A Mind for God [Hardcover]

James Emery White (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 16, 2006

To be fully human is to think. The apostle Paul calls us to "take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Cor 10:5). But James Emery White fears that Western Christians are failing in this task. Because we have not developed good intellectual habits, our minds instead have been captured by our culture. A Mind for God is written to help us break free from this cultural captivity through the spiritual and intellectual disciplines of reading, study and reflection. This inspirational and practical "rule for the mind" encourages and enables us to develop our minds for God. Includes book lists and resources so you can "grow your brain."

Editorial Reviews

Review

"What is [the mind of Christ] and how do we get it? James Emery White answers these questions." -- —James W. Sire, author of The Universe Next Door and Learning to Pray Through the Psalms

Review

"God wants us to have the mind of Christ. But what is that mind and how do we get it? James Emery White answers these questions in some of the most lucid prose being written today. A pleasure to read! A joy to take his advice!" (James W. Sire, author of The Universe Next Door and Learning to Pray Through the Psalms )

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 127 pages
• Publisher: IVP Books (June 16, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830833927
• ISBN-13: 978-0830833924
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #117,374 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Are You Thinking?, January 22, 2007

By 

Douglas Searle (Nashville, TN) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Mind for God (Hardcover)

Bertrand Russell said, "Most Christians would rather die than think; in fact, they do."

I am afraid that Mr. Russell was right. Of course, we could substitute just about any class of people for Christians in this sentence, and it would still be true. And, it should be pointed out, all of Bertrand's thinking didn't keep him from dying. One has to wonder what is the point of thinking if it doesn't keep you from dying. Woody Allen said it well: "I don't want to achieve immortality through my work. I want to achieve it through not dying." Unfortunately for him, though, his work will certainly outlive him.

I digress. The point is that Bertrand Russell's criticism of "most Christians" is true. And while all of his thinking turned out to be pointless, the thinking of Christian thoughts is not. The thinking of Christian thoughts is an essential element of eternal life. So it is a great tragedy if Christians are just not thinking much.The proof that Christians are not thinking much can be found in any "Christian Store." Christian Stores used to be called Bible Bookstores. Now they are filled with an amazing array of pablum. Even the books they sell are weak-minded and often not really Christian. Your Best Life Now? You've got to be kidding. If Christianity says anything, it says, "Your best life later."

Please. I beg you. Swim against this tide of non-thinking. You could make a good start by reading A Mind for God by James Emery White. In this great little book (about 100 easy-to-read pages), Dr. White will encourage you to obey Christ by loving God with all your mind--to think Christianly. "Thinking Christianly," Os Guinness wrote, "is thinking by Christians about anything and everything in a consistently Christian way--in a manner that is shaped, directed, and restrained by the truth of God's Word and God's Spirit." According to the apostle Paul, the "renewing of the mind" is a critical aspect of a life that follows Jesus. Thinking Christianly is essential to living as His disciple.

A Mind for God will not only motivate you to repent of your mindlessness; it will also give you solid practical guidance. Some of the guidance is kind of obvious, like "turn off your TV and read." Some of it is less obvious, like "morning is better than evening." One of the great features of the book is its appendices, which contain a list of books that will turn anyone who reads them into a good Christian thinker.

There is one chapter that I wish Dr. White had thought to include. That chapter would say something about the life of the mind as it relates to the life of the Church. How should the Church foster deep, careful, Christian thinking? In what ways--and to what extent--should our fellowship and service be an intellectual exercise? How does or should our fellowship include a sharing of the mind of Christ? How should a thinking Church interact with the world? How could the Church have a truly prophetic voice in the greater culture, a voice that offers real thought rather than simplistic platitudes or moralistic presumptions?

Even though these questions are not addressed, a smart reader of A Mind for God should be able to begin on them, and that is the best way to take this book. It is a motivational guide--a beginning point--for those who would like to develop their minds for God. Read this book. Or at least read a book.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Challenging the reader to think Christianly, February 26, 2007

By 

Dan Panetti "Worldview Director" (Plano, TX USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Mind for God (Hardcover)

President of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminar, James Emery White is fast becoming, in my opinion, one of the leading Christian thinkers of today on the current cultural crisis and how best to equip the next generation to engage for the cause of Christ. This book, A Mind for God, is a shorter and easier-to-digest version of another excellent book by White titled Serious Times: Making Your Life Matter in an Urgent Day. The purpose of this book, as White says himself, is to challenge the reader to begin to think Christianly. The proverbial phrase that the mind is a terrible thing to waste is true, and White warns that it is apparently now a reality as well.

But, if the issues of the world are increasing complex and we have moved from a thoughtful approach to information overload, White is here with sage advice and wisdom for the Christian individual who wants to know how to equip themselves to make a difference in the world. White's advice can best be summarized with one word: read. While reading is not the end of all that is necessary, it most assuredly is the beginning of developing the mind. White does an excellent job of encouraging Christians to read and also gives several examples of what and how to read to make the time and energy most productive.

White adds a valuable reading guide at the end of the book for those interested in developing their Christian worldview and entering the "great conversation." He also gives some additional resources including audio centers for further education, learning centers dedicated to developing the Christian mind, web sites of organizations for additional information and periodicals to continue to deepen one's understanding of the current cultural crisis.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars James Emery White Does It Again!, August 31, 2006

By 

Ray (United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Mind for God (Hardcover)

Dr. James Emery White continues to provide groundbreaking work in tying the depth of his scholarship to terms that spiritual seekers and mature Christ-followers can clearly understand. Challenging the edges of the mind is the promise that he delivers with a profound punch. The suggested reading list in the back illustrates what White does so well-stimulate a thirst and then provide deep wells from which to drink.