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Minding the Heart: The Way of Spiritual Transformation
Understanding spiritual transformation It is the heart that is the control center of life and through which God works to change us. But how does this growth take place? In Minding the Heart , Robert L Saucy offers insightful instruction on what spiritual transformation is and how to achieve it. He shows how renewing one’s mind through meditation, action, and community can begin the process of change, but ultimately the final change—the change that brings abundant life—can only come through a vital relationship with God. “The renewing of the heart is an inescapable human need,” writes Saucy, “but the solution lies only within the realm of the divine.” Drawing from inspiring Bible passages as well as select scientific studies, Saucy demonstrates how to make lasting change so Christians can achieve the joys of becoming more like Christ. “Individuals and congregations will be challenged, helped, and strengthened though careful reflection on the insights found in this splendid volume.”
—David S Dockery, President, Union University “ The great Puritan divine William Ames defined theology as the science of living in the presence of God. That’s what this book is a biblical examination of Christian interiority, what it means to know and love Jesus Christ from the inside out, with one’s whole heart. A great introduction to spiritual theology.”
—Timothy George, Dean of Beeson Divinity School of Samford University “Any doctor will tell you the key to physical life is the heart. If it is not beating, you are dead. The same is true of the spiritual life. At the center of spiritual growth and transformation is the heart. This wonderful study by Robert Saucy shows you just how important the heart is and that eternal life is a life of quality drawing upon a transformation from deep within.”
—Darrell L Bock, Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies, Dallas Theological Seminary
—David S Dockery, President, Union University “ The great Puritan divine William Ames defined theology as the science of living in the presence of God. That’s what this book is a biblical examination of Christian interiority, what it means to know and love Jesus Christ from the inside out, with one’s whole heart. A great introduction to spiritual theology.”
—Timothy George, Dean of Beeson Divinity School of Samford University “Any doctor will tell you the key to physical life is the heart. If it is not beating, you are dead. The same is true of the spiritual life. At the center of spiritual growth and transformation is the heart. This wonderful study by Robert Saucy shows you just how important the heart is and that eternal life is a life of quality drawing upon a transformation from deep within.”
—Darrell L Bock, Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies, Dallas Theological Seminary
342 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2013
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February 20, 2019
Minding the Heart: The Way of Spiritual Transformation by Robert Saucy is a monograph about the Bible’s definition of the heart and its role in a Christian’s spiritual formation. Unlike other books in academia, Saucy establishes a working definition for the “heart” as understood by the authors of the Bible and integrates it with the current findings of psychology and biology. This work is both scholarly and practical, serving as a bridge between the serious researcher and the lay person who wants to know how he or she can be transformed and experience the abundant life.
Saucy considers the importance of the heart and its role in living the “abundant life” that Jesus spoke of in John 10. He spends a considerable amount of time laying the foundation for what he deems is the biblical definition of the heart—a person’s intellect, emotions, and will—and seeks to establish what is meant by the authors of the Bible when they use the word “heart” in their writings. Saucy argues, much like the biblical writers, that the heart is central to the person and the heart affects everything people do and vice-versa. Because of this, Christians need their hearts to be transformed in order for them to experience the abundant life that is theirs in Christ Jesus. Like much of the Christian life, this transformation is paradoxical because the agents of change are both God and the Christian. God initiates the transformation, the Christian responds, and then God responds to the Christian’s response of His initiation. The Christian’s response, according to Saucy, is the means of transformation and is primarily accomplished through the spiritual discipline of meditation. Saucy desires that Christians think deeply and biblically about everything because their emotions and wills are affected by their thoughts. Though Saucy highlights the importance of the intellect, he also stresses that a person’s emotions and will also affect the intellect and each other. Similarly, the community that a Christian places himself or herself in will also play a role in affecting the various faculties of the heart. Finally, he concludes the book by reminding his readers of the necessity of being in relationship with God through the Son and by the power of the Holy Spirit. When such spiritual transformation occurs, only then will the Christian be able to attain to the abundant life that awaits every follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In his book, Minding the Heart: The Way of Spiritual Transformation, Robert L. Saucy seeks to provide his readers with a biblical understanding of the “heart” and a theological basis for practices that are a part of a Christian’s spiritual transformation. Though he uses recent findings from psychology and biology to bolster his arguments, Saucy does not depart from the Scriptures as his standard for what is true and what is not true. When considering the purpose of the book, Saucy’s use of research from the fields of psychology, biology, and medicine is outstanding. He uses the research primarily as a commentary on specific passages of Scripture while making it clear that the foundation of our understanding of the heart and spiritual transformation is the Bible and not science. In doing this, Saucy displays that his approach in understanding the heart and a Christian’s spiritual transformation is more holistic and founded on biblical principles and built upon through the various scientific disciplines.
For Saucy, the Hebraic understanding of the heart as the central command center and the seat of one’s emotions is primary. He adds to this Old Testament conception of the heart by noting that the inner person is not to be understood as a trichotomy—intellect, emotions, volition—but as a unit composed of three faculties that interact with and affect one another. In other words, the heart is the person, and the person is the heart. Any understanding that a Christian is to have about spiritual transformation must begin with an understanding of the intricacies of the human heart. The heart, by nature, is fallen and must be changed by God first before it can begin the process of being transformed in such a way so as to experience the abundant life. The gospel, then, is not just about salvation from eternal damnation, but about progressive personal sanctification in the life of a Christian. Such sanctification and spiritual transformation of the heart is aided by right action which is usually preceded by right thinking. Though this approach to spiritual transformation may appear formulaic, Saucy contends that each faculty of the heart affects the other either positively or negatively, thus bringing clarity to the old adage: “It is easier to act your way into a feeling than to feel your way into an action.”
Robert L. Saucy provides his readers with a comprehensive understanding of the human heart that is rooted in Scripture and attested to by modern scientific studies. His treatment of the heart as the center of a person is remarkable and understanding the heart as a whole—intellect, emotions, and will—is crucial when it comes to discussing the means of spiritual transformation. I found Saucy’s instruction on this topic to be particularly insightful and helpful. Several writers who focus on spiritual transformation rarely discuss the role of the heart in the process of spiritual formation and even fewer have provided a theological basis for how to do it. Saucy does both of these things well. Though his approach to spiritual transformation focuses heavily on the intellect, he makes it clear that the other faculties—emotions and will—can also have a life-changing effect on our intellect, thus bringing about the needed transformation in our lives. Lastly, I greatly appreciated his view that many Christians have a truncated view of the gospel and loved his short discourse on experiencing the “abundant life” in Christ. I believe his view reflects what the Apostle Paul wrote to Titus: “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age” (Titus 2:11-12). The lives of Christians are to be utterly transformed by the gospel so that they now think, feel, and act differently.
Over the course of reading this book, I have been thoroughly impressed with the holistic approach that Saucy took when gathering data. He drew from a plethora of outside sources, professionals from different fields of study. For this reason, Minding the Heart: The Way of Spiritual Transformation, is a work full of substance that provides insights to the inner workings of the human heart. As the Christian “minds the heart,” he or she can begin to experience and partake of the abundant life that Saucy references at the beginning of his book. If Saucy were still alive today, I would love to have him write a follow-up on what the “abundant life” looks like in the arts, business, government, etc. Nevertheless, Saucy has provided Christians with a beneficial treatment of this subject and has accomplished his goal of establishing a theology of the heart and a theology of spiritual transformation. Every person, scholar or layman, will benefit from the reading and application of this book.
Saucy considers the importance of the heart and its role in living the “abundant life” that Jesus spoke of in John 10. He spends a considerable amount of time laying the foundation for what he deems is the biblical definition of the heart—a person’s intellect, emotions, and will—and seeks to establish what is meant by the authors of the Bible when they use the word “heart” in their writings. Saucy argues, much like the biblical writers, that the heart is central to the person and the heart affects everything people do and vice-versa. Because of this, Christians need their hearts to be transformed in order for them to experience the abundant life that is theirs in Christ Jesus. Like much of the Christian life, this transformation is paradoxical because the agents of change are both God and the Christian. God initiates the transformation, the Christian responds, and then God responds to the Christian’s response of His initiation. The Christian’s response, according to Saucy, is the means of transformation and is primarily accomplished through the spiritual discipline of meditation. Saucy desires that Christians think deeply and biblically about everything because their emotions and wills are affected by their thoughts. Though Saucy highlights the importance of the intellect, he also stresses that a person’s emotions and will also affect the intellect and each other. Similarly, the community that a Christian places himself or herself in will also play a role in affecting the various faculties of the heart. Finally, he concludes the book by reminding his readers of the necessity of being in relationship with God through the Son and by the power of the Holy Spirit. When such spiritual transformation occurs, only then will the Christian be able to attain to the abundant life that awaits every follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In his book, Minding the Heart: The Way of Spiritual Transformation, Robert L. Saucy seeks to provide his readers with a biblical understanding of the “heart” and a theological basis for practices that are a part of a Christian’s spiritual transformation. Though he uses recent findings from psychology and biology to bolster his arguments, Saucy does not depart from the Scriptures as his standard for what is true and what is not true. When considering the purpose of the book, Saucy’s use of research from the fields of psychology, biology, and medicine is outstanding. He uses the research primarily as a commentary on specific passages of Scripture while making it clear that the foundation of our understanding of the heart and spiritual transformation is the Bible and not science. In doing this, Saucy displays that his approach in understanding the heart and a Christian’s spiritual transformation is more holistic and founded on biblical principles and built upon through the various scientific disciplines.
For Saucy, the Hebraic understanding of the heart as the central command center and the seat of one’s emotions is primary. He adds to this Old Testament conception of the heart by noting that the inner person is not to be understood as a trichotomy—intellect, emotions, volition—but as a unit composed of three faculties that interact with and affect one another. In other words, the heart is the person, and the person is the heart. Any understanding that a Christian is to have about spiritual transformation must begin with an understanding of the intricacies of the human heart. The heart, by nature, is fallen and must be changed by God first before it can begin the process of being transformed in such a way so as to experience the abundant life. The gospel, then, is not just about salvation from eternal damnation, but about progressive personal sanctification in the life of a Christian. Such sanctification and spiritual transformation of the heart is aided by right action which is usually preceded by right thinking. Though this approach to spiritual transformation may appear formulaic, Saucy contends that each faculty of the heart affects the other either positively or negatively, thus bringing clarity to the old adage: “It is easier to act your way into a feeling than to feel your way into an action.”
Robert L. Saucy provides his readers with a comprehensive understanding of the human heart that is rooted in Scripture and attested to by modern scientific studies. His treatment of the heart as the center of a person is remarkable and understanding the heart as a whole—intellect, emotions, and will—is crucial when it comes to discussing the means of spiritual transformation. I found Saucy’s instruction on this topic to be particularly insightful and helpful. Several writers who focus on spiritual transformation rarely discuss the role of the heart in the process of spiritual formation and even fewer have provided a theological basis for how to do it. Saucy does both of these things well. Though his approach to spiritual transformation focuses heavily on the intellect, he makes it clear that the other faculties—emotions and will—can also have a life-changing effect on our intellect, thus bringing about the needed transformation in our lives. Lastly, I greatly appreciated his view that many Christians have a truncated view of the gospel and loved his short discourse on experiencing the “abundant life” in Christ. I believe his view reflects what the Apostle Paul wrote to Titus: “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age” (Titus 2:11-12). The lives of Christians are to be utterly transformed by the gospel so that they now think, feel, and act differently.
Over the course of reading this book, I have been thoroughly impressed with the holistic approach that Saucy took when gathering data. He drew from a plethora of outside sources, professionals from different fields of study. For this reason, Minding the Heart: The Way of Spiritual Transformation, is a work full of substance that provides insights to the inner workings of the human heart. As the Christian “minds the heart,” he or she can begin to experience and partake of the abundant life that Saucy references at the beginning of his book. If Saucy were still alive today, I would love to have him write a follow-up on what the “abundant life” looks like in the arts, business, government, etc. Nevertheless, Saucy has provided Christians with a beneficial treatment of this subject and has accomplished his goal of establishing a theology of the heart and a theology of spiritual transformation. Every person, scholar or layman, will benefit from the reading and application of this book.
December 3, 2013
I am passionate about spiritual transformation. However many books on spirituality and spiritual disciplines suggest a variety of practices but do not communicate a sufficient theological basis for them. Robert Saucy addresses this lack by taking a systematic look at what the Bible says about transformation in Minding the Heart: the Way of Spiritual Transformation. Saucy is a systematic theologian at Talbot School of Theology. He is chiefly known for his writings on Progressive-Dispensationalism, Complementarianism, and Ecclesiology. I am in disagreement with his position in all of those areas; however I think that this book makes an important contribution to a robust Evangelical spirituality. Saucy’s understanding of spiritual transformation is biblically grounded and holistic.
There are fourteen chapters in this book. In chapter one, Saucy argues that as Christians we attain the abundant life that Christ promises through pursuit of our spiritual growth. But the way to grow in Christ is through spiritual transformation. This happens through a heart change. In chapters two through four, Saucy describes the inner dynamics of the heart. Saucy asserts that in the Bible, the heart represents the control center of the whole person (their thoughts, emotions and volition). In fact the heart is ‘the real person’ (chapter 2). Because of human fallen-ness the heart is deceitful and does not behave as it should (chapter 3). Real lasting change will take self-examination and self-understanding (chapter 4) However Saucy warns that self understanding is not enough, ‘unless we appropriate the cure, this effort is not only fruitless, but can easily lead to depression as we focus on the ugly distortions still residing in our heart’ (88).
The cure for our deviant hearts is the gospel of Jesus Christ and as we change the content of our hearts to reflect God’s truth (about Himself, the universe, the human condition, His atoning sacrifice, etc) we experience a total life change (chapter 5). Does this mean that spiritual transformation is something we do? Not entirely. God is the true heart changer but we participate in the process (p 118). By apprehending and appropriating God’s truth, we undergo an emotional change and a behavioral change. God is the initiator and primary actor but we are also a direct agent acting upon our own hearts by cultivating our inner life (chapter 6).
The above six chapters are conceptual. The next four chapters address what we can do personally to aid our transformation and growth: chapter seven exhorts us to renew our minds, chapters eight and nine describe the biblical concept of meditation and some guidelines for practice, chapter nine discusses how behavioral change effects our thoughts and emotions. Chapter eleven and twelve talk about the way community and our inter-relationship with others affects us. Saucy demonstrates our connection to one another (in Christ) and how giving and receiving in community is both the fruit and a means of ‘heart change.’ The final two chapters put all the above together and urge us to a holistic understanding of salvation which involves the whole person (especially chapter 13). Saucy also underscores the importance of prayer to the entire process (chapter 14 and conclusion).
Saucy presents a biblically grounded understanding of the human heart and spiritual growth. He discusses the Biblical passages addressing the heart and draws on biblical scholarship to present an understanding of the human predicament and our hope for change. This is a Word-centered spirituality but Saucy is also psychologically astute. His approach to spiritual transformation privileges ‘thoughts,’ but Saucy does not have in mind mere cognition. Our minds interprets sense data and translates it into a meaningful emotion (140). Thus both our mental and emotional centers play a part in our transformation and effect our actions. He does acknowledge that sometimes it works the other way–behaviors or ‘acting better than we believe’ can have a transformative effect on our heart and mind (see his discussion in chapter 10). However, fundamentally his understanding of transformation follows the familiar Pauline grammar of imperative-indicative (The good news first, and how we should live in light of it). This means that hearing the gospel, making it a part of you through meditation and praxis (i.e whole-person-hearing) is what enables real, and lasting spiritual change.
So I am impressed with the substance of this book and how holistic Saucy’s approach is. I also love how generous he is. Saucy draws on the best of a a wide-range of scholars, theologians and saints and churchmen. This is a very Evangelical book, but not in the narrow sense. Any serious Christian will be able to appropriate Saucy’s insights. Saucy doesn’t spill ink describing what is wrong with some spiritual practices (i.e. centering-prayer, mysticism, etc). Even when we addresses a thorny topic like meditation, he stays focused on the biblical understanding of it, and draws conclusions from that for our practice. I recommend it for any one who wishes to deepen their understanding of Christian spirituality. My one proviso is that this book is more ‘academic’ than practical, which may frustrate some readers. However good thinking is needed in this area and I think Saucy does a great job of getting us to think biblically and theologically about our lives. I give this book five stars: ★★★★★
Notice of material connection: I received this book from Kregel Academic in exchange for my honest review.
There are fourteen chapters in this book. In chapter one, Saucy argues that as Christians we attain the abundant life that Christ promises through pursuit of our spiritual growth. But the way to grow in Christ is through spiritual transformation. This happens through a heart change. In chapters two through four, Saucy describes the inner dynamics of the heart. Saucy asserts that in the Bible, the heart represents the control center of the whole person (their thoughts, emotions and volition). In fact the heart is ‘the real person’ (chapter 2). Because of human fallen-ness the heart is deceitful and does not behave as it should (chapter 3). Real lasting change will take self-examination and self-understanding (chapter 4) However Saucy warns that self understanding is not enough, ‘unless we appropriate the cure, this effort is not only fruitless, but can easily lead to depression as we focus on the ugly distortions still residing in our heart’ (88).
The cure for our deviant hearts is the gospel of Jesus Christ and as we change the content of our hearts to reflect God’s truth (about Himself, the universe, the human condition, His atoning sacrifice, etc) we experience a total life change (chapter 5). Does this mean that spiritual transformation is something we do? Not entirely. God is the true heart changer but we participate in the process (p 118). By apprehending and appropriating God’s truth, we undergo an emotional change and a behavioral change. God is the initiator and primary actor but we are also a direct agent acting upon our own hearts by cultivating our inner life (chapter 6).
The above six chapters are conceptual. The next four chapters address what we can do personally to aid our transformation and growth: chapter seven exhorts us to renew our minds, chapters eight and nine describe the biblical concept of meditation and some guidelines for practice, chapter nine discusses how behavioral change effects our thoughts and emotions. Chapter eleven and twelve talk about the way community and our inter-relationship with others affects us. Saucy demonstrates our connection to one another (in Christ) and how giving and receiving in community is both the fruit and a means of ‘heart change.’ The final two chapters put all the above together and urge us to a holistic understanding of salvation which involves the whole person (especially chapter 13). Saucy also underscores the importance of prayer to the entire process (chapter 14 and conclusion).
Saucy presents a biblically grounded understanding of the human heart and spiritual growth. He discusses the Biblical passages addressing the heart and draws on biblical scholarship to present an understanding of the human predicament and our hope for change. This is a Word-centered spirituality but Saucy is also psychologically astute. His approach to spiritual transformation privileges ‘thoughts,’ but Saucy does not have in mind mere cognition. Our minds interprets sense data and translates it into a meaningful emotion (140). Thus both our mental and emotional centers play a part in our transformation and effect our actions. He does acknowledge that sometimes it works the other way–behaviors or ‘acting better than we believe’ can have a transformative effect on our heart and mind (see his discussion in chapter 10). However, fundamentally his understanding of transformation follows the familiar Pauline grammar of imperative-indicative (The good news first, and how we should live in light of it). This means that hearing the gospel, making it a part of you through meditation and praxis (i.e whole-person-hearing) is what enables real, and lasting spiritual change.
So I am impressed with the substance of this book and how holistic Saucy’s approach is. I also love how generous he is. Saucy draws on the best of a a wide-range of scholars, theologians and saints and churchmen. This is a very Evangelical book, but not in the narrow sense. Any serious Christian will be able to appropriate Saucy’s insights. Saucy doesn’t spill ink describing what is wrong with some spiritual practices (i.e. centering-prayer, mysticism, etc). Even when we addresses a thorny topic like meditation, he stays focused on the biblical understanding of it, and draws conclusions from that for our practice. I recommend it for any one who wishes to deepen their understanding of Christian spirituality. My one proviso is that this book is more ‘academic’ than practical, which may frustrate some readers. However good thinking is needed in this area and I think Saucy does a great job of getting us to think biblically and theologically about our lives. I give this book five stars: ★★★★★
Notice of material connection: I received this book from Kregel Academic in exchange for my honest review.
November 18, 2024
Really enjoyed the book. Gave it 4 stars because it was difficult for me to understand at certain parts. But he is very thorough and explains things, for the most part, very well. He definitely gave me things to think about. So if you're interested in changing your heart, this is a good book to begin that journey. He does a wonderful job explaining how things are connected.
May 24, 2021
It took me forever but well worth it. It is a theology book so it's t-h-o-r-o-u-g-h! It's by one of Sid's seminary profs. Besides the personal benefit it feels like an accomplishment to have finished it.
December 21, 2021
Read for theo 2. Really did impact my view of spiritual transformation & i look forward to rereading this
December 17, 2013
Spiritual transformation what is it? How do we accomplish it? Much of what is called “discipleship” is nothing more than coaching to “do better” and “try harder” leaving one feeling spiritually exhausted and discouraged. This is not the approach taken by Robert Saucy in Minding the Heart The Way of Spiritual Transformation.
Saucy’s singular focus is in the title to this delightfully refreshing book; Minding the Heart. The author takes you on a journey through scripture to uncover the meaning of “Heart” in all of it’s uses. The ideas shown in the book from scripture may feel a little strange to the modern mind set, but with the helpful explanation of the author the spiritual significance comes to light. There are thirteen pages of a triple column scripture index at the back of the book that may well be worth the price of the book. I know I will be referring to it often.
Robert Saucy takes you on a journey of the heart in scripture. You will learn what the heart is, what is it’s nature, what is a heart that God desires, and what all this means for you. This journey is not pop psychology but scripture. It is well worth the effort and will have a profound affect on your life. This work is a great gift from the author to the church at large.
The book I believe should be read by the widest possible audience. Church leaders and lay-persons alike will find it well worth the time. I would say that the only drawback is that the author is so well organized that I found I needed to slow down my reading pace. There are about 280 pages of actual text but each one is concentrated and deserves some reflection. The author builds on his ideas so I would recommend reading it straight through the first time.
Many thanks to Kregel Academic & Ministry for providing me with a free copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review.
Saucy’s singular focus is in the title to this delightfully refreshing book; Minding the Heart. The author takes you on a journey through scripture to uncover the meaning of “Heart” in all of it’s uses. The ideas shown in the book from scripture may feel a little strange to the modern mind set, but with the helpful explanation of the author the spiritual significance comes to light. There are thirteen pages of a triple column scripture index at the back of the book that may well be worth the price of the book. I know I will be referring to it often.
Robert Saucy takes you on a journey of the heart in scripture. You will learn what the heart is, what is it’s nature, what is a heart that God desires, and what all this means for you. This journey is not pop psychology but scripture. It is well worth the effort and will have a profound affect on your life. This work is a great gift from the author to the church at large.
The book I believe should be read by the widest possible audience. Church leaders and lay-persons alike will find it well worth the time. I would say that the only drawback is that the author is so well organized that I found I needed to slow down my reading pace. There are about 280 pages of actual text but each one is concentrated and deserves some reflection. The author builds on his ideas so I would recommend reading it straight through the first time.
Many thanks to Kregel Academic & Ministry for providing me with a free copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews