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Samuel M. Powell

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Born

The United States

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http://samuelmpowell.com/

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Religion

Member Since

July 2015

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Here’s my official, academically heavy, biography–the sort of thing that publishers ask for.

Samuel M. Powell has taught at Point Loma Nazarene University since 1986. He is the editor (with Michael Lodahl) of Embodied Holiness (originally published by InterVarsity Press, 1999, now reprinted by Wipf & Stock), and the author of The Trinity in German Thought (Cambridge University Press, 2001), Participating in God (Fortress Press, 2003), A Theology of Christian Spirituality (Abingdon Press, 2005), Discovering Our Christian Faith (Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, 2008), and several smaller monographs. He graduated from Point Loma Nazarene University, Nazarene Theological Seminary and Claremont Graduate University and is an ordained deacon in th ...more

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how do i get the book discovering our christian faith online?

Samuel M. Powell Hi Cecilia. Thanks for the note. Amazon has it: https://www.amazon.com/Discovering-Ou...

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How do you deal with writer’s block?

Samuel M. Powell There are (for a writer) few things worse than sitting in front of a blank screen trying to come up with something. Here's what I do:

1. I try to devel…moreThere are (for a writer) few things worse than sitting in front of a blank screen trying to come up with something. Here's what I do:

1. I try to develop a very detailed outline of each chapter before I start writing. Ideally, the outline already contains all of the ideas I want to say. Typing just fills in a few details.

2. If I'm procrastinating, I wait until there is something even worse that needs doing, like grading student papers. At that point I have some motivation to do something else--like type.

3. Sometimes it's best to just start writing something, anything, worrying about logic, grammar, and coherence later. As Robert Graves is supposed to have said, there is no such thing as good writing, there is only good rewriting, i.e., editing. Just get something on the screen and fit it later.

4. Sometimes I can't find anything to say because, I realize, I don't understand the subject enough. At that point, I need to study more. The temptation is to not use this as an excuse to read endlessly ("just one more book or article") instead of typing.

5. Don't try to write a masterpiece. Don't hold yourself to an impossibly high standard. I don't pretend that people are going to be reading my books in 50 years or even 20. I'm writing what I want to write because I want to write. Obviously, to get published, you have to write things that others want to read, but don't think that you've got to equal the accomplishment of Shakespeare or Thomas Aquinas.

6. Adopt a blue collar approach: think of writing as a job requiring skill. Practice the skill, do the job. Don't think of it as art that requires "inspiration."

7. As Descartes advised, take big tasks and divide them into small, manageable tasks. Don't write the book all at once; write it one chapter at a time. Divide the chapter into small bits and do them one at a time. If necessary, just write one sentence at a time.

Hope this helps. If you get any good ideas, let me know.

Sam Powell(less)

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Samuel M. Powell’s books

Average rating: 4.0 · 104 ratings · 18 reviews · 18 distinct works

	Discovering Our Christian Faith: An Introduction to Theology 3.76 avg rating — 33 ratings — published 2008 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Trinity (The Wesleyan Theology Series) 4.38 avg rating — 13 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Embodied Holiness: Toward a Corporate Theology of Spiritual Growth by Samuel M. Powell (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Michael E. Lodahl (Editor), Craig Keen (Contributor) 3.93 avg rating — 14 ratings — published 1999 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Teacher's Guide to Understanding the End Times 4.30 avg rating — 10 ratings — published 2011 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Teacher's Guide to Understanding the Scriptures 4.22 avg rating — 9 ratings — published 2012 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Teacher's Guide to Understanding the Trinity 4.40 avg rating — 5 ratings — published 2011 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Participating in God: Creation and Trinity 3.80 avg rating — 5 ratings — published 2003 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Teacher's Guide to Understanding the Sacraments 4.25 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 2011 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Trinity in German Thought really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 2000 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Theology of Christian Spirituality really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2005	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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The Good Mother

by Sue Miller

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Sep 20, 2023 06:21AM

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Samuel Powell wants to read The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 10, 2026 08:55AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Samuel Powell wants to read Remembrance of Blue Roses by Yorker Keith (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Samuel Powell wants to read Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall (Goodreads Author) Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee in Readers' Favorite Historical Fiction, Readers' Favorite Audiobook	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 31, 2025 03:17PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">