Conformed to His Image: Biblical and Practical Approaches to Spiritual Formation

by Kenneth D. Boa and Kenneth D. Boa

Book Overview

?C?mo se define una relaci?n con Dios y c?mo la podemos obtener? Es vital para los l?deres de la iglesia tomar muy en serio esta interrogante para lograr respuestas m?s all? de las que ya no son... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 031023848X
• Release Date: August 2001
• Publisher: Zondervan Academic
• Length: 544 Pages
• Weight: 2.37 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.5" x 1.1" x 7.6"

Customer Reviews

Conformed To His Image: A Review and Proposal

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 S

Great Book

Kenneth Boa defines 12 facets of the Christian life and deals with each one in a thoroughly practical, yet deeply theological way. He does seem to think that Christians can be demon-possessed, a view which I do not hold. In spite of that, I recommend the book to the seasoned Christan. Written in textbook style, it makes for extended Bible studies for mid-week gatherings, home studies, etc. There are a great number of resources from which he cites quotes, and the cost of the book is worth the resource list alone. I particularly enjoyed the facet about the Christian Disciplines. In a day of hyper-faith, wealth, prosperity, and health gospel, this book is a refreshing return to sanity. I wish I had it years ago.

The Book I Had Been Waiting Years to Read..

I have been frustrated for years with most books on spiritual growth, because almost invariably they suffer from tunnel vision, seeing only one particular part of the whole spectrum of Christian growth to the exclusion of the rest. I have searched in vain for a comprehensive evaluation of all the philosophies and methods used over the centuries...searched in vain until I read Conformed to His Image by Ken Boa. Despite having a prodigious intellect(2 doctoral degrees including a D.Phil. from Oxford), he is a humble and accessible man of God(I have had the privilege of meeting him at a retreat some years back). In this seminary level textbook he masterfully summarizes and categorizes a broad spectrum of spiritual growth in 12 major areas, from spiritual disciplines to spiritual warfare. I have underlined sentences on almost every one of the 500+ pages; this book is without equal. Its depth and breath are unique in contemporary Christian literature. Highly recommended.

Why did I leave it on my shelf so long?

I ordered this book some time ago. I have enjoyed Kenneth Boa's other books, Praying the Scriptures for Intimate Worship Praying the Scripture for Spiritual Growth. So, this book intrigued me. When I got it, I thought it looked too academic, but I was so wrong! I took it off the shelf last week after owning it for over a year. I wish I had picked it up sooner! This is a wonderfully practical guide to Spiritual Formation. It is so comprehensive, and I couldn't put it down. It was food for my soul!

A masterful treatise on spiritual formation

Spiritual formation: Even the term itself is esoteric, suggesting this book's likely value only inside the cloistered halls of seminaries. That misunderstanding would be a tragedy. Readers, this outstanding, very well organized textbook is anything but purely academic! It offers a gold mine of wisdom, experience and biblical understanding about a Christian's spiritual journey--in all its various facets. If there is a God in heaven (and there is!), Dr. Kenneth Boa's book should get very broad distribution among Christian laypeople, not just pastors and professors. His book is absolutely fantastic, thoroughly biblical, and even devotional and reverent. It is also very practical and emminently helpful to persons on the pilgrim's path, particularly to those who are looking for more spiritual progress. Perhaps most helpful is the fact that Boa's book gives readers a balanced perspective on those teachers and teachings that suggest that there is only one pathway within orthodox Christianity to proper spiritual formation and an intimate relationship with God. I give Conformed to His Image my highest recommendation!