Dwell: Life with God for the World - Softcover

Barry D. Jones, Michael Frost

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0830836691 ISBN 13: 9780830836697

Publisher: IVP USA, 2014

Synopsis

Popular notions of Christian spirituality today tend to focus on getting us out of the world or getting the world out of us. Many are looking to spirituality as a means of disengaging from this life--to experience the transcendent or discover personal wholeness. On the other hand, much of popular Christian thought seems to be about avoiding the corruption of the world by being pious and following the rules. But Jesus offers a radical model for living. As the Incarnate One who dwelt among us to accomplish the mission of God, he teaches us how to dwell in the world for the sake of the world. If we are to become like him, we must learn what it means to live out this missional spirituality in the places we dwell. What does a Christian life deeply rooted in the logic of the Incarnation look like? Missional teacher and pastor Barry Jones shares his vision for authentic Christian spirituality focused on becoming more like Jesus. We dwell in a specific place and time in history, with unique bodies and in a world for which God has great purposes of redemption. This presence in the world should lead us to pattern our lives after the life of Jesus who was a boundary breaker, a shalom-maker, a people-keeper, and a wounded-healer. "Jesus' life shows us what it looks like to be fully human, to be whole and holy . . . to be in the world and not of the world, to live passionately for the world and not protectively withdrawn from it, " says Jones. "Allowing the logic of the Incarnation to inform our vision of the spiritual life corrects the tendency toward a self-oriented pursuit of transcendence or a negative spirituality of behavior modification and disengagement from the world." Including practical suggestions for real-life application and questions for discussion, Jones describes living a missional life from a place of deep connection with and dependence on God. Not only must we have a clear and compelling vision of the life we want to live, but we must also cultivate the spiritual disciplines necessary to live out our vision in the specific contexts of day-to-day life. We need a renewed vision of Christian spirituality that leads us to be conformed into the image of Christ who dwelt with us for us.

About this title

Review:

"This fused missional spirituality/spiritual missionality is creation-affirming, people-affirming, body-affirming; it is intimately connected to God's presence and just reign and majors in sharing God's dream of shalom, allowing that dream to pervade our lives."--Sharing the Practice, June 2015

"This book is highly recommended. The presentation is accessible to a wide audience; yet scholars will find it helpful. It is written at a level that educated laypeople will find encouraging and challenging; yet pastors and Christian leaders will find it stimulating. It is practical in its application and well illustrated. It is biblically grounded, theologically informed, and culturally focused. It would make an excellent choice for a small group discussion as well as an introductory textbook for spiritual formation courses. It should be on the reading list of everyone interested in following Jesus into the world with the good news of hope and redemption."--Glenn R. Kreider, Bibliotheca Sacra, January-March 2015

About the Author:

Barry D. Jones teaches spiritual formation and pastoral theology at Dallas Theological Seminary and holds a PhD in theology from Wheaton College. He serves as teaching pastor at Irving Bible Church.

An expert in church planting, Frost cofounded the Forge Mission Training Network with Alan Hirsch. He remains an international director of that movement which is now based in the United States.

About this edition

• Publisher: IVP USA
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 0830836691
• ISBN 13: 9780830836697
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 208