Customer Reviews

Streams of Living Water: Celebrating the Great Traditions of Christian Faith

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We now live in a post-denominational world. Technology has moved us all into a global community. We find ourselves daily exposed to the rich cultures and perspectives of the world. Our provincial and limited expressions have expanded exponentially because of this. Today we have the freedom to draw from past and present traditions to shape and enrich our faith and world-view. People are more open to discussion and interaction than ever before. In keeping with this new reality, Richard Foster has done us a wonderful favor by applying this to our spirituality. No longer do we have to be limited to our own particular denomination or upbringing. We can keep our own spiritual background and identity, but also add on and incorportate different streams of Christian expression to enrich our approach to God and practice of faith. And so Foster paints a broad picture of the Christian faith for us to gaze upon. We don't have to take sides. Foster persuades us that the issue at hand is not either/or, but both/and. Like a mosaic each Christian can incorporate the living streams of the contempletive, holiness, social justice, evangelical, charismatic, and incarnational traditions to the "warp and woof" of life, as Foster likes to phrase it. This approach will make our lives into a unified, yet diverse work of art. He illustrates so clearly each "stream" by using historical examples of those who practiced each style particularly well. First he uses Biblical characters that emphasized each approach. Then he shows how Christ perfectly fulfilled each tradition of the faith. He clearly spells out the strong points and the dangers of each tradition. And finally Foster helps us put into practice each of them from his own perspective and experience. I appreciate how Foster has helped introduce church history to mainstream Christianity. However, some portions of his point by point explanations in the book get a bit tedious. But that must not stop us from drinking deep of this book. Foster shows how practicing a well-rounded faith will protect us from being prideful, narrow-minded, or falling into a spiritual rut. If we follow Foster's beckoning we will also be more unified as the body of Christ. Foster is right that our unity is one of the most powerful testimonies to the world that God is alive and well. This book has opened my eyes to areas of my faith that need to be cultivated more. Foster has inspired me to draw from the wells of the living streams of Christian expression throughout the ages and nations. Any serious 21st century believer should slake his or her spiritual thirst with "Streams of Living Water" by Richard Foster.

PLOT: Like some other Renovare' books, this one deals with 6 traditions of Christianity: contemplative, holiness, charismatic, social justice, evangelical, and incarnational. For each tradition (stream) Foster introduces us to Christians from Scripture, history, and modern times who serve as examples of that stream.

PROBLEMS: There was nothing wrong with the examples Foster selected, but they didn't grab me as much as other Renovare books have. Perhaps I'd rather read each person's own words than read about that person's life. Also, the binding on my book broke. I don't know if that is a problem or just happened to me.

POSITIVES: For me, the joy of this book was in the appendix and extra material. Foster gives us one appendix of critical turning points in church history and another of notable figures and significant movements in church history. He begins each chapter with a chart from the time of Jesus to present that lists significant people, movements, and dates related to that tradition.

CONCLUSION: The extra material is easily worth the cost of the book. The chapters are just the added bonus on this one. I've returned to these charts for reference time and time again.

Foster's "Streams of Living Water" emphasizes a MUCH needed piece of the Christian faith: acknowledging and embracing the fact that the followers of Christ approach Him in different ways. Not only are other Christian traditions valid, but they each provide an important piece to living the whole Christian life.

The book is not deeply theological, but does provide a broad outline of the history, characterizations, benefits and perils of each of the six major Christian traditions. While a more theologically reflective work would be helpful, Foster's is extremely accessible reading and lays a great foundation.

Of the books a person ought to read in their lifetime, this has made number three on my list (after the Bible and Bonhoeffer's "Cost of Discipleship"). It is a must read for any Christian who's perspective on the faith is pidgeon-holed into his or her own tradition.

The more I read of Richard Foster, the more I like his style. As is always the case in his books, Foster's Streams of Living Water presents a well categorized methodical approach to understanding the Christian faith. In this case, he focuses on what he calls the "Traditions" of the faith.

Other reviews have detailed the Traditions of which Foster speaks. So, I'll comment on the structure of the chapters, which, in my opinion, is excellent. Each chapter gives multiple examples of people who focused on the Tradition for that chapter. One of these people is contemporary (Billy Graham is one), one is historical (St. Augustine of Hippo), and one is Biblical (Amos, for example). After using examples to give you a feel for the Tradition in question, Foster lays out what he considers to be the essentials of the Tradition, its defining characteristics. He then moves to a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the Tradition, and closes the chapter with a discussion of how we can integrate it into our lives.

It's clear from reading the book that it is designed with an ecumenical understanding. Foster sees each modern expression of Christianity as presenting a part of the life of wholeness we are to live. Through people reading this book (and joining Renovare groups and such), Foster hopes to encourage Christians to live a balanced life. This book is certainly a good step in that direction.

If you want to live a full Christian life, this book will help guide you on your way.

A final note: I love the first Appendix in this book. It is a brief outline of some Church history, along with certain contributions that each branch of Christianity has given us (from Catholic to Orthodox to the various Protestants), that we can apply in our lives, regardless which of these groups we belong to.

On the whole, this is simply and excellent book. I pray that each one who reads it moves to apply it in their own walk.

Interresting book. I have never seen a historical approach that emphasized the devotional dimension. Shows a very broad perspective, and the six "traditions" of Christian devotion are incisive. Perhaps a little uncritical of some individuals and movements, but on the whole, the book is very helpful and informative. I enjoyed reading it immediately after Foster's "Devotional Classics". I've GOT to find copies of some of the authors he mentions.

Streams of Living Water serves as the centerpiece of Richard J. Foster's recent work as director of the Renovare organization, which calls for Christians to come together through a celebration of the richness of their shared traditions. This book offers a vivid presentation of what Foster calls the various "streams" of the faith, explaining their essential characteristics, not in terms of theological dogmatics but as rich experiences within the Christian pilgrimmage. While every reader will find areas of disagreement or questions of priorities as their particular stream is described, that is part of the fun of the book. Most attempts at ecumenism have demanded a watering down of the strengths of the various traditions, in order to achieve a kind of lowest common denominator of faith. The beauty of Foster's work is that he achieves much more by encouraging each of us to celebrate the beauty of our own stream, and then to jump into the river of all God has for us.

Foster's "Streams" is a radical idea in contemporary Christian circles - drawing together the strengths in each of the recognized major protestant Christian sects he asserts a new, more whole view of life with God.

Foster uses modern and historical/mythical persons to flesh out the strengths he ascribes to each branch of protestantism. While this approach will test readers who look down on the stories of the saints of old (he relates St. Francis' reasoning with a wild wolf in one chapter) if you can put aside modern protestant prejudices against christian mythology you'll be much the better for it.

I found the book to be a refreshing approach to integrating the major movements in Christianity. I am more mindful of the traditions of faith I did not grow up in and am attempting to incorporate their strenghts into my experience of Jesus Christ.

This book vividly shows us how we cling so tightly to our 'right way to worship' that we miss out on the greatest revelations!! We think in terms of "one way of worship" as the truth.....Foster explains how the most balanced people use all the 6 traditions of Christian faith. I didn't realize how narrowly focused I was until this book presented itself to me. You will come away with, not only a tolerance for all denominations of Christianity, but a recognition of NEED for all that each offers in worship of God.

Foster invites us:"Come on in, the water's fine!" This new book is not only a review of the great spiritual streams of the Christian faith, but an invitation to enter more fully into daily spiritual life in Christ. Wade into any of these six great streams and find yourself challenged, refreshed and transformed by God's loving Spirit. For another book, one written specifically for parents, which explores two of these six streams, the Contemplative and the Evangelical stream in light of the holy calling of raising children, look into the recently published book, THE FAMILY CLOISTER: BENEDICTINE WISDOM FOR THE HOME, by David Robinson (New York, NY: Crossroad, 2000). Let's wade on into the streams of living water!

Experience the depths of our Christian heritage with a well-balanced introduction to multifaceted themes within Christianity. The various traditions are not in competition but actually compliment one another and reveal the fullness of Christ. If you want a fuller expression of your faith, read Streams of Living Water.