A Heart Aflame for God: A Reformed Approach to Spiritual Formation (Bingham)

Description

“Keep your heart” (Proverbs 4:23). “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). Scripture beckons Christians toward obedience and maturity, but many modern approaches to spiritual formation are less than biblical. In A Heart Aflame for God, Matthew C. Bingham studies God-ordained spiritual practices modeled by the 16th- and 17th-century Reformers.

Primarily drawing from Puritan tradition, Bingham shows readers how to balance belief in salvation through faith with a responsibility for one’s personal spiritual growth. He studies biblical practices—including meditation, prayer, and self-examination—from a Protestant perspective. Blending historical analysis and practical application, this edifying study cultivates a greater understanding of Reformed theology and an ever-growing relationship with God.

• Puritan Tradition for Modern Evangelicals: Shows readers how classic Protestant traditions—including prayer, meditation, and appreciation for the natural world—steer wayward hearts toward Christ
• Rich Reformed Perspective: Presents spiritual formation practices that are consistent with the 5 solas of the Protestant Reformation
• Intermediate-Level Study: Written for theological students, pastors, and Christians interested in early modern Reformed theologians

Content

Introduction

Part 1: Foundations
Chapter 1: “Spiritual Formation”: A Simple Concept with a Complicated History
Chapter 2: Spiritual Formation in a Reformation Key

Part 2: The Reformation Triangle
Chapter 3: Scripture: Hearing from God
Chapter 4: Meditation: Reflecting on God
Chapter 5: Prayer: Responding to God

Part 3: Widening Our Scope
Chapter 6: Looking Inward: Self-Examination
Chapter 7: Looking Outward: The Natural World
Chapter 8: Looking to One Another: Christian Relationships

Part 4: Challenges
Chapter 9: But What about the Body?
Chapter 10: When Things Go Wrong

Epilogue

Endorsement

“In our current historical moment, rife as it is with digital noise, doctrinal shallowness, and irreverent worship, some professing Christians have moved away from the biblical faith in search of ostensibly soul-satisfying alternatives. Turning to denominations like Roman Catholicism or Eastern Orthodoxy, many crave the stillness, theological intricacy, and spiritual gravitas that are promised by those traditions but that, when weighed in the balances, are found wanting. Matthew Bingham returns to the old paths by examining the sound doctrine and experiential piety of the Reformed tradition, a faith whose theologians of previous centuries—whether the English Puritans, the Dutch Nadere Reformatie divines, or the Old Princeton theologians—were masters of the craft of vibrant spiritual formation. Bingham examines how the Reformed tradition promotes spiritual growth through the disciplines of Scripture reading, meditation, and prayer, as well as through self-examination, worship, and Christian fellowship. This is a very helpful exposition and affirmation of Reformed experiential piety.”
—Joel R. Beeke, Chancellor and Professor of Systematic Theology and Homiletics, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary; Pastor, Heritage Reformed Congregation, Grand Rapids, Michigan

“In a time when many evangelicals are experiencing great spiritual anxiety and discontentment, Matthew Bingham retrieves a distinctively Reformed account of spiritual formation. This book is like food in a time of hunger. Many are leaving evangelicalism in search of a greater depth of spiritual practice. Bingham helps us see how this need can be met within the resources of our own tradition. Drawing especially from the Puritans, he builds a robust theology of prayer, Scripture reading, meditation, self-examination, relationship, and even nature and the human body. Rich in both theology and spiritual insight, A Heart Aflame for God will serve and edify readers at multiple levels. Highly recommended!”
—Gavin Ortlund, President, Truth Unites; Theologian in Residence, Immanuel Church, Nashville, Tennessee

About the Author

Matthew C. Bingham (PhD, Queen’s University Belfast) is vice president of academic affairs and associate professor of church history at Phoenix Seminary in Scottsdale, Arizona. He is the author of Orthodox Radicals: Baptist Identity in the English Revolution and has served as a pastor in the United States and Northern Ireland. Matthew is married to Shelley, and they have four children.