A Heart Aflame for God: A Reformed Approach to Spiritual Formation

Author:

Matthew C. Bingham (PhD, Queen's University Belfast) is vice president of academic affairs and associate professor of church history at Phoenix Seminary in Scottsdale, Arizona. He is the author of Orthodox Radicals: Baptist Identity in the English Revolution and has served as a pastor in the United States and Northern Ireland. Matthew is married to Shelley, and they have four children.

Endorsements:

"In our current historical moment, rife as it is with digital noise, doctrinal shallowness, and irreverent worship, some professing Christians have moved away from the biblical faith in search of ostensibly soul-satisfying alternatives. Turning to denominations like Roman Catholicism or Eastern Orthodoxy, many crave the stillness, theological intricacy, and spiritual gravitas that are promised by those traditions but that, when weighed in the balances, are found wanting. Matthew Bingham returns to the old paths by examining the sound doctrine and experiential piety of the Reformed tradition, a faith whose theologians of previous centuries-whether the English Puritans, the Dutch Nadere Reformatie divines, or the Old Princeton theologians-were masters of the craft of vibrant spiritual formation. Bingham examines how the Reformed tradition promotes spiritual growth through the disciplines of Scripture reading, meditation, and prayer, as well as through self-examination, worship, and Christian fellowship. This is a very helpful exposition and affirmation of Reformed experiential piety."
--Joel R. Beeke, Chancellor and Professor of Systematic Theology and Homiletics, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary; Pastor, Heritage Reformed Congregation, Grand Rapids, Michigan

"In a time when many evangelicals are experiencing great spiritual anxiety and discontentment, Matthew Bingham retrieves a distinctively Reformed account of spiritual formation. This book is like food in a time of hunger. Many are leaving evangelicalism in search of a greater depth of spiritual practice. Bingham helps us see how this need can be met within the resources of our own tradition. Drawing especially from the Puritans, he builds a robust theology of prayer, Scripture reading, meditation, self-examination, relationship, and even nature and the human body. Rich in both theology and spiritual insight, A Heart Aflame for God will serve and edify readers at multiple levels. Highly recommended!"
--Gavin Ortlund, President, Truth Unites; Theologian in Residence, Immanuel Nashville, Tennessee; Visiting Professor of Historical Theology, Phoenix Seminary  

"One of the major effects for evangelical Christians living in the modern West with its ahistorical ethos and mentalité is an ignorance of the spiritual riches of their tradition. Matthew Bingham's work on spiritual formation and what have traditionally been called the means of grace is a fabulous remedy for this dire situation. Drawing especially on the Puritan writings of our evangelical heritage (he even includes quotes from that relatively unknown star of the Puritan firmament Brilliana Harley!), Bingham charts a way for modern Christians to benefit from that notable era of spiritual wisdom and so walk worthy of their calling. It is a book, I trust, that will bring much good to God's people and glory to the God of the Puritans!"
--Michael A. G. Haykin, Professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary