"Here you have an absolutely unrivaled mapping by experts of the whole church's rich, smorgasbord heritage of Christ-centered, sanctification-focused devotional writing, most of which will be unknown to most of us. What to do with it? Take it as your tour guide and start reading its recommended texts. You will be glad you did, I promise you. Wealth awaits."

——J. I. Packer

2014 Best Book of Spirituality—Academic, from Byron Borger, Hearts and Minds Bookstore

Ever since Richard Foster wrote Celebration of Discipline in 1978, evangelicals have hungered for a deeper and more historic spirituality. Many have come to discover the wealth of spiritual insight available in the Desert Fathers, the medieval mystics, German Pietism and other traditions. While these classics have been a source of life-changing renewal for many, still others are wary of these texts and the foreign theological traditions from which they come.

The essays in this volume provide a guide for evangelicals to read the Christian spiritual classics. The contributions fall into four sections. The first three answer the big questions: why should we read the spiritual classics, what are these classics and how should we read them? The last section brings these questions together into a brief reading guide for each of the major traditions. Each essay not only explores the historical and theological context, but also expounds the appropriate hermeneutical framework and the significance for the church today.

Together these essays provide a comprehensive and charitable introduction to the spiritual classics, suitable for both those who already embrace them and those who remain concerned and cautious. Whether you are a newcomer to historic spirituality or a seasoned reader looking to go deeper, you will find this volume to be a reliable resource for years to come.

Jamin Goggin (PhD candidate, University of Wales Trinity Saint David) is a pastor at Saddleback Church. He holds an MA in spiritual formation and soul care and an MA in New Testament from Talbot School of Theology. Jamin is co-editor of Reading the Christian Spiritual Classics: A Guide For Evangelicals.

Kyle Strobel (PhD,University of Aberdeen) teaches spiritual theology for Talbot's Institute for Spiritual Formation and Spiritual Formation Focus programs. Strobel has published Jonathan Edwards' Theology: A Reinterpretation and Formed for the Glory of God: Learning from the Spiritual Practices of Jonathan Edwards. He has also published in the Harvard Theological Review, Journal of Spiritual Formation Soul Care and Relevant magazine.