Down-to-Earth Spirituality (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Jacob's story, like ours, begins in a double womb: a mother's womb and the womb of a loving Creator God..." (more)
Key Phrases: covenant family, Old Testament, Jesus Christ, Alexander Whyte

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Most books on spirituality focus on spiritual disciplines like prayer and Bible study. But this can mislead us into thinking that God can only be experienced when we are doing something "spiritual." Apart from private devotional times or church on Sunday, God may seem distant from and even irrelevant to our daily life.

Paul Stevens has a radically different view of Christian spirituality. True spirituality, he says, is down-to-earth--we encounter God in the ordinary, common stuff of everyday life. Taking his cue from the biblical story of Jacob, Stevens explores the Genesis narrative and uncovers how ordinary moments are made extraordinary, transformed by the presence of God in the midst of the mundane.

Dreamer, schemer, worker and entrepreneur, Jacob embodies a multifaceted life of earthy passion and gritty spirituality. Jacob encounters the sacred not only through visions of ladders to heaven and mysterious wrestling matches with angels. Jacob also meets God at home and at work, at meals and in sleep, in solitude and in relationships. From birth to death, through every passage of life, Jacob sees God in the routine details of his everyday experience.

"Everyday life is the spiritual discipline in which God continuously and graciously meets us," Stevens writes. When we least expect it, God surprises us by re-enchanting our daily experience and making every moment an opportunity to experience his blessing.

"A thought-provoking, heart-searching excavation in the rich narrative mine of the second half of Genesis. The family focus and the corrective and directive wisdom are brought out most strikingly." J. I. Packer, Board of Governors Professor of Theology, Regent College

"Paul Stevens's passion for the wounded patriarch Jacob has found its full expression in Down-to-Earth Spirituality. Stevens's unique approach of blending theological themes with the narrative story gives the book a heightened relevance for the modern reader. After decades of study and reflection, Paul gives us the fruit not just of Jacob's journey but, as a patriarch in his own right, of reflections from a lifetime of wisdom." Brian Morgan, pastor, Peninsula Bible Church, Cupertino, California

About the Author

R. Paul Stevens is David J. Brown Family Professor of Marketplace Theology and Leadership at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia. He is the author of many books and Bible studies, including Liberating the Laity, Marriage Spirituality and The Other Six Days. He is coeditor with Robert Banks of the award-winning The Complete Book of Everyday Christianity.

Product Details

• Paperback: 212 pages
• Publisher: InterVarsity Press (January 13, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830823832
• ISBN-13: 978-0830823833
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #586,938 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A Rare Jewel Integrating the Art of Biblical Narrative with the Human Story, May 9, 2009

By	Brian G. Morgan "Brian Morgan, pastor" (Los Altos, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Paul Stevens' passion for the wounded patriarch Jacob has found its full expression in his most insightful work, "Down-to-Earth-Spirituality." Paul's unique approach of blending theological themes with the narrative story gives the book a heightened relevance for the modern reader. After decades of study and reflection, Paul gives us the fruit not just of Jacob's journey but, as a "patriarch" in his own right, reflections from a lifetime of wisdom. Thus he is able to speak with authority regarding all the "earthly" contexts where God shapes the human soul. Each chapter traces an essential theme within the human story - birth, eating, family, sleep, courting, marriage, work, conversion, sex, home, calling, dressing, finishing and death - through Jacob's journey from deceiver and dreamer to entrepreneur and elderly grandfather. Who cannot identify with Jacob's longing to see God's "face" in dysfunctional families, oppressive work environments, in marriages where love has grown cold, and finally in the reconciliation of lost sons? We found Paul's book so valuable it became a major tool in training lay teachers who taught Jacob's story in Romania. Another pastor friend in Albania found it so helpful, he is hoping to have it translated into Albanian for the benefit of his people.

Brian Morgan
pastor, Peninsula Bible Church Cupertino
Adjunct Prof of Old Testament Western Seminary San Jose