Reviews for Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth

The average rating for Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2012-12-07 00:00:00 Trevor Mccracken For years I had followed traditional Christian writings and practices, growing ever more disenchanted with the hollowness of the experience. In my private readings I'd immersed myself in wider and deeper worlds, searching, searching. In 1984 I was doing some training in Estes Park and went to hear Amy Grant at the YMCA of the Rockies. I wanted to hear her do Angels Watching Over Me in person, and that done, I browsed the bookstore before heading back to my cabin. This book, recently published at the time, grabbed me so aggressively I nearly fell on the floor. It was the missing link I'd been searching for, the connection between Christian thought and spiritual practice. I stayed up all night reading it, and to this day consider it one of the most important books in my life. It set my life loose, on a journey of discovery that continues to this day. This is soul-rocking stuff, for those who are ready for it. Little did I realize at the time it would speak to others with the same power: Richard Foster's ideas have gone on to become a movement. My spirituality doesn't lend itself to industrial-strength support systems so I haven't done much to keep up with all he's doing. But from what I can tell the heart of his message has remained the same, and he has stayed true to the quiet voice that knocked me on the floor those many years ago. If you wonder how you can find the deeper layers of the teachings of the revolutionary Jesus, you could do worse than to spend some time with Foster.

Review # 2 was written on 2014-01-01 00:00:00 Zane Wade I have mixed feelings about Celebration of Discipline. On one hand, I struggled with Foster's subjective terminology and mystic approach. At times I found myself wondering exactly what he meant, and in turn wondering whether I would agree with him if I discovered exactly what he meant. Part of this is a difference theological emphasis, but I suspect it also comes down to a difference in personality. Some people like objective descriptions of neat and tidy concepts (like me), whereas others prefer more subjective, open ended, provocative discussion (like Richard Foster, perhaps). This was particularly evident when Foster turned to practical descriptions of spiritual Disciplines that went beyond what is clear from Scripture. I've come to prefer the term "means of grace" to refer to these kinds of practices, which keeps the focus on God's part, rather than Spiritual Disciplines, which puts the focus on my part. For these reasons, I can't whole-heartedly get on board with Foster's vision of the Christian life. Nonetheless, I am drawn to his very experiential way of following Jesus. I long for deeper meditation on Scripture, deeper times of prayer. I loved the chapter on study. I do appreciate silence as a way of connecting with God; I do seek to live a simple life. I would like to be more open to communal expressions of faith; I would like to express more unaffected joy. And so I was encouraged and motivated by this book. I won't be adopting the life of an evangelical mystic anytime soon, but there's plenty I can learn from Richard Foster.