Water from a Deep Well

Water from a Deep Well
Christian Spirituality from Early Martyrs to Modern Missionaries

In Rome in A.D. 165, two men named Carpus and Papylus stood before the proconsul of Pergamum, charged with the crime of being Christians. Not even torture could make them deny Christ, so they were burned alive. Is my faithfulness as strong? In the fifth century, Melania the Younger and her husband, Pinian, distributed their enormous wealth to the poor and intentionally practiced the discipline of renunciation. Could living more simply deepen my trust in God? In the sixteen hundreds, Philipp Jakob Spener's love for the Word of God and his desire to help people apply the Bible to their life moved him to start "Colleges of Piety," or small groups. In what ways could commitment to community make me more like Christ? The history of the church has shaped what our faith and practice are like today. It's tempting to think that the way we do things now is best, but history also has much to teach us about what we've forgotten. In Water from a Deep Well, Gerald Sittser opens to us the rich history of spirituality, letting us gaze at the practices and stories of believers from the past who had the same thirst for God that we do today. As we see their deep faith through his vibrant narratives, we may discover that old ways can bring new life to our own spirituality.

Table of Contents:

Foreword by Eugene Peterson
Acknowledgments
Introduction: There is More!

1 Witness: The Spirituality of the Early Christian Martyrs
2 Belonging: The Spirituality of Early Christian Community
3 Struggle: The Spirituality of the Desert Saints
4 Rhythm: The Spirituality of Monasticism
5 Holy Heroes: The Spirituality of Icons and Saints
6 Windows: The Spirituality of the Sacraments
7 Union: The Spirituality of the Mystics
8 Ordinariness: The Spirituality of the Medieval Laity
9 Word: The Spirituality of the Reformers
10 Conversion: The Spirituality of Evangelicals
11 Risk: The Spirituality of Pioneer Missionaries

Conclusion: Where Do We Go from Here?
Discussion Questions
Annotated Reading List
Illustration Credits
Notes
Index

PRODUCT DETAILS
Author: Gerald Sittser
Paperback: 364 pages
Dimensions/Weight: 15 x 23 x 2.54 cm / 504g
Publisher/Date: Intervarsity Press / 2010
Language: English