Skip to main content

Review: Emotionally Healthy Spirituality

In an updated version of his groundbreaking work, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality (2017, Zondervan), award-winning author Pete Scazzero outlines ten problems that arise from spiritual immaturity and provides biblically based remedies. The thesis is simple: It's impossible to be spiritually mature while remaining emotionally immature. His explanations are succinct, easy-to-read, theologically correct and scripturally rooted. This book comes highly recommended for those in all positions—from top-tier leaders to the average layman.

Scazzero melds psychology and theology as he uncovers the causes of spiritual immaturity. Step-by-step illustrations illuminate his concepts. He also uses a variety of illustrations, from popular culture to the Bible. Questions for reflection and a prayer at the end of each chapter provide an excellent immediate application of the principles. This book would be excellent for small group, leadership development, or discipleship courses. Overall, all could benefit from reading Emotionally Healthy Spirituality—it is of no surprise that this is a bestseller.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Product Review: LL Bean Extra-Large Rolling Adventure Duffle

Overview When adventure strikes, the right bag makes all the difference. Too often, however, luggage bags are either large, ponderous suitcases or small, flimsy duffle bags. I have traveled to Central and South America multiple times with terribly large suitcases. It added extra complication to my trip—especially lugging the bag up the steps! This is the problem which LL Bean seeks to rectify in the LL Bean Extra-Large Rolling Adventure Duffle. With a 137-liter capacity, this duffel is able to hold the items of the biggest pack-rat while being easy to transport. It features a telescoping handle, smooth-gliding wheels, and cinch straps. Specifications Capacity: Approx. 8,350 cu. in., 137 L.  Weight: 9 lb. 3 oz.  Dimensions: 17"H x 34"W x 15"D.  Highlights This bag is sturdy. Not only is it capable of holding many items, but it is incredibly durable. It has a reinforced nylon bottom and a thick plastic frame so that the bag does not sag or become weak....

Review: NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible

A revised version of the previously published NIV Zondervan Study Bible,  the NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible  (Zondervan, 2018) represents the best of biblical scholarship in a compact study Bible. It introduces Biblical Theology (BT), a discipline that is intended for readers to weave individual books and stories into a larger metanarrative that reveals God's redemptive plan through the entire Bible. To that end, this study Bible includes articles introducing BT and articles on theological matters. While the emphasis of this Bible may appeal to a more Reformed/covenantal audience, the contributors span a variety of theological traditions and are respected authorities within their discipline. The verse-by-verse notes—over 20,000—are insightful and suitable for determining the historical, literary, and cultural background of the text with a view to responsible interpretation of Scripture. There are in-text cross references, a concordance, maps, and useful charts. Each bo...

Review: Pastoral and Spiritual Care in a Digital Age

The advancements of technology and social media are changing what it means to be human, yet religious studies rarely tend to intersect with technological and neurological sciences. In Pastoral and Spiritual Care in a Digital Age: The Future is Now   (Lexington Books, 2018), Kirk A. Bingaman ventures into how technology informs spiritual care. Himself a professor of pastoral care, Bingaman claims that humans are becoming techno sapiens.  Rather than retreating from technology, Bingaman sees the unavoidable development of technology as part of God's ongoing work of "doing a new thing." Consequently, he sees positive means for artificial intelligence that can be embraced in pastoral care. For Bingaman, pastoral and spiritual care in a digital age requires preserving humanity through contemplative spiritual practices, preventing technology from overtaking human identity. Bingaman's book is important for many reasons. First, he asserts that technological change is unav...