Water from a Deep Well: Christian Spirituality from Early Martyrs to Modern Missionaries

by Gerald L. Sittser, Eugene H. Peterson (Foreword)

In Rome in A.D. 165, two men named Carpus and Papylus stood before the proconsul of Pergamum, charged with the crime of being Christians. Not even torture could make them deny Christ, so they were burned alive. Is my faithfulness as strong? In the fifth century, Melania the Younger and her husband, Pinian, distributed their enormous wealth to the poor and intentionally practiced the discipline of renunciation. Could living more simply deepen my trust in God? In the sixteen hundreds, Philipp Jakob Spener's love for the Word of God and his desire to help people apply the Bible to their life moved him to start "Colleges of Piety," or small groups. In what ways could commitment to community make me more like Christ?

The history of the church has shaped what our faith and practice are like today. It's tempting to think that the way we do things now is best, but history also has much to teach us about what we've forgotten. In Water from a Deep Well, Gerald Sittser opens to us the rich history of spirituality, letting us gaze at the practices and stories of believers from the past who had the same thirst for God that we do today. As we see their deep faith through his vibrant narratives, we may discover that old ways can bring new life to our own spirituality.

Genres: Christian, Theology, Spirituality, History, Church History, Nonfiction, Religion

364 pages, Hardcover

First published November 7, 2007

About the author

Usually publishes as Jerry Sittser.

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the great privilege of taking several classes from Jerry in college, including a month-long Christian spirituality retreat in the Cascade mountains where we learned about the history covered in this book. Jerry is one of the best storytellers I've ever met and a good, wise, and humble man. Highly recommend!

[Marc Schelske · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sittser’s best idea, and the premise of the entire book, is that our faith would be enriched if we understood the long history of the spiritual practice of our faith ancestors. “When I take my place in a few each Sunday morning with my local congregation, the people I don’t see far outnumber of the people I do see, this ‘cloud of witnesses’ that provides much-needed depth and texture and companionship as I follow Jesus.” (p.9) This idea seems crucial. We imagine ourselves unique in our problems and theological controversies. Even a brief summary of Christian history shows how shallow and misinformed this feeling is. We are part of a continuous heritage shaped by people, ideas, and practices many of us are only vaguely aware of.

As crucial as Sittser’s premise is for healthy discipleship, I was continually frustrated with the narrative of this book, which verged on hagiography at times. It was only in his final chapter that he revealed his viewpoint: “None of these traditions are without fault. I could just as easily have written a book about their weaknesses...Every person, movement, and tradition I have introduced has left an ambiguous legacy. I have chosen to dwell on the good part of the story, though I could’ve done the opposite. But I believe that failures and abuses do not nullify the value of these traditions.“ (p.281-282)

I wish that Sittser had included that paragraph in his introduction! Understanding this editorial viewpoint would have allowed me to hear what he had to say more clearly. Even more, I wish that Sittser had not taken this position at all. His intentional choice to curate this story with an eye toward the “good parts” undermines the value of the premise. While I agree with him that “abuses and failures do not nullify the value of these traditions,” I believe that understanding the weaknesses and failures of our heritage are an essential part of learning from our past. The spiritual resource our forebears provide with us is not just a menu of practices like Lectio Divina and the Ignatian Examen, but also (and perhaps more importantly) a roster of ways we Christians have leveraged our faith for self-justification and to attain power at the expense of others.

Sittser wrote: “Every generation of believers faces the risk of becoming a prisoner to its own myopic vision of the Christian faith, assuming that how it understands and practices faith is always the best.” (p.18). Not only does this include the myopia of our practices, but also the myopia of our certainty that we are right. Seeing how our heroes of faith and spiritual ancestors failed is an essential part of learning from their legacy so that we can be better equipped to live as salt and light in the world following the other-centered co-suffering way of Jesus.

[Lane Bortell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book ended up being exactly what I hoped it would be. Sittser discusses many of the movements or organizations throughout church history and addresses the question, "how did they connect with God?" As someone who weaseled their way out of the church history class at Harding, I learned a ton and got really excited about groups like the desert saints (who were sometimes a little too good at asceticism but have a ton to teach the US American church) and the Moravian church (who blessed the Lord and the world with worship 24/7 for ONE HUNDRED AND TEN YEARS!! AND sent out an insane percentage of their population to the nations).
I really liked this book. It was written very well and its mission was important. I was reminded 1) how worthy the Bride of Christ is of our respect and 2) how rich and valuable it's history is.
Shout out to Taylor Hill's dad and Luke Lefevre for recommending it.

[Mason Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good. A beautiful quick overview of church history in different periods. Felt like a tiny step into a huge ocean of spirituality that I haven’t spent time in. I can’t wait to dive into some of the recommended readings he offers

[Anthony Studstill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wonderful book that I read for spiritual formation. It’s a great read for anyone interested in the spiritual disciplines or just Christian history. Sittser writes a very accessible survey of the different “movements” of Christian spirituality throughout history. He tries and succeeds in showcasing the great well of Christian spirituality we have to draw from. It is also great for helping understand where certain Protestant denominations got their specific spirituality.

[Conor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was assigned this book for a seminary class, and I fell in love with it. I all ready lean into books that look at historical models of spirituality, especially the models of the monastics, but have always wondered how the flow of history moved these models in and out of one another. Sittser does an amazing job of honoring these models while not gilding the lily.

highlights abounded.

It is one of those books that after you read it, makes you pause in thankfulness.

[Laurel (Yeetarandomwriter) Burgess · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a lovely and deep book showing church history and introductions to awesome Christians from the past. Hope and truth in this book both convict and inspire me to live for God wherever I am and with whatever I'm doing.

I am very encouraged and thankful to have read it. Alas, I do have a paper for class on this book so I might return to add to the review if anything jumps out to me.

Well worth the read.

[Matthew Ocenasek · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was well rounded and insightful! So much of my faith and experience has been grounded in my Western culture and experience.

It was so refreshing and encouraging to see the history of Christian spirituality through movements and people. I really appreciated how the author used individual stories of famous and not-so-famous saints as archetypes for the general movement and spiritual atmosphere of specific eras.

I grew in a lot of sympathy and understanding and am excited to exercise more practices which grow from millennia of spiritual discipline and relationship with God!

[James Buster · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would gladly recommend this to anyone curious about church history. Sittser generously seeks to glean from each of the Christian movements referenced in his book the beautiful ways in which they were inclined to relate to the Lord. Each of these groups has wonderful strengths that we can learn so much from. It is such a wonderful privilege to be reminded that we, believers, are in the community of all saints through space and time, and Sittser does a great job at reminding his reader of this beautiful truth.

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this for class and found it fascinating and refreshing. It stretched me in a good way and had depth. I learned a lot!

[Gwyneth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and informative book I read for a class.

[Jake Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t give five stars lightly. If you want to be encouraged by spirituality and inspiring stories of justice in the last 2000 years then this book is for you!

[Jasper Kent · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book as Sittser laid out the history of the Church and explored God moving since Acts. It’s rich with stories that challenge my current world view and inspire me to live with greater faith. If you are looking for a book to awaken a basic overview of different periods of church history, then this is a great place to begin. There is a take away in each chapter as the reader is encouraged to put into practice what is explored.

[Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read. Sittser provides a succinct summary of different themes within Christian spirituality throughout history. He, to his own admission, doesn’t address much of the negative within these themes. However, he does a phenomenal job drawing out the beauty behind each one. To read about different forms of devotion to Christ was inspiring. I’ll be back for a reread soon!

[Hunter Harwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Prolly the most academic book I’ve read in a while. Just straight history. Thought it would have a lil more on the discipline of solitude and silence but still very insightful and challenging writing

[Trey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This books was so fantastic. It was a really accessible start to learning and understanding the deep history of Christian traditions. At the same time it is both extremely practical (with an application section at the end of every paragraph) and academic. I finished the book with a greater appreciation of where my faith tradition and practice today has come from, as well as motivation to apply aspects of that history to my current practice of faith.

[E Mac · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some quotes you hear that you immediately wish you almost hadn’t heard. Something that challenges you to the core, where you might chalk it up to extremism or an impossiblity in today’s standards, yet it still pushes you and brings you face to face to what you hold onto, something you now get to see if you can or should loosen your grip on.
There were many quotes in this book that made me feel this way.

[Dan Absalonson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned a lot and enjoyed the journey through time.

[Joshua Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful exploration of Christian spirituality! I especially enjoyed his exploration of the Desert Saints and Monasticism, so much we can learn from the saints who have gone before us.

[Nate Hawkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great overview of the history of Christian Spirituality. I especially appreciated his chapters on monasticism and on saints and icons.

[Doug Nielson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read on the history of Christian spirituality- I especially enjoyed the chapters on mission and the Conclusion that included some excellent insights on vocational theology

[Bhavika · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read! It’s an overview of Christian spirituality starting from the early church to the missionary movement. I was encouraged by the lives and witness of the saints throughout different time periods and am filled with thankfulness for the rich history of the Church! This book has been a springboard to dig deeper and to learn more from “the great cloud of witnesses”.

"We are on a relay team. We have a heritage, a richly composted family history. We need to know these members of our family who lived lives so similar to what we are living and lived them well. As we get to know them we are less isolated, less alone. We are not orphans. We are not misfits”

“The martyrs call us to proclaim Jesus as Lord and the desert saints to fight against the world, the flesh and the devil. The early church challenges us to create a community of belonging for broken, displaced, disconnected people. Medieval monks invite us to abide by healthy rhythms, mendicants to imitate the life of Christ and mystics to seek union with God. The Reformers urge us to listen to the Word of God, evangelicals to surrender our lives to it and missionaries to proclaim it to the world. The stories of these saints are at our disposal to enlarge, enrich and warn us."There is more!" they tell us. "So much more."”

[Paul Dubuc · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent, highly readable, introduction to the history of Christian Spirituality. Gerald Sittser surveys the best contributions that Christians have made in living out their faith over the centuries since Jesus walked the earth. Chapters are arranged chronologically. Each one focuses on the dominant expression of faith during a particular period of history, drawing from the lives of well selected representatives, and ends with a very good discussion of how present day Christians may benefit from the examples set by their spiritual forebears. The author is well aware of the excesses and errors which also characterized each period, but he doesn't dwell on them. This book is written to help Christians see what is valuable from each tradition. "Abusus non tollit usus." Failures and abuses do not nullify the value of these traditions, says the author. This is a fresh and inspiring look a the legacy others have left us. I highly recommend it.

[Rheta Thola]

Definitely an interesting read. Sittser does a good job covering church history. The book is structured so that each period of church history has a specific theme or focus of spirituality. He then pulls in different writings and stories that support that theme. It is a cross between a historical scholarly book and a topical study. I am not sure if I liked that mix, but I did enjoy the topical points that were made as things that I often never thought of before. The book includes "practices" that are meant for the reader to get a step further in understanding the spiritual theme. It also has discussion questions at the end for groups.

[Dennis Henn · Rating 4 out of 5]

An overview of the expression of faith Christianity has assumed the past two thousand years. Very accessible to all readers, Siitser includes discussion questions, Scripture and projects to further our experience in Christian spirituality. Though he acknowledges the weaknesses inherent in each phase of Christianity, his goal is to show the strengths and, thereby, broaden our receptivity to the various streams offered through the Desert Fathers, the monastics, the evangelicals, the Mystics, the Reformation, the missionaries, and the early church. I particularly enjoyed the many brief bio sketches included in each chapter.

[Anna]

Currently reading and let me Maria take a peek at the book. She liked it so much that she stole it.

[Rachel Simmons · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was good, just very slow and a little dry for me. Does a nice overview of the church throughout the centuries.

[Lisa]

This is an easy read for someone interested in spiritual formation and history. The chapter titles are helpful and insightful. Witness- about the martyrs. I hope I would be this way Belonging- about how community was such a key part of early Christianity. Struggle-The "Desert Life" shows us how unfriendly modern life is to a walk with Christ. Rhythm-A history of monasticism that was a good review. The importance of relating to others to truly learn to love and that is the perfection that was desired.

After Christianity became acceptable and even the "desired" religion of the Roman Empire, all was in vain. And I wonder if that is why the Dark Ages came about. "Suddenly the illusion of stability and solid security that political and economic prosperity had created shimmered and started to dissolve. Transcience and impermanence were once again operative realities. Christians were forcibly reminded that their Kingdom was not of this world" from The Rule of St. Benedict
I am not getting into the icon thing but I really appreciated reading about Melania (is that Prez Trump's wife's name?) and also John Chrysostom.

Heros chapter-- about John C. Well, it was interesting that he was kidnapped to become the head of the church in Constantinople. At that time there were 100,000 Christians in that city. Now that makes me sad. He wrote this (AD 398), which could be written today for everyday people, not the monks or clergy: "You stand continuously in the front rank, and you receive continual blows, So you need more remedies. Your wife provokes you, for example, your son grieves you, your servant angers you, your enemy plots against you...poverty troubles you, loss of property gives you grief, prosperity puffs you up, misfortune depresses you...Therefore you have a continuous need for the full armor of God."

I continue my plugging along in this book. I will say, if I've not said it before, the title of the book is just so inviting. Anyway, the chapter "Windows" was about cathedrals, art, icons, relics, sacraments etc. I did not get alot out of it although I do marvel at the cathedrals. There is "something" about them. And those things I just listed have had a huge influence on historic Christianity.

The "Union" chapter was about mystics. This intrigues me. I wonder if I've not had any of these experiences because I've not practiced those austere disciplines or gone off to the desert. Some of these men and women spent years in the desert, in isolation. I've read of Bernard of Clairvaux but did not realize that he could be "ruthless." The author did not elaborate on that. Interesting because the next paragraph reads (p 179) "Bernard's mysticism pulsates with love--God's love for us, our love for God. Bernard believed that as fallen, helpless, unworthy people, we need God's love. 'I am voluptuous, I am curious, I am ambitious, There is no part of me which is free from this threefold ulcer, from the soles of my feet to the top of my head.'Still in spite of our unworthiness, God loves us, passionately so. God's love for us engenders in us the desire to love God in return.

I can agree with that. Then Julian of Norwich "affirmed a union of relationship, not absorption. God is one kind of being, we are another. We know him in relationship of love. God himself initiates, sustains and perfects that relationship. " I like that- acknowledging that we are not God that He is separate from us, different, unknowable in some ways, yet He revealed Himself to us.

(168) God is other and greater than creation, above and beyond it. In the end, all the means we use to describe God, ascent to God and commune with God, simply fall short and fail. As the soul ascends, "language falters." Another guy, Dionysius "argued that when it comes to this deeper kind of knowing, we cannot use language to describe God with any degree of accuracy. IN calling God good, for example, it would be better to say that God is not good, for our understanding of the word "good" is limited by our earthly experience of good, which falls short of the depth of God's goodness . God is above good or hyper-good. God is above beauty. " Beyond beautiful.

He thought we have to refer to God in negative terms because he is just so "other" than us.

In the chapter on "Ordinariness," the author brings up Francis and other "orders. He mentions the laity and the impact these orders had on ordinary people. Yet, those orders were still very radical and extreme, in a disciplined way. I was waiting for him to mention the Reformers. They seemed to bring the ordinary people into the picture more than any in the Medieval times and in the established Roman Catholic church at that time.

"Conversion" In reading about the Puritans and the Pietists, an issue for them, because of nominalism, was that people "provide a narrative of their conversion before they were allowed to become church members." Pietists believed that conversion to Christ implied living for Christ. I believe this. The confusing part is people, including children I suppose, who have that "narrative" then outright reject it.

I finally finished the book today. I appreciated the chapters "Conversion" and then "Risk." He wrote about the evangelical movement particularly in the last two centuries in the US. "Two changes occurred (historically). First, evangelicals put increasing stress on the experience of conversion, believing that the intensity of the experience would somehow authenticate the reality of it. This led them to use methods that made a conversion as predictable and convenient as possible. Second, they developed strategies to win and disciple converts, which turned evangelicalism into an entrepreneurial direction. Both experience and strategy became the distinguishing characteristics of the evangelicalism in the 19th century." and I would add, to this day. very different from how people knew Christ in the years since He came.

Maybe things are changing a little as I think of the emergent church; less stress on disciplines and programs.....

"Risk" was all about missionaries, starting with the Jesuits and Ignatius. This made me think of Catherine's Honors thesis at Hopkins. Where is that? "We read a brief synopsis of their stories....but they lived the story, day after day, year after year, not knowing how it would all turn out. Their work progressed slowly and unpredictably and mysteriously. They made little decision every day to do the will of God as they knew it; they took little risks--as well as a few big ones--that set them on a course leading to adventure, achievement and influence; They chose to devote their time, talent and energy to God, refusing to put limits on twhat God would do with them. Risk does not have to be grandiose, It can--and probably should start small. "

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall a good read. “Water From A Deep Well” summarizes a good amount of Christian tradition and history, looking at various traditions throughout history and identifying at least one lesson that the modern church can carry from them.

For example, the monastics teach us about “rhythm”, the mystics teach us about “union,” the desert saints teach us about “struggle.” To accomplish this, the author gave lots of history and showed us things we can learn from them.

As an ecumenical work, there’s much to commend and also there’s some areas I feel like the book could’ve talked about more.

Firstly, the author really focuses on the good of various traditions throughout history— maybe too much so. I understand looking back at history charitably, but also sometimes a spade needs to be called a spade. I.e.: If a mystic is saying things that are basically anti-Christian (looking at you Dionysius the Areopagite) maybe we should notice the beliefs that pushed him towards the crazy and call it out so that we avoid it? Every heresy comes from the Bible, they say, so we should probably talk about Martin Luther’s antisemitism so that we don’t fall into those same errors. And maybe don’t paint the desert mothers and fathers exclusively with an enlightened lens, though they do have much to teach us?

Secondly, my other issue is that the scope of this book is largely (though not entirely) euro-centric. I understand that the church being based out of Europe for much of history means that a lot of documented church history is there, I’m not asking anyone to stop teaching that. Buuuuut maybe ALSO include the black church tradition and have them teach your readership? Or the Latin American church? Or just the global church in general— especially given that around 65-75% of the church is from the global south.

^ that’s not meant to be a criticism of what the author actually wrote, because it’s good— moreso just something I wish was also included in the book!!

Anyways, I think that some church traditions act like Christianity and Christians only have wisdom to offer us post-reformation or if they’re evangelical, and that’s a really sad operating idea to me because it presumes that God wasn’t sovereignty teaching people and loving people for 1000s of years. Works like this one that help us see the beauty in various church traditions are needed in our increasingly divided world. 3 stars— good read, needed more to be a great one!

[Bryan Robledo · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're looking for an enjoyable book on church history, Water From A Deep Well is one to consider. This book is less a historical account, (although it’s full of history) and more of a lack of a better word, memoir pm of spiritual formation throughout church history. The author looks at the different aspects and focuses of Christianity throughout the years to see what we can learn. Most of the lessons are positive and thought-provoking. This book brings history to life. Each time read this book I felt as if I was inhaling fresh air. I found myself inspired and invigorated as I read about the countless stories of faithful believers throughout the years. This book made you want to live for Jesus and be a part of that great heritage of faith.

The chapter that intrigued me the most covered the early church, the desert fathers and mothers, the Protestant Reformation, and the birth of evangelicalism. I don’t usually take notes when I read, but I did with this book out of fear that I would lose all the insights that spring out while I was reading.


This book does well at eating the meat and spitting out the bones. There are a couple of segments where the author shares a word of caution about specific traditions and practices. This comes up in the section about icons, theology from the monastic movement, and the Roman Catholic Church of the Protestant Reformation. However, the author stands by the idea that there is something we can learn. The book has a spiritual formation vibe to it, which I appreciate. I found discussion questions helpful. This would be a good book to read in a small group that is interested in church history. It helps the reader to learn but also to grow in faith.

There is so much we can learn from the church both universally and historically. I believe the modern church would benefit from looking back to move forward with clarity and attentiveness. This book is a treasure trove of powerful truths that we need to be reminded of.

All that to say, this book was great!