I'd be lying if I said I remembered al the essays in this book. But I do remember clearly reading through and perhaps this was the first book of essays (other than Lewis) I had read.
What particularly stuck out for me were the ones entitled "Hot Tub Religion: towards a theology of pleasure" and "Joy: a neglected discipline" - because I really think up until then that it had not occurred to me that Christianity was directly related to happiness. I don't mean I wasn't ever happy; just that the link between Christianity and happiness wasn't something that crossed my mind (which either says something about me or the churches I attended, or both). For the first time I realised that saints of old had pursued joy, and that this was something intimately involved with knowing God, and outstripped earthly fun on every count. No longer was it incidental, but something God was interested in. And it was something to be taken seriously.
It also had helpful chapters on issues of the (my) moment: guidance and healings etc. But the two essays above were the ones that effected me and formed a preparation for the big bombshell of Desiring God some years later.
1 comment:
How on earth did you get a cartoon of yourself on the cover?
Post a Comment