Shaped by the Word: The Power of Scripture in Spiritual Formation [Paperback]

M. Robert Mulholland (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1986

This book explores the role that scripture plays in spiritual formation. Mulholland examines obstacles often encountered in spiritual reading and introduces a new approach to reading that will enliven the scriptures. He also compares informational reading (reading to be informed) with formational reading (reading to be spiritually formed). Readers are released to God's initiative, allowing the scripture to form a spiritual life inside themselves. Revised edition published February 2001.

--This text refers to the Perfect Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Robert Mulholland is professor of New Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. --This text refers to the Perfect Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 171 pages
• Publisher: Upper Room (January 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0835805190
• ISBN-13: 978-0835805193
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #496,788 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

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Offers needed medicine to our souls, August 16, 2004

By 

T. Underwood (Waterloo, Ontario) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Shaped by the Word: The Power of Scripture in Spiritual Formation (Perfect Paperback)

Quite rich - I just finished reading this book twice in the last week. A few chapters are a little dry in the middle, but otherwise a very fabulous work that completely overshadows the two tedious chapters; where he is laying some ground work.

A very well-explained description of spiritual formation and description of spiritual disciplines. The chapter on doing/being as it relates to disciplines is worth the price of the book alone.

In addition, it is very applicational for the reader (although he describes a couple of instances in his journey, I would have liked to see more of his own personal learning added).

In my opinion this book (originally written in 1985) is "way ahead of its time" in bridging mainline, mystical, and evangelical thought - although it never makes those distinctives.

I would say that perhaps he slightly over-emphasizes the formational (vs informational) but I would also add this very important point: that it is this exact over-emphasis that is a needed corrective to the balance of our day for most people.

For me this what a provoking book to my spiritual journey. I am very thankful - there are about a dozen different passages that struck me.

In an ever-increasingly information-saturated world; this book offers needed medicine to our souls.

29 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Letting go of what we "know", May 1, 2000

By 

Phyllis Beckman - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shaped by the Word: The Power of Scripture in Spiritual Formation (Paperback)

Mulholland's insistance that we are capable of letting go of what we know in order to freshly approace the scriptures with the intent of allowing ourselves to be shaped by God's Word is the premise of this excellent book. I lend it to friends, but make certain I retrieve it. The author describes the path he has personally trod in his attempt to realize his full God given potential. Examples illustrate his struggle to distinguish the critical difference between the accustomed reading of scripture for information, and the life changing willingness to read for personal spiritual formation. I am grateful for having discovered this fine author, and recommend this book to anyone interested in signposts to guide their spiritual journey.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Book that Represents the author, April 20, 2001

By 

Mason Booth (Alabama) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shaped by the Word: The Power of Scripture in Spiritual Formation (Perfect Paperback)

If you are interested in understanding how to read Scripture and how to let it shape and mold your life, this is the book for you. Mulholland writes as a person from experience who has walked the path that so many of us have walked. This book will show the serious Bible student how to allow God's written word to shape you into the form of the Word made flesh. As Mulholland staes, we are to be conformed into the image of Christ, not for our own sake, but for the sake of others." In our individualistic western culture, this comes as a shock. Mulholland implies that God wants dreams of more from us than just to save our skin.

Mulholland understands that we come to the Bible with our own worldview, attempting to validate our beliefs with certain Biblical text.Mulholland challenges the reader to set aside pre-conceived ideas and thoughts about the text and come to the text with as clear a mindset as possible. It is by setting aside our agendas can the truly be "shaped by the Word."