A Guide to Christian Spiritual Formation: How Scripture, Spirit, Community, and Mission Shape Our Souls - Paperback

by Evan B. Howard (Author)

Evan Howard, a noted authority on Christian spirituality, provides a holistic, accessible, and informed introduction to Christian spiritual formation written from a broadly evangelical perspective. Howard joins Scripture with themes of community, spirit, formation, and mission in a single integrative guide. The book includes helpful features such as figures, charts, chapter overviews, and formation-focused questions. Its evangelical-ecumenical and global perspectives will appeal to a wide audience. Resources for professors and students are available through Baker Academic's Textbook eSources.

Back Jacket

"A comprehensive, inviting, and practical guide to spiritual formation"

"The contemporary spiritual formation movement has been with us for forty years, and here we have its rich and mature fruit. The book is grounded in a solid ecumenical evangelicalism that draws deeply from historic and time-tested patterns of formation, yet is well informed by wise, current patterns and insights from the social sciences. Readers will find a comprehensive, inviting, and practical guide to spiritual formation."
--James C. Wilhoit, Wheaton College; author of Spiritual Formation as if the Church Mattered

"Evan Howard has provided a concise 'systematic theology' of Christian spiritual formation in which the personal, corporate, and missional dimensions of the Christian life are closely interwoven. There are few works, if any, that match it in conciseness, practicality, and theological integrity. I highly recommend it."
--Simon Chan, Trinity Theological College, Singapore; author of Spiritual Theology: A Systematic Study of the Christian Life

"An important introductory resource in spiritual formation for persons who are new to the field. Best of all, it is written by a seasoned veteran who practices the disciplines about which he writes."
--Elaine A. Heath, dean, Duke Divinity School; author of The Mystic Way of Evangelism

"In this welcome new book, Evan Howard sheds the light of his keen and enthusiastic intelligence on the fullness of Christian spirituality, including church history, theology, missional community, and especially the profound and mysterious relationship we each have with the One who made us, who knows our hearts, and who offers us life. What joy to find the wisdom of Howard's long vocation distilled into such a readable and helpful guide for us as we pray to Christ to 'know thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, and follow thee more nearly, day by day.'"
--Susan S. Phillips, New College Berkeley, Graduate Theological Union; author of The Cultivated Life: From Ceaseless Striving to Receiving Joy

Author Biography

Evan B. Howard (PhD, Graduate Theological Union) founded and directs Spirituality Shoppe: An Evangelical Center for the Study of Christian Spirituality. He is affiliate associate professor of Christian spirituality at Fuller Theological Seminary, leads workshops and seminars on Christian spirituality worldwide, and has authored several books. Howard lives in Montrose, Colorado.