
You need to do this. Especially if you are a leader. Most of us are significantly, if not severely, lacking when it comes to the realm of personal transformation and relational spirituality that transforms us. According to Bobby Clinton, it is imperative for leaders to have a spiritual formation paradigm they are consistently working.
Boa has done us the great service of gathering together and describing the biblical facets of that transformative spirituality. If you follow the plan I suggested above, you will spend about one year with in-depth spiritual processing. This might be the best year of your life if you do this.
If you do this - please let me know and let me know how it is going for you.
Joyful readings
blessed encounters,
profound discoveries,
and the experience of the Living God...
... may it be yours in the days ahead.
Brian Rice
Leadership ConneXtions International
[...]
More Conformed to His Image: Biblical and Practical Approaches to Spiritual Formation reviews:
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1 2 3 4
Summary of Conformed to His Image: Biblical and Practical Approaches to Spiritual Formation
What does a relationship with God look like and how do we obtain it? It is vital for church leaders to grapple seriously with this question, for pat answers no longer suffice. Lives well-lived, not just words eloquently spoken, must become our response. The quality of our relationship with God is what will influence the health, potency, and witness of the church in an increasingly complex and hostile world. Designed for use as a college or seminary course, Conformed to His Image helps us build our lives on a fully biblical perspective. Exploring twelve approaches to Christian spirituality in depth, Dr. Kenneth Boa corrects our tendency to pick and compartmentalize. Pointing the way instead to an integrative, whole-life approach, Dr. Boa shows how each spiritual paradigm discussed is just one important facet in the gem of authentic and powerful New Testament living. With chapter overviews and objectives, questions for personal application, a glossary, and a list of key terms, Conformed to His Image will prove a defining text for the student, pastor, and church leader of today . . . and tomorrow. 12 Facets of the Complete Christian Life Relational Spirituality: Loving God Completely, Ourselves Correctly, and Others Compassionately Paradigm Spirituality: Cultivating an Eternal versus a Temporal Perspective Disciplined Spirituality: Engaging in the Historical Differences Exchanged Life Spirituality: Grasping Our True Identity in Christ Motivated Spirituality: A Set of Biblical Incentives Devotional Spirituality: Falling in Love with God Holistic Spirituality: Every Component of Life under the Lordship of Christ Process Spirituality: Being versus Doing, Process versus Product Spirit-Filled Spirituality: Walking in the Power of the Spirit Warfare Spirituality: The World, the Flesh, and the Devil Nurturing Spirituality: A Lifestyle of Discipleship and Evangelism Corporate Spirituality: Encouragement, Accountability, and WorshipChristian Living Books
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