Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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.

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.

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."

I've had this book for years and read it for the first time several years ago. It helped me begin to read the Bible formationally, and this practice felt like "coming home". I read it again recently, and it was just as fresh, and as with good writing, I noticed things I had completely missed the first time.

This is an excellent read for understanding formational reading, and a much needed correction for our information only culture. And contrary to what some might think, he is not advocating that you check your brain at the door and never read for information. Rather he is teaching something that we moderns have lost - the understanding that we are to soak in the Scripture, taste it, eat it (like John in the book of Revelation). The idea is that in order to be formed in the image of Christ, we need to read with a different goal than most of us have been taught.

Buy it and read it! Enjoy the way it transforms your connection with Scripture.

I came to this book with the advantage of having sat under Dr. Mulholland in 4-5 courses including 2 on Biblical exegesis. The title of this book "Shaped by the Word", is 100% representative of his view of scripture. Mulholland very effectively teaches us that we should approach the scriptures with our hearts and our minds full expecting to be shaped by the work of God through His Word. Mulholland effectively communicates to us that when we always lead our study of scripture with reason our hearts will not be formed as God intends.

This was a very informative reading. Its thrust is to have true people of Faith and Love of God in Jesus name, to come to the word of God for formation or transformation rather just academically intellectually in order to win arguments or any other vanity. But walking with God is a relationship that is accomplished in joint operation of the Holy Ghost and Word working together with faith/obedience and prayer. Nice Job by Dr. M. Robert Mulholland, I'm not fond of mixing Psychology and the Word of God.

This book is life changing... It transformed the way I read the Bible and the way God speaks to me.

Mulholland's text is a very readable and approachable primer about using scripture for spiritual formation. One of the things I especially appreciated was his definition of spiritual formation that formed the foundation for his text. He refutes those who want to use scripture or any 'technique' to become more spiritual for their own sakes. Mulholland points the reader to a focus outside of themselves. He maintains that spiritual transformation must be for the sake of others and not ourselves.

I must agree with "reader from NJ." I was surprised to say the least with some of Mulhollands points in this book. It definitely comes from a post modernist mindset, and I for one have trouble seeing what post modernism has to do with Christ or Christianity. Christianity says that Christ is the only way to God, while post modernity would counter that this is only true for you as a Christian, but for me it is just as equally true that I can get to God through Krusty the Clown. He also seems to jump through hoops to get scripture to agree with his points.

I knew I would have trouble with this book when early on Mulholland says "I suggest that you respond to what you read in this book with your heart and spirit rather than with your rational, cognitive, intellectual faculties." I had trouble finding the rationale behind this book.

I think the scriptures gives a better example when the Bereans, tested everything first.

P.S. to review above:

"Mulholland effectively communicates to us that when we always lead our study of scripture with reason our hearts will not be formed as God intends." - the wierd, sad, and wrong part..is that Mulholland effectively communicates this curious viewpoint.

Scripture effectively communicates that the Holy Spirit illuminates the objective meaning that is already there in scripture, but only for the believer. The believer is expected to do diligent work studying the text so as not to distort the text. You can only do this using your intellectual faculties.

Scripture does not tell us to feel the Bible with our heart. I'm sure Mr. Mulholland is a nice man and probably a good teacher (although I'm sure that I'd find it challenging to learn exegesis from him), but this book is still very strange stuff indeed.

Mulholland's book is obviously written from an enlightenment mindset, and is unfortunately anti-authority. Mulholland looks to see what we can get out of Scripture personally, instead of how it can contribute to us as a Church family. And it completely disposes of what the authority of any particular Church denomination might say in its interpretation. Mulholland quotes Wesley, however I think Wesley would be completely disgusted by Mulholland's understanding of Wesley's instructions for reading the Bible. Wesley strongly encouraged that we shouldn't take Bible reading from outside the umbrella of any church authority, and does NOT propose that we divorce Scriptural interpretation from Church knowledge to get whatever we darn well please out of it.

Though I appreciate Mulholland's attention to the importance of our whole being, body mind and spirit, being drawn in and transformed by the Living Word of God, I was dismayed at his obviously Enlightenment mindset that discards authority.. and also the Postmodern influence which suggests that the Bible can mean whatever we want it to.

Although I would recommend reading it, I would definitely suggest that one keeps an alert eye, yet draws what they can out of Mulholland's experience. Mulholland is a great man of God.. it's just unfortunate that this book reflects wordly influences of today. A much better book to read would be "A Peculiar People" by Rodney Clapp, or "Devotions for a Deeper Life" by Oswald Chambers.