The Deeper Journey: The Spirituality of Discovering Your True Self [Paperback]

M. Robert Mulholland Jr. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 13, 2006

As you journey deeper in the Christian pilgrimage, you come to realize that the Christian life is more than merely replicating particular spiritual disciplines or practices. You begin to understand that at the core of Christian faith is the transformation of your very identity. M. Robert Mulholland Jr. exposes the false selves that you may be tempted to hide behind and helps you to instead discover the true self that comes from being hidden with Christ in God. If the goal of the Christian journey is Christlikeness, then you must reckon with the unhealthy ways that you root your sense of being in things other than God. Along the way, you will discover a growing sense of intimacy and abandonment to God. Not only will you encounter the joy of discovering your own self, you will also find a greater love for others and compassion for the world.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Tapping into the desire many Christians have for a deeper spiritual life, Asbury Theological Seminary professor Mulholland (Invitation to a Journey) begins at the end goal of the discipleship journey—"to be like Jesus." But picturing something far beyond wearing a "WWJD" bracelet, he explains that being like Jesus actually implies a deep unity with God. Using scripture and quotations from many famous Christian writers, he paints a picture of profound and even mysterious connection with God. The book's strength lies in its powerful description of the "false self" that all humans construct as a result of their estrangement from God. Using biblical foundations and ordinary life, Mulholland illustrates various characteristics of the "false self," which makes us fearful, protective, possessive, manipulative, destructive, self-promoting and indulgent. He follows with an excellent discussion of the extremely sneaky religious version of the "false self." But beyond "putting off the old self," Mulholland gives direction for "putting on the new self," repeatedly emphasizing that this transformation is and must remain God's work in our lives. Central to his conclusion is his argument that this change absolutely must be lived out in relationship to other people. The prayers and probing questions interspersed throughout provide a very personal invitation into this deeper journey. (Feb.)
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Review

"[Mulholland] paints a picture of profound and even mysterious connection with God. . . . [A] very personal invitation into this deeper journey." (Publishers Weekly, December 19, 2005 (starred review) )

"Most of us are aware that there is something that is not quite right within us. When we are honest, we might even admit that there is something terribly wrong. It is called the false self. The Deeper Journey provides understanding and guidance for the journey from the false self to the true self. It is a harrowing journey, to be sure, but it is also a journey of hope and healing and freedom. This book is full of much-needed wisdom from one of the most trusted spiritual guides of our time." (Ruth Haley Barton, cofounder of the Transforming Center, and author of Sacred Rhythms and Invitation to Solitude and Silence )

"Dr. Mulholland's exposition of the transforming journey from the noxious web of the false self to the liberating reality of the true self is totally compelling and a must read for disciples serious about the 'with-God' life." (Bruce Demarest, Professor of Christian Formation, Denver Seminary )

"Mulholland recommends radical honesty about ourselves as an essential part of the foundation of a deeper faith. We Christians in North America definitely need to ponder his conviction that the false self and the religious false self will lead us on dead-end roads. I found Mulholland's invitation to a deeper journey in Christ to be profoundly challenging and winsomely encouraging." (Lynne M. Baab, author of Sabbath Keeping and Beating Burnout in Congregations )

"This book is addressing what I think is a foundational religious concern: Is religion primarily a belonging system or a transformational system? Is it merely about belief or is it about inner experience? The Deeper Journey is a very clear and courageous book, giving biblical themes a compelling and needed language." (Richard Rohr, O.F.M., Center for Action and Contemplation, Albuquerque, New Mexico )

"Carrying the journey beyond that introduced in his earlier much-appreciated Invitation to a Journey, this new book by Robert Mulholland will be very helpful to all those who feel called to a deeper journey and who wonder how concepts such as the true and false self relate to biblical teaching. If this is you, read on and be prepared to meet God and yourself more deeply." (David G. Benner, Emeritus Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Spirituality, Psychological Studies Institute, and author of The Gift of Being Yourself and Opening to God )

"What a wonderfully mending and unsettling read. I read it and started reading it all over again. Mulholland serves as an experienced guide to what it means to have an inner life, a life that is 'hidden with Christ in God.' His voice helps me attend to the well-defended and self-referenced way I do life--even my spiritual life. The Deeper Journey is rich with the practical implications of what it means to be 'in God for the world.'" (Adele Calhoun, author of Spiritual Disciplines Handbook )

"Robert Mulholland has gone deeper on the journey and now we can too. This will benefit all who want to follow Jesus' way." (John Ortberg, Teaching Pastor, Menlo Park Presbyterian Church )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: IVP Books (January 13, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830832777
• ISBN-13: 978-0830832774
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #37,567 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

M. Robert Mulholland Jr. (Th.D., Harvard) is professor of New Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. He is the author of several books, including Shaped by the Word (Upper Room), Revelation (Zondervan), and the landmark spiritual formation book Invitation to a Journey (IVP).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pause and think, June 22, 2006

By 

EC "elderchuck" (MN USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Deeper Journey: The Spirituality of Discovering Your True Self (Paperback)

The Deeper Journey may not be a fast read, at least for me it wasn't because I paused to reflect on some pretty significant concepts. The author provides ample support to help you understand that we are to become transparent and vulnerable in our relationships and learn how to trust the genuine article. While the book takes you into deep self reflection on motives and openess, it also is not overwhelming or heavy handed. I think that Dr. Muholland has struck an even tone and will help a person to walk the talk and grow in their personal faith.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This book is everything the title implies, February 13, 2008

By 

Kevin W. Heckman ""Polar Bear"" (Turlock, Ca.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Deeper Journey: The Spirituality of Discovering Your True Self (Paperback)

This book is definitely a challenging, intense journey into discovering ones true self....a lesson in living from the heart Jesus gave you. It is not an easy ride to a half-way point or a substation of the Grand Central of true self. If you put your heart into it it will reward your efforts abundantly. There are no half-measures in this book. It leaves no stone unturned and is full of "ah-hah" revelations backed up by scripture aw well as modern day experiences I can relate to. I would not recommend this book to a person beginning a spiritual journey into their true self. I feel this book needs to be studied and shared rather than simply read.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The BIG IDEA in The Deeper Journey, January 15, 2011

By 

Ryan Michael Kocak "rm Kocak" - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Deeper Journey: The Spirituality of Discovering Your True Self (Paperback)

The Deeper Journey

By: M. Robert Mulholland Jr. (Ph.D., Harvard)

Article written by: rm Kocak (***for a more in-depth preview of the book, visit my biblioblog, [...])

"The world will not believe in Christ because of our sound theology, our correct creed, our well-defined dogma, our rigorous religiosity. The world will believe when it sees Christlikeness manifested in our life. The world will know that God has sent Christ not simply because we pronounce it to be so, but when they see Christlikeness lived out in their midst in our lives in the world."

- The Deeper Journey, pg. 16.

With tears in my eyes, I emotionally navigated my way through Dr. Mulholland's book, The Deeper Journey. I had flashbacks as I read through the book of sitting in Dr. Mulholland's office (I was a former student of his), hearing him praying over me and explaining a lot of the concepts laid out in this book. The Deeper Journey is Mulholland's second book on spiritual formation. In his first book on spiritual formation, Invitation to a Journey, Mulholland laid out a general roadmap, but in The Deeper Journey he articulates the contours, definitions, and realities of that roadmap. Reading this book was very timely for me in my personal journey of wholeness in Christ as I have been searching for a job upon graduation from seminary. The book is also the first book read from my 2011 booklist.

The book is shaped by the movement that Mulholland suggests in spiritual formation: from the false self (our self-referenced mode of being) and religious false self into lives hid in Christ (a Christ-centered mode of being).

Mulholland's book is not just for the closet mystic, but is written to be applied by all those in the body of Christ desiring to grow into maturity. Mulholland speaks plainly in his writing: exegeting (interpreting) Scripture (Mulholland is a N.T. Professor), quoting Christian mystics (his favorites include Thomas Merton and Thomas Kelly), and giving examples from his own life.

THE BIG IDEA

"When God enters into our false self, it is the sacrament of God's presence, another image of the cross. God comes into the core of our self-referenced being. God comes to bring light into our darkness, cleansing into our sin, life into our deadness, healing into our brokeness, liberation into our bondage; to nurture us there into wholeness in the very image of God. But to open that door is to acknowledge our false self and to allow God to come in, knowing that when the love of God encounters the false self, it is always a cruciform encounter for God and for us."

- The Deeper Journey, pg. 80.

The offering of ourselves to the cruciform love of Christ transforms our entire being into one that is Christ and others-referenced. I remember sitting in a chair as Dr. Mulholland explained this concept to me for the first time. I was questioning why I remained so selfish, prideful, and full of sin despite having Christ at the core of my being. His explanation is that precisely because Christ is at the core of my being that the false ways of being that I had reflexively developed in my life each need to be encountered with God's presence. These false patterns and ways should not avoided or ignored like the traditions that see personal holiness in forensic terms, but these false patterns in us should be encountered, transformed, and replaced. This concept put simply is sanctification.

LITTLE IDEA #1

"For those of us on an intentional spiritual journey, our awareness of the deadly and debilitating nature of the religious false self is essential. Rigorous religious practices, devoted discipleship, sacrificial service, deeper devotional activities may do nothing more than turn a nominally religious false self into a fanatically religious false self."

- The Deeper Journey, pg. 48.

Do you ever wonder how people can claim to be a Christian, but live lives lacking in christ-likeness? Do you ever wonder why some people love to pray in front of people at church, point out flaws in others, and love to talk about theology, but appear to have little love for God or people in their daily lives? This is what happens when the false self (self-referenced mode of being) becomes religious. It's not that the religious false-self doesn't believe in God, but it is a God they can control, reason with, and protect. The religious false self presumes, "Because we are religious, that everything is fine in our relationship with God (47)." The tendency of the religious false-self is to be so busy at being "in the world for God" that they forget to "be in God for the world."

LITTLE IDEA #2

"Detachment is the discipline of removing our roots from the soils and offering those roots to God. Such detachment is difficult and painful. Detachment is the ongoing process of disconnecting our false self from all our life-support systems (or, in reality, its death-support systems.). Our false-self will resist such detachment with unbelievable power. We will even become fanatically religious as along as we don't have to lose our self."

- The Deeper Journey, pg. 111.

Detachment was always a spiritual practice that was cloaked in confusion for me. It always appeared, as the name suggests, a separation from the pain, hardship, and trials of this world. It sounded almost gnostic (rejection of the material world for the spiritual). Mulholland articulates detachment differently, clearly stating that it is a separation from false identities and agendas that have come to shape our identity in a false way. Detachment is a re-appropriation of our wrongly invested love.

THE TAKE HOME

Don't let the title of this book deter you from reading it. "The Deeper Journey" is not a path only for religious professionals (few of which would ever see the need for such a journey), the educated elites, or the spiritual mystics. This journey is one we all need to take if we want to grow into the fullness of Christ. Mulholland's book is a tool, resource, and road map that offers language, navigation, and encouragement on that journey.