This page contains some suggested works for further reading in various areas.
Spiritual Disciplines
Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth. Richard J. Foster. (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1988.)
Considered by many to be THE primer for spiritual disciplines. Written in a style that is easy to read and full of practical advice on how to go about practicing the disciplines, Celebration is one of the best first reads on the topic.
Find it online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Mardel.
Devotional Classics, Revised Edition: Selected Readings for Individuals and Groups. Edited by Richard J. Foster and James Bryan Smith. (New York: HarperOne, 2005.)
Foster and Smith have collected 52 chapters of readings, discussion questions, and exercises from classic authors on the topic of spirituality. Divided into sections related to the different streams of spirituality (Foster’s way of categorizing ways individuals have grown in their faith throughout Christian history), each chapter provides a full week of thought provoking reading.
Find it online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Mardel.
Finding Our Way Again: The Return of the Ancient Practices. Brian D. McLaren. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2010.)
An overview of several spiritual practices that help us grow in our faith. McLaren is known for his thinking/writing on postmodern spirituality and does a good job fleshing out these important practices.
Find it online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Mardel.
Soul Feast: An Invitation to the Christian Spiritual Life. Marjorie J. Thompson. (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2005.)
Another primer of spiritual disciplines, including how to practice them. Although Thompson’s book is easy to read, it is thorough and often used as a textbook for university level classes in spiritual formation.
Find it online at Amazon, or Barnes & Noble.
Spiritual Classics: Selected Readings on the Twelve Spiritual Disciplines. Edited by Richard J. Foster and Emilie Griffin. (New York: HarperOne, 2000.)
Similar to Devotional Classics, only Foster and Griffin have collected each section’s work around one of the twelve classic spiritual disciplines mentioned in Foster’s Celebration of Discipline. Each of the 52 chapters/weeks provides you with a reading from a classic author, reflections, questions, and practical exercises to do related to that discipline.
Find it online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Mardel.
Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us. Adele Ahlberg Calhoun. (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Books, 2005.)
This was the work that was used to shape our study of the spiritual disciplines on Wednesday nights this spring. This work contains over 50 chapters, each focusing on a different discipline and includes Calhoun’s description, thoughts, reflection questions, and exercises.
Find it online at Amazon, or Barnes & Noble.
The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives. Dallas Willard. (New York: HarperOne, 1990.)
If Foster’s Celebration is the how-to of spiritual disciplines, Willard’s is the why. Willard deals less with the practical application of these practices and more with the theology behind not only the disciplines, but also spiritual formation as a whole.
Find it online at Amazon, or Barnes & Noble.
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