A Short Guide to Spiritual Formation
Finding Life in Truth, Goodness, Beauty, and Community
by Alex Sosler
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Pub Date May 28 2024 | Archive Date Jun 18 2024
Baker Academic & Brazos Press | Baker Academic
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Description
Weaving together church history, theology, and devotional practice, Sosler offers a holistic introduction to spiritual formation, encompassing biblical truth, the pursuit of the good life, the contemplation of God, and communal belonging. Each section includes a biblical and historical precedent for the tradition and highlights an exemplar from church history: Augustine on truth, Dorothy Day on goodness, Teresa of Ávila on beauty, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer on church commitment and community.
This accessible book provides avenues for a broader and deeper spirituality that can shape the complexity of our souls. It is ideal for undergraduate students and as a formation primer for church adult education classes, classical schools, and homeschooling communities.
Advance Praise
“Spiritual formation with substance and depth! Alex Sosler gives a thick account of Christian growth in holiness and wholeness shaped by a biblical-theological-ecclesial vision of truth, goodness, beauty, and community. Anyone who’s sung the Augustinian cri de coeur of Bono’s ‘I still haven’t found what I’m looking for’ but found the modern spiritual formation literature too light and fluffy will be glad for this winsome retrieval of classical theology in service to a practice of discipleship that can take shape in real communities. This is one to read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest and then share with another pilgrim on the way of the restless heart.”—Alex Fogleman, assistant research professor of theology, Institute for Studies of Religion, Baylor University; director, Catechesis Institute; author of Knowledge, Faith, and Early Christian Initiation
“A Short Guide to Spiritual Formation is a true retrieval, rooting Christian practice in the wider Christian tradition while remaining attentive to the needs and questions of the present moment. This fresh account of Christian spiritual formation will captivate students and seekers while reminding seasoned leaders of the many gifts that the Christian tradition offers to our weary souls.”—Kaitlyn Schiess, author of The Ballot and the Bible: How Scripture Has Been Used and Abused in American Politics and Where We Go from Here
“This book will be a great help to anyone interested in personal and corporate spiritual formation. The rich traditions of the church are beneficial for modern-day disciples. It is important to know our spiritual history and some of the key foundations that Christian faith rests upon. Alex Sosler does a masterful job of describing these historical, theological, and spiritual foundations, and in doing so he invites the reader into a deeper relationship with God. This text is well worth your time.”—Donald Shepson, professor of Bible and ministry, Grove City College
“Alex Sosler provides readers with a theological, historical, contemplative, and applicable approach to living life from a formative perspective. He is passionate about the well-being of God’s creation and implementing practices designed to educate, empower, and equip the learner. Sosler takes his desire for ‘roots and tradition’ and writes about what he considers more crucial to Christianity than ‘just the way the pastor did it.’”—Barbara L. Peacock, Peacock Soul Care
“[This] book doesn’t hit us with abstractions but with specific, concrete counsel on how to recognize and to pursue truth, goodness, beauty, and community. You will not leave this short book burdened down with a sense of all the things you can’t ever seem to do. You’ll instead start to see the possibility of how you, in your own life, can seek holiness and formation.”—Russell Moore (from the foreword)
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781540966612 |
| PRICE | $21.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 224 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Kris L, Reviewer
This is a though provoking book, with concepts that I could agree with as well as a few where I could not and not a few that were original for me. It was well organized into four sections (truth, goodness, beauty and community aka transcendentals), that at times seemed a bit overly constrained or forced, but the language was clear and accessible to all audiences, although it obviously targets christians within the protestant tradition. Each part was further divided into three (3) chapters that covered: biblical antecedences with fairly orthodox interpretations; analysis of historical and/or philosophical influences; and a brief bio of an exemplar (saint) that lived out the ideal. The latter also includes a brief breakout of practical advice for how the read may live out that same concept). I found each of the thirds to be the most interesting where the analysis was more hit or miss … although it was mostly solid.
Yakub T, Educator
I like how Alex Sosler bring us to another new level of spiritual formation by borrowing wisdom from ancient church history. He weave it with theological and devotional practice that will help us to shape our holiness in truth, beauty, goodness in a community. I hope many will learn from this book and be a blessing for others.
Katie B, Reviewer
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫(4.5)
In a world obsessed with novelty, Alex Sosler calls Christians to rediscover the "transcendentals" of truth, goodness, beauty, and community. Through church history, theology, and devotional practice, Sosler offers a heritage-rich guide to spiritual formation, featuring biblical insights and historical exemplars like Augustine and Bonhoeffer. Ideal for students and adult education alike.
A very unique spin of explaining spiritual formation. Because he included both historical background and figures for each section, this guide reads more as an explanation to how these practices developed. I personally was hopeful it would focus on how to practice or develop spiritual formation, but I’m pleasantly surprised at how much I simply gleamed from the history. I don’t need to know the historical significance of prayer to pray, but my prayer life was greatly strengthened as I gained appreciation for its development. Same goes for other spiritual practices.
I also really enjoyed the four historical figures Sosler chose. I was briefly familiar with each, but reading how they were impacted by these disciplines simply highlighted how we are always being spiritually formed. All the more reason to be intentional about it. He even referenced T-Swift 💁🏻♀️
Thank you @readbakerbooks @netgalley for the eARC #netgalley
Perfect for you if you like:
Historical church background
Biographical histories
How historical exemplars have been formed
Unique overviews of spiritual formation
Similar to:
You Are What You Love by James K.A. Smith
The Deeply Formed Life by Rich Villodas
The Spirit of the Disciplines by Dallas Willard
Rosa S, Educator
Reflecting the recent interest in spiritual life and formation, Sosler adds to the new collection of "what and how to" books on spiritual formation. This one gets a gold stamp from those interested in history and the reasons for existing spiritual disciplines and practices.
You can read these chapters as devotionals, instructional 1-2-3s (one after the other or in random order), or for the pure enjoyment of diving into the history of Christian living.
Recommended for practitioners, young and old disciples of Jesus, and spiritual directors.
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